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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

‘Raymond’ star shows up on ‘King’

Kevin McDonough United Feature Syndicate

Monday nights used to belong to “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and tonight, two of that show’s biggest stars return to animate the last Monday night of November sweeps.

With Carrie out of town, Doug hangs out with an old pal (Ray Romano) on “The King of Queens” (8 p.m., CBS). Neither Romano nor “Queens” star Kevin James will have to tax their acting abilities here.

The two men, veterans of the comedy-club circuit, have been pals and golfing buddies for years.

Patricia Heaton, who won multiple Emmy Awards for her role as Ray’s wife, Debra, stars in the 2005 made-for-TV romantic comedy “The Engagement Ring” (8 and 10 p.m., TNT), a film she also executive-produced.

As on “Raymond,” Heaton plays a levelheaded woman surrounded by extroverts not afraid of speaking their minds and expressing their feelings with operatic gusto. Although “Raymond” involved a supposedly Italian-American family, it never traded in obvious ethnic stereotypes.

That’s hardly the case with “Ring,” a broad comedy that shoots for the “Moonstruck” and occasionally hits its target.

Tony Lo Bianco and Lainie Kazan tear up the screen as Nick Di Cenzo and Alicia Rosa. They had been teenage sweethearts and next-door neighbors in California’s wine country until Nick got drafted.

Unbeknownst to both, a marriage proposal and an engagement ring that Nick sent to Alicia got lost in the mail. When Nick didn’t hear from Alicia, he never wrote again. Mutual silence begat resentment and lifelong bitterness.

Alicia eventually settled down with the more practical Johnny (Chuck Shamata) and had a girl named Sara (Heaton). Nick never married and became a dapper womanizer. Both he and Alicia seem haunted by might-have-beens.

Fast-forward 40 years, and the business-minded Sara wants to buy the Di Cenzo’s land. She’s engaged to a cell phone-obsessed workaholic (David Hunt, her real-life husband) who thinks a big-screen television is a token of affection.

Sara convinces herself she is completely content until she meets Nick’s handsome nephew (Vincent Spano). Can you spell “thunderstruck”?

Heaton and all concerned here deserve credit for creating an unabashedly corny and romantic movie that is both silly enough to go over the top and wise enough to explore the differences between the fires of young love and the rich embers of autumn passion. And, believe it or not, this film has one more “Raymond” connection. Way back in 1970, Lo Bianco starred in the startling low-budget film “The Honeymoon Killers,” which has become a cult classic.

Doris Roberts, Debra’s meddling mother-in-law on “Raymond,” also has a small but memorable part in “The Honeymoon Killers.”

Next to perfume and candy, nothing makes a more romantic statement than flowers. The floral industry is also a billion-dollar worldwide business.

Model Frederique travels through Kenya, Holland and New York’s flower district to show how much a flower can travel, from seed to vase, on “The Invisible Journey with Frederique” (8 p.m., Travel).

Other highlights

On back-to-back episodes of “Prison Break” (Fox), proof (8 p.m.), and time for action (9 p.m.).

A preacher’s wife moves in with an atheist on “Wife Swap” (10 p.m., ABC).

Mike is on the short end of a mugging on “Las Vegas” (9 p.m., NBC).

A South African woman confronts her AIDS diagnosis in the 2005 film “Yesterday” (9 p.m., HBO).

The Steelers and Colts meet on “Monday Night Football” (6 p.m., ABC).

Ensnared in the drug trade on “CSI: Miami” (10 p.m., CBS).

A woman who claimed her house was haunted dies mysteriously on “Medium” (10 p.m., NBC).

Cult choice

An arrogant oil executive (Peter Riegert) tries to buy a Scottish village for his blustering boss (Burt Lancaster) only to fall victim to the town’s enchantments in the 1983 comedy “Local Hero” (6 p.m., IFC). A real gem, this was clearly the template for the TV series “Northern Exposure.”

Series notes

Up from the deep on “Surface” (8 p.m., NBC) … A major misunderstanding on “One on One” (8 p.m., UPN).

On back-to-back episodes of “7th Heaven” (WB), anticipating the holidays (8 p.m.), and tough calls (9 p.m.).

Memory lapses on “How I Met Your Mother” (8:30 p.m., CBS) … An old nemesis on “All of Us” (8:30 p.m., UPN).

Alan’s female trouble on “Two and a Half Men” (9 p.m., CBS) … A new business strategy on “Girlfriends” (9 p.m., UPN) … Lydia frets on “Out of Practice” (9:30 p.m., CBS) … A question of competence on “Half & Half” (9:30 p.m., UPN).