Gallup Takes His Magic Show To The Edge
David Copperfield may make the big bucks, but he’s not the only illusionist who can work magic in prime time.
Robert Gallup shows why he’s known as a daredevil in FOX’s “Gallup: Extreme Magic” at 8. (Unavailable for review.)
Gallup performs his magic revue on the stage of “The Joint,” located at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel.
Then, it’s his Challenge of the Death Dive, where, as FOX publicity puts it, “the spirit of Houdini meets the Spirit of St. Louis.”
Gallup is chained inside a mailbag, which is chained inside a cage, which is tossed from an airplane at 18,000 feet.
There’s a parachute attached to the outside of the cage. Gallup has about 40 seconds to escape, don the chute and make a safe exit.
Here’s what Gallup, who insists he faces real danger, says about his act: “The rush of risk-taking is an addiction. When people see ‘Extreme Magic,’ I don’t want them to leave saying, ‘How did he do that?’ I want them to go away saying ‘I can’t believe he even tried that!”’
Highlights “Shtetl” KSPS at 7: A survivor of the Warsaw ghettos travels to a small town (shtetl) in Poland where he joins a young Catholic historian on a journey of understanding. The special begs the question: How could Poles have stood by as Hitler’s “final solution” was carried out?
In the second half of the absorbing, though slowmoving film, the two men visit Holocaust survivors in the United States and Israel.
“JAG,” NBC at 8: Rabb (David James Elliott) represents a divorced Marine colonel (Dan Lauria) in a child custody case. When the man takes off with his son, Rabb joins in the search and finds that a state trooper (Steven Barr) is out for his personal idea of justice.
“My Guys,” CBS at 8:30: Sonny (Michael Rispoli) takes a second job after he secretly raids the boys’ college savings to pay for repairs to his limousine. Meanwhile, Michael (Michael Damus) tries to get on Angela’s (Marisol Nichols) good side by helping her deceive her mother.
“Kindred: The Embraced,” FOX at 9: The vampire soap opera gets a little silly when an “embraced” rock star starts putting the bite on groupies. The trouble with this Aaron Spelling drama is that its stylish look can’t overcome its uninspired writing and acting. It just doesn’t work for me.
“Walker, Texas Ranger,” CBS at 9: The network airs a two-hour-long “Walker” repeat in the spot where it’s been running some pretty awful movies that were filling the hole left by pretty awful “Central Park West” and “Courthouse.”
Walker (Chuck Norris) and Alex (Sheree J. Wilson) go on a rafting vacation only to be stalked by a killer.
“The Faculty,” ABC at 9:30: The series moves to a new time period with Flynn (Meredith Baxter) and Shelly (Constance Shulman) feuding on the school’s “Spirit Day.”
“PrimeTime Live,” ABC at 10: Chris Wallace goes on the road with Michael Jordan and the amazing Chicago Bulls.
Cable Calls
“Biography,” A&E at 5 and 9: He is one of the busiest actors in Hollywood, and his unmistakable voice seems to be everywhere. But it hasn’t always been that way for James Earl Jones, as revealed in this profile.
“Dead Ahead” (1996), USA at 9: Judging from TV movies, the woods seem to be full of psychos. Here’s yet another thriller about a family that goes camping only to end up at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Stephanie Zimbalist plays the mother of a family terrorized by a gang of bank robbers led by a ruthless ex-con (Peter Onorati). In this one, the victim becomes the hunter when the woman’s son is kidnapped. Sarah Chalke (“Roseanne”) also stars. Unavailable for review.
“American Justice,” A&E at 6 and 10: The crime series marks the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing with a look at a number of notorious bombing incidents in U.S. history.
Talk Time
“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Actor Danny DeVito, Brett Butler (“Grace Under Fire”) and singer John Michael Montgomery.