Job Search Takes Unusual Twist
NBC’s “Caroline in the City” at 9:30, which owes so much to its sweet spot in between “Seinfeld” and “ER,” gets help from an unlikely source in a rollicking half-hour.
Sharon Lawrence, whom we know best in her serious role as “NYPD Blue” Assistant District Attorney Sylvia Costas, is a crackup as the head of an employment agency who interviews Richard (Malcolm Gets) for a job.
Unknown to him is that she has just sworn revenge on her ex-husband. She’s promised to go to bed with the next man she lays eyes on.
Lawrence once proved her mettle as a comedic actress in a guest role on “Cheers,” playing a woman Sam Malone met in a sexual-addiction support group. She’s a delight here.
And Gets, the funniest member of the “Caroline” cast, is up to the task of playing her foil.
Why, you ask, is Richard looking for a job. It’s because Del (Eric Lutes) proposes to Caroline (Lea Thompson). And that has an unsettling effect on her neurotic assistant.
Del and Caroline’s on-and-off relationship hasn’t been one of the show’s more inspired story lines. The possibility that Richard may harbor romantic feelings for her opens new and exciting possibilities.
Highlights
“Terrors of the Deep,” CBS at 8: Montel Williams hosts this hour that features what producers say is never-before-telecast footage of some of the sea’s most deadly creatures. One thing you probably haven’t seen before will be shots from a miniature camera as it passes through the jaws of a great white shark and into its stomach.
“Oops! World’s Funniest Outtakes II,” FOX at 8: Tune in and see more funny outtakes from shows such as “Coach,” “Grace Under Fire,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Donahue” and “The Stephanie Miller Show.” Also, look for an embarrassing George Clooney (“ER”) home video.
“The Bodyguard” (1992), ABC at 8: Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston top the bill in this star vehicle that features a weak plot but an entertaining performance by the Grammy-winning singer in her screen debut. Costner plays a no-nonsense security expert who reluctantly agrees to work for the pop diva. You can guess the rest.
“Friends,” NBC at 8: Chandler (Matthew Perry) finds a new roommate (Adam Goldberg) just about the time Joey (Matt LeBlanc) realizes that having a place of his own isn’t as cool as he thought it would be.
“New York Undercover,” FOX at 9: J.C. and Eddie (Malik Yoba, Michael DeLorenzo) go after the widow of a mafia hit man who takes out a rival in a mob feud. Also, Eddie fears that a woman he helped put behind bars (N’Bushe Wright) is pregnant with his child.
“48 Hours,” CBS at 10: “Family values” is one of the election year’s most-heard phrases. But it means different things to different people.
A New York lesbian couple are asked to define what it means to them. So is the director of “The Exorcist” and a former National Basketball Association star who, at 32, says he’s a virgin.
“ER,” NBC at 10: In a powerful episode, paramedics Shepherd and Raul (Ron Eldard, Carlos Gomez) are trapped in a burning building, and one of them is seriously injured.
“Shep,” as fans know, is Hathaway’s (Julianna Margulies) boyfriend. Ross (George Clooney) has a date with his dad (James Farentino), and Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) has a surprise visitor.
Cable Calls
“Skating Romance,” USA at 8: Brian Boitano directed this two-hour skating special. The 1988 Olympic gold medalist skates solo and with ‘94 gold medal-winner Oksana Baiul.
Featured skaters include Rosalynn Sumners, Caryn Kadavy and ‘92 Olympic pairs gold medalists Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko.