Abc Rules Excesses In Legal System Out Of Order
Did you hear the one about the lawyers who made it to prime time, only to find out that they were targeted by John Stossel?
In “The Trouble with Lawyers” at 10, ABC’s resident pragmatist asks when we’re going to do something about the American legal system, which he says has become the world’s laughingstock.
Justice, says Stossel, has become a form of warfare. For many lawyers, it’s become a fountain of enormous riches.
Fairness or sensibility be damned. And the burdensome cost is passed on to consumers.
Football helmets, Stossel cites as an example, cost an extra $100 because of manufacturers’ fears of lawsuits. If you buy a pacemaker, $3,000 goes to protecting against legal action.
The threat of litigation has kept vaccines off the market, and a successful hip-replacement procedure has been shelved because of a lawsuit over a plastic used.
Then there are the truly frivolous cases. Hairdressers have been sued, he says, because customers have had “bad hair days.”
And wait until you see what Stossel went through when he was sued by a dentist who said he was slandered in a news report.
Stossel shows us what we already know, but this hour hits home with example after example of exploitation, greed and waste. But the eye-opener is that no other country can match the U.S. justice system when it comes to this outrageous behavior.
Highlights
“The Fiesta Bowl,” CBS at 5: The Cornhuskers of Nebraska (11-0) and Florida Gators (12-0) will decide the national championship in what is anticipated as the Super Bowl of college football.
“Alien Nation: Millennium (1995), FOX at 8: The third “Alien” TV-movie sequel, set at the end of the century, revolves around the theme of spiritual awakening. With many folks crazed by doomsday forecasters, the time is ripe for a band of Newcomer con artists who offer a virtual-reality enlightenment that is virtually a dead end.
Gary Graham and Eric Pierpoint) reprise their roles as detectives Matt Sikes and George Francisco. And the trademark humor abounds.
My favorite futuristic quips are references to FOX network news co-anchors Tori Spelling and George Stephanopoulos and “The Johnnie Cochran Talk Show.”
“Wings,” NBC at 8: Joe and Helen (Tim Daly, Crystal Bernard) get a taste of parenting as they care for a friend’s young daughter (Chelsea Lynn).
More provocative is the arrival on the island of TV detective Deke Hathaway (Clint Carmichael). Casey (Amy Yasbeck) has the big crush, but the dashing actor has eyes only for Antonio (Tony Shalhoub).
“Hudson Street,” ABC at 8:30: The series takes a serious turn when Tony (Tony Danza) is wounded during a shootout and is ordered to see a psychiatrist while on leave of duty.
“Women’s Hearts at Risk,” KSPS at 9: The hour special examines often-ignored symptoms of heart disease in women. Also, a look at how some standard treatments may pose risks for women.
Cable Calls
“Gone with the Wind” (1939), TNT at 5; Wednesday at 5: The only thing worse than watching this classic with commercial interruptions is trying to watch it over two nights. Wouldn’t you really rather rent it?
“Poltergeist II: The Other Side” (1986), TBS at 5:05: A night of haunted-house flicks begins with the scream-filled sequel to the original “Poltergeist” thriller.
At 7:05, it’s one of Hollywood’s definitive more-is-less movies, 1988’s “Poltergeist III.” In both cases, the special effects are still good for a jolt or two, but the story becomes weary. (The first “Poltergeist” film can be seen Wednesday at 2 on Cinemax.)
The marathon continues at 9:05 with “The Amityville Horror” (1979), the best of several movies based on a Long Island family’s ordeal with evil spirits that is widely regarded as a hoax. At 11:35, it’s “This House Possessed,” a banal 1981 TV-movie starring Parker Stevenson and Lisa Eilbacher.
Talk Time
“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: David Hasselhoff (“Baywatch”) and actress Jane Curtin.
“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 12:05 a.m.: Lisa Kudrow (“Friends”).
“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: To be announced.