Super Bowl Surrounded By Coverage
For NBC, it should be a super Sunday. The network has the Super Bowl clash between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys - the third time they compete for the NFL championship.
Super Bowl XXX, live from Tempe, Ariz., at 3, actually comes packaged with much more than just intense gridiron action. Besides a glittery star-studded half-time show, there’s pregame and postgame action.
Pregame coverage, starting at 12:30, will be hosted by Greg Gumbel. Mike Ditka, Joe Gibbs, Joe Montana and Ahmad Rashad are among the commentators delivering insights, profiles and interviews.
NBC’s post-game strategy is the long-awaited hourlong “Friends” episode (expected to start sometime around 7) featuring cameos from Brooke Shields, Julia Roberts, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chris Isaak.
If you just crawled out from under a rock or have been living on a deserted island, then you probably haven’t heard about NBC’s Generation-X comedy “Friends,” which airs weekly Thursdays at 8.
Most folks have a love-hate relationship with the show because basically it’s about a bunch of good-looking friends sitting around delivering cute rejoinders. The good news is that these friends usually are cute, vulnerable and even likable.
Most of us can easily relate to the universal insecurities about relationships and careers they face each week.
In the Super Bowl episode, Ross’ former pet monkey, Marcel, has embarked on a movie career and has landed a role co-starring with Van Damme. One of the film’s makeup artists is played by Julia Roberts, a grade-school classmate of Chandler’s.
Even if the Super Bowl proves to be disappointing, you can conclude the evening with a group of peers you’ll love to hate.
Highlights
“World Professional Figure Skating Championships,” NBC tonight at 8: Top professional skaters vie for the coveted title in this annual event taped last December in Landover, Md.
“World of Discovery,” ABC tonight at 8: Only 7,000 tigers live in the wild. You’ll learn of international efforts to save the giant cats from extinction in the informative “Tiger: Lord of the Wild.” (Grids above were prepared before program times were finally determined.)
“To Dance With the White Dog” (1993), CBS Sunday at 9: Warm sentiments and a few heart-tugging treats have been rolled into this tearjerker. It’s a slice-of-life tale about elderly Robert “Mr. Sam” Peek (Hume Cronyn) coping with the loss of his beloved wife, Cora (Jessica Tandy).
Cronyn and Tandy bring charm, grace and believability to their roles in a movie that has a refreshing slow pace. Fans of “The Waltons” will welcome this tale’s folksy feel. Repeat.
“Deceived” (1991), ABC Sunday at 9: Goldie Hawn tries to be taken seriously and fails miserably in this lame thriller about a yuppie who discovers her husband (John Heard) leads a double life. It is hoped Hawn learned that she should stick to romantic comedies. Repeat.
Parents’ Pick
“The Canterville Ghost” (1996), ABC tonight at 9: Oscar Wilde’s famous ghost tale has been updated and watered down into decent family viewing. This version focuses on two cultures clashing when a centuries-old ghost (Patrick Stewart, “Star Trek: Next Generation”) flips his lid over an American family moving into his haunt.
When the cynical family ignores his warning signs - blood on the fireplace, clanking chains and howling winds - he becomes even more frustrated, turning the tale into a comedic romp families can enjoy.
“Party of Five’s” Neve Campbell does what she does best: Act the part of a confused American teenager.
Movie Marquee
“King Kong” (1976), TBS tonight at 7:40: The beast made famous in the 1933 film returned for an encore performance in this big-budget production from producer Dino De Laurentiis.
The film stands out because it marked Jessica Lange’s rise to stardom.
xxxx CABLE CALLS New York Times Syndicate “Nell” (1994), HBO tonight at 8: Outstanding performances from Jodie Foster, Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson round out this intense drama about a young woman (Foster) isolated from the world for most of her life. The direction (Michael Apted) is crisp, and the story is riveting. “Mrs. Munck” (1996), SHO Sunday at 8: Bruce Dern gives his best when he reunites with his ex-wife Diane Ladd for this lively dark comedy about revenge.