‘Truth’ Mostly An Uninspired Tale
The night is packed with reruns, though some will be a treat for folks who missed them the first time around.
Most notable of the repeats is a “Roseanne” fantasy episode that might be the best of the past season. See details below.
NBC’s “Wings” at 9:30 takes off on a flight of whimsy, too.
Strictly earthbound, however, is 1995’s “Nothing But the Truth” (CBS at 9), an overdrawn thriller so familiar you may have trouble recalling whether you’ve seen it.
After a polygraph operator Jill Ross (Patricia Wettig) clears murder suspect Peter Clayman (Ken Olin), they begin a romance. But passion turns to terror when the woman fears her lover is a killer, especially when a new witness steps forward.
A second polygraph test is ordered, and this time the results are inconclusive.
Granted, the plot is pretty clever up to here. But from that point on you have to suffer through several red herrings, plus the arrival of the suspect’s former lover (Tia Carrere), who is sure Clayman is the killer.
Wettig and Olin, real-life husband and wife, perform together for the first time since “thirtysomething.” But that’s hardly reason to suffer through this mundane drama.
Highlights
“Roseanne,” ABC at 8: The series, conceived as the antithesis of the 1950s model-family sitcom, has great fun in this black-and-white parody of shows such as “Ozzie and Harriet,”“Father Knows Best” and “The Donna Reed Show.”
Roseanne the perfect mom? Now that’s funny. Laurie Metcalf hams it up as the requisite nutty neighbor. Repeat.
“The Client,” CBS at 8: Reggie (JoBeth Williams) has a mess on her hands when a client (Randle Mell) in a divorce case is suspected of murdering the father of his wife (Angela Dohrmann). But the lawyer’s personal life is also complicated by the unexpected arrival of her estranged daughter (Melody Kay). Repeat.
“Newsradio,” NBC at 8:30: If you watch this series, you know that anxiety is always high. In this repeat, Dave (Dave Foley) turns to Bill (Phil Hartman) to coach him through his fear of public speaking. At the same time, Matthew (Andy Dick) asks Joe (Joe Rogan) to coach him on “manly” sports and gambling office chitchat.
“Wings,” NBC at 9:30: In an imaginative and funny episode, characters fantasize about their lives as they predicted they would turn out in a 1973 time capsule. Repeat.
“P.O.V.,” KSPS at 10: Business owners in Los Angeles’ tough South Central neighborhood describe how they overcame bank “redlining” in “No Loans Today.” The film also profiles ABC Loan Co., a 25-year-old pawnshop and check-cashing outlet that plays a fascinating role in South Central’s razor-thin economy.
Cable Calls
“Ralph Emery on the Record,” TNN at 5 and 9: Randy Travis, whom Emery says “brought country back to country,” is interviewed. The singer talks candidly about his rowdy teen years and a period of drug and alcohol excess.
“Cool and Crazy” (1994), SHOW at 8: OK, Alicia Silverstone fans. Here’s the “Clueless” (1995) actress in a cable-made drama about a bored young housewife who decides to take a walk on the wild side by hooking up with a sexy but dangerous guy (Matthew Flint).
It’s a totally forgettable movie but not without a glimpse of the sensuality that has made Silverstone a starlet if not a star.
Talk Time
“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: Actor Tom Selleck, actress Samantha Mathis and musician Lou Reed. Repeat.
“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Will Smith (“Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”), comedian George Miller and the Tarumi Violinists.
“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Teri Hatcher (“Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman”), musician Isaac Hayes and Iditarod champion Jeff King. Repeat.