‘Sunshine Boys’ Delivers Sporadic Laughs
Oy vey! Woody Allen is back on the small screen (remember “Don’t Drink the Water”? ), and he’s doing his rapid-fire neurotic act.
This time he’s playing Al Lewis, the sensitive half of the has-been comedy duo from Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys” (CBS Sunday at 9).
Peter Falk weighs in as Willie Clark, the acid-tongued other half of the team. Together they were known as Lewis & Clark and made their money with an act that essentially entailed bickering.
Neil Simon’s one-liners, which seemed clever when Walter Matthau and George Burns delivered them in the 1975 movie, mostly fall flat here. Falk supplies pure anger - hostility rather than laughs. Allen’s comebacks are tired and boring.
Still, the scene when Lewis and Clark are reunited for a movie remains a show-stopper. Michael McKean plays the stunned director, who must cope with the feuding duo.
Of course, they can’t put aside their differences. The end result is take after take of knee-slapping outtakes.
“Sunshine Boys” stands out for its strong supporting cast. Of note is Sarah Jessica Parker.
She gets in a few good lines - when the boys aren’t bickering - as Clark’s niece and talent agent. Parker is best at simultaneously expressing impatience and respect while she’s coping with her wily Uncle Willie.
There’s a lot of redundancy rolled up into one package and, at times, it works. These “Boys” manage to entertain but certainly not as well as Matthau and Burns.
Highlights
“D2: The Mighty Ducks” (1994), NBC tonight at 8: Emilio Estevez returns as Gordon Bombay, coach of the pint-size Ducks hockey team. Not unlike “The Bad News Bears,” the too-cute movie about a young baseball team, this franchise shows signs of suffering from sequel overkill.
In this repeat, the Ducks compete at the Junior Goodwill Games.
It’s more of the same old gags and on-ice antics. But parents may appreciate the way moviemakers never compromise the underlying message of teamwork and fair play.
“Figure Skating,” CBS tonight at 8: On hand are the long programs from the World Team Championships, taped Oct. 31. Katarina Witt, Kurt Browning and Paul Wylie are among the competitors.
“Football,” ESPN tonight at 5: New Mexico (9-3) and Arizona (6-5) tangle in the Insight.com Bowl in Tucson, Ariz.
“Keeping America’s Promise: A Report to the Nation by Gen. Colin Powell,” FOX tonight at 9: Unavailable for review are these profiles of Americans devoted to helping young people. Included are comments from President Clinton and former Presidents George Bush, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford.
“Wonderful World of Disney,” ABC Sunday at 7: This movie series rolls out a special treat, 1995’s touching “A Little Princess,” based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. (She also wrote “The Secret Garden.”) The story of 10-year-old Sara (Liesel Matthews), who is persecuted by the evil headmistress (Eleanor Bron) of a swank boarding school, is a study of inner strength and self-confidence. The message here is that worldly possessions mean little unless what’s beneath the surface is genuine and strong.
“The Simpsons,” FOX Sunday at 8: If you missed this episode the last time it aired, then consider taking it in this time. The half-hour engagingly and laughingly recalls how Lisa’s love affair with the sax began, as well as Bart’s first day of school. You’ll also learn how Bart met Milhouse.
“The River Wild” (1994), NBC Sunday at 8:30: Members of a troubled family (the matriarch played Meryl Streep) try to smooth out some rough edges on a whitewater rafting trip. The end result is predictable: The trip turns into a game of survival and stamina.
Parts of this nail-biter are made credible by Streep’s resourceful performance. Repeat.
“I Love Trouble” (1994), ABC Sunday at 9: Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte exchange rejoinders as competing reporters covering a train accident. It’s all a throwback to old Hollywood romantic comedies.
The bickering is cute but tires after a while, as does the predictable plot.
Cable Calls
“Beavis and Butt-head Do America” (1996), HBO tonight at 8: Straight from the gutter comes this tasteless cartoon about the boys’ adventures in Las Vegas. “Heh-heh-heh,” it’s ridiculous and a waste of time.
Even the spoof on Chelsea Clinton lacks the cartoon’s famous biting humor.
And why aren’t there music videos?
“Investigative Reports,” A&E tonight at 6 and 10: The documentary series speculates on who will be the successor to Pope John Paul II. It presents some unusual insights into the Vatican.
“This Year in Country Music ‘97,” TNN tonight at 7: Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase remember country music’s high points, such as Garth Brooks bringing down the house in Central park, the 20th anniversary of Elvis’ death and country music awards.