It’s Hard To Take A Shine To Ruby Wax
I’m one of those people who thinks that the airwaves are flooded with celebrity interviews. So I should be pleased when someone comes along and turns the celeb blah-blah-blah format on its ear.
But after watching “The Ruby Wax Show” (FOX at 8:30), I was thinking maybe Barbara Walters isn’t so pretentious after all.
Wax, a Chicago native who hosts an outrageous talk show on British television, interviews Pamela Anderson Lee (“Baywatch”), Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler.
If you want to see Hawn and Wax lounging in bed talking about sex, follow Midler on a London shopping spree or find out whether Lee shaves or waxes, then this is your special. But it gave me a headache.
Wax is so obnoxious that any star she targets would be smart to invest in a couple of Dobermans and keep them half-fed.
The low point of this half-hour comes early when Wax invites herself to be a “Baywatch” extra.
Clad in a revealing swimsuit, she makes herself a genuine nuisance on the beach set.
Her conversation with Lee is so pointless that apparently she had to pull this stunt.
The celebrity interview is a prime target for parody.
But Wax is off the mark, too out there for her own good.
Please, FOX, make this a one-time thing.
Highlights
“Mad TV,” FOX at 8: The Saturday series begins a summer weeknight run. Movie parodies include “Mother of Mercy” (what if Demi Moore were a young Mother Theresa?) and “When Harry Met Willy” (about a man and his mammal friend).
Also, a man calls a sex hotline and the telephone is answered by his mother.
“Justice for Annie: A Moment of Truth Movie” (1995), NBC at 8: Peggy Lipton stars as a mother who pushes prosecutors to investigate the “accidental” death of her daughter (Danica McKellar). Susan Ruttan is cast as the villain in this tale inspired by a true story.
It’s a curious story that’s been made into a boring movie. You may give up in the tedious first hour.
“Walt Disney World’s 25th Anniversary Party,” ABC at 8: Back for a second airing in less than four months on Disney-owned ABC is this theme-park commercial that includes performances by Donna Summer, Gloria Estefan and The Village People. But it’s mostly the same old “Disney magic” shtick.
“The Temp” (1993), ABC at 9: This is one of those movies where a disarming woman (Lara Flynn Boyle, “Twin Peaks”) forces her way into the life of a man (Timothy Hutton) who never suspects that she’s a psychopath.
This time, it’s an office temp with a murderous agenda. The plot wears thin early on in this dim thriller.
“Married … With Children,” FOX at 9: Don’t you love it when a network promotes a series finale and a few weeks later offers up an “all-new” episode?
In this one, Al (Ed O’Neill) gets carried away with a moneymaking scheme. Not exactly an “all-new” idea, eh?
“Chicago Hope,” CBS at 10: Shutt (Adam Arkin) is asked by a dying death-row inmate (Tobin Bell) to allow him to die on the operating table to prevent his family from the unpleasantness of his execution.
Cable Calls
“Monday Night Concerts With Ricky Skaggs,” TNN at 7: It’s quite a night for this series as Skaggs is joined by Marty Stuart and former Stray Cats singer-guitarist Brian Setzer. Elvis Costello makes a cameo appearance.
“Long Shots: The Life and Times of the American Basketball Association,” HBO at 10: Among other things, we have the ABA to thank for the three-point shot. Hoop fans will enjoy this colorful history of the NBA’s one-time rival.
Talk Time
“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: Actress Sandra Bullock and Charles Shaughnessy (“The Nanny”).
“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Actor Harrison Ford, comedian Steven Wright and music group Dave Matthews Band.
“Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher,” ABC at 12:35 a.m.: Performance artist Karen Finley, activist Lakita Garth and singer Louise Mandrell.
“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Singer Ice T and actor-singer Dwight Yoakam. Repeat.