‘Veronica’s‘ Focus On Sex Wearing Thin
The most frequent complaint I hear about prime-time comedies is that they are filled with nonstop sex.
Kirstie Alley’s “Veronica’s Closet” (NBC at 9:30) is one of the shows that gives the others a bad name. Though it has been a huge success in the ratings (thanks to its “Seinfeld” lead-in), its singular focus on sex has to be wearing thin.
Tonight is a perfect example. The opportunity to write an episode for Alley’s “Cheers” co-star Ted Danson results in below-the-belt nonsense that is an embarrassment to both actors.
The plot: Ronnie (Alley) discovers that the plumber (Danson) hired to unplug her toilet is a high school stud she once had a crush on. After she decides to sleep with him, her lawyer tells her that having sex could cost her up to $600,000 in her divorce settlement.
She wavers; that she’d “pay” $600,000 for sex turns him on. She succumbs but gets shortchanged.
It’s more vulgar than it sounds. This half-hour starts in the toilet and ends there, too.
Highlights
“Breaking the Ice: The Women of ‘94 Revisited,” FOX at 8: From Vail, Colo., an exhibition involving the top competitors at 1994’s Winter Olympics. Katarina Witt, Oksana Baiul, Nancy Kerrigan, Ekaterina Gordeeva, Yuka Sato, Josee Chouinard and Tonya Harding perform. James Brown sits down with Kerrigan and Harding in their first joint interview since the notorious incident at the U.S. National Ice Skating Championship in Detroit in which Kerrigan was attacked. (Unavailable for review.)
“Friends,” NBC At 8: Charlton Heston guest-stars as Joey (Matt LeBlanc) gets a role in the same movie with the legendary actor and gets caught using the shower in his private dressing room. Meanwhile, the girls try to cheer up Chandler (Matthew Perry) by taking him to a strip club.
“Promised Land,” CBS at 8: The Greenes find themselves in the middle of another dilemma when it becomes obvious that the teen daughter (Selma Blair) of friends of the family has a drinking problem. But her problem becomes theirs when she and Josh (Austin O’Brien) are involved in a horrible car crash.
“Seinfeld,” NBC at 9: Jerry unintentionally picks a fight with a neighbor (Louis Mustillo); Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) has a new man in her life (Nicholas Paul Walker); George (Jason Alexander) has trouble breaking it off with his girlfriend (guest-star Alex Kapp).
“Target Earth” (1998), ABC at 9: This time slot is showing signs of being a dumping ground for ABC movies that should never have been made. Christopher Meloni, Marcia Cross, Dabney Coleman and Chad Lowe star in a poorly devised sci-fi drama that takes the “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” plot and makes the absolute worst of it. The only thing missing is flying saucers made out of pie tins.
“ER,” NBC at 10: Greene (Anthony Edwards) flies to San Diego to attend to his mom (Bonnie Bartlett), who is hospitalized with a broken knee. But it turns out to be more. John Cullum guest-stars as Greene’s father.
Cable Calls
“Gone With the Wind” (1939), TNT at 5: Always worth revisiting, the Clark Gable-Vivien Leigh classic gets yet another cable screening.
“First Blood” (1982), USA at 9: The first of the “Rambo” movies is by far the best with Sylvester Stallone as the former Green Beret who takes on the law on his own turf. Richard Crenna provides a strong and ultimately compassionate adversary. And the suspense carries the film to the final scenes.
Talk Time
“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: Dennis Rodman of the NBA Chicago Bulls and actress Jeri Ryan.
“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Actress Mira Sorvino, actor Treat Williams and cast members of the Broadway musical “Ragtime.”
“Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher,” ABC at 12:05 a.m.: Elayne Boosler and Robert Shapiro.
“The Late Late Show With Tom Snyder,” CBS at 12:35 a.m.: Author Christopher Reich.
“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Dan Aykroyd (“Soul Man”) and model Rebecca Romijn.