‘Washington Wives’ could be good
“Washington Wives,” a two-hour summer special, premieres tonight.
Ah, if only it was a Jackie Collins miniseries, starring Jacqueline Bisset, Candice Bergen and, say, Paris Hilton as the Intern — with some amiable lunk like Stephen Collins as the prez. We’d watch that pile of cheese for sure.
Alas, it’s an election year, and “Washington Wives,” at 10 on A&E, looks at some powerful women trying to survive the behind-the-scenes pressures of campaign season.
The four are: Teresa Heinz Kerry, heiress and wife of Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry; Elizabeth Edwards, wife of the young senator and presidential candidate turned vice presidential pick John Edwards; Judy Steinberg Dean, the wife of Howard Dean, a woman whose absence came to define the 2004 election season for women; and Sally Quinn, D.C., society maven and wife of former Washington Post editor Benjamin Bradlee.
Quinn isn’t really surviving anything; she’s just here to be quotable, using her vast experience and endless treasure trove of anecdotes.
Dean, well, maybe they’ll tell us something we don’t know, but I doubt it.
The interesting stuff will come from Edwards, whom we don’t know much about, and especially from the mega-rich Heinz Kerry, who’s known here in Massachusetts as a straight talker — often to the consternation of campaign staffers — and a real firecracker.
Highlights
“Big Brother 5,” CBS at 8: More surveillance tapes from the coed dorm in hell.
“Legally Blonde” (2001), Fox at 8: Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) goes to Harvard Law.
“Scrubs,” NBC at 8: Four back-to-back repeats, and if you haven’t sampled this often very funny hospital comedy, this would be a good time. NBC has bounced it around the schedule a bit, but it deserves a permanent home on Thursday night.
Zach Braff stars as young intern J.D., whose hospital life resembles “Catch-22” more than “ER.”
“Reba,” WB at 8: Back-to-back repeats.
“PrimeTime Thursday,” ABC at 9: Two-hour look at a murder case, from crime scene to courtroom.
“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS at 9: Repeat with a murder case involving cops.
“Wide Angle,” KSPS at 9: A look at the prominent role women have taken in rebuilding the devastated country of Rwanda.
“Studio 7,” WB at 9: Premiere of a new game show that also includes elements of “Big Brother.” The contestants live together before trying to outfox each other for cash prizes on a quiz show.
“Without a Trace,” CBS at 10: A woman disappears in the middle of dinner. Repeat.
“ER,” NBC at 10: Repeat finds Dr. Weaver ordered to surrender her son.
Family Fare
“Zenon: Z3,” Disney Channel at 8: Kirsten Storms stars as the sought-after space girl facing an issue of moon colonization.
Cable Cast
“Man-eating Leopards of India,” Discovery at 8: As the suburbs of India’s teeming cities encroach on wilderness formerly accorded to the big cats, trouble ensues.
“Celebrity Poker Showdown,” Bravo at 9: David Cross and Jason Bateman of “Arrested Development” are among tonight’s players.
“Kevin and Drew Unleashed,” Discovery at 10: The former “Amazing Race” partners continue their adventures, this time working on a ranch.