Kerry’s speech may define his future
I’m not going to tell you that political conventions matter anymore.
They’re basically a good excuse for the party faithful to grab a few drinks, wear silly hats and rub elbows with the famous. Even the idea of getting some prime-time exposure has gone by the boards, as the Big Three networks planned to air only three to four hours of this week’s four-day Democratic National Convention in Boston.
But …
Tonight Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry addresses the convention and the nation. And with polls showing a close race between him and President George W. Bush, the speech could be the first big step toward victory or defeat.
Conventional — no pun intended — wisdom suggests that many voters start paying attention right about now. This year, Sept. 11 and Iraq may have voters a lot more alert than usual.
But this is Kerry’s first major chance to define himself on camera.
So, ABC, CBS and NBC are expected to come live from Boston beginning at 7 p.m., while the spectrum of cable news channels is expected to switch on between 3 and 5 p.m.
Highlights
“Big Brother 5,” CBS at 8: More unpleasant behavior from the captive contestants.
“Nutty Professor II: The Klumps” (2000), Fox at 8: Eddie Murphy reprises Prof. Klump and Buddy Love.
“Blue Collar TV,” WB at 8: Premiere. Redneck comedian Jeff Foxworthy headlines this sketch-comedy series.
“Reba,” WB at 8:30: Girls’ night out leads to a bar fight. Repeat.
“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS at 9: Repeat with the investigation of a roller-coaster crash.
“Last Comic Standing,” NBC at 9: We find out who that is.
“Studio 7,” WB at 9: A sort of “Big Brother” house experience leads to a quiz show.
“Will & Grace,” NBC at 10: Repeat with Karen helping Jack prep for the annual gay spelling bee.
“Scrubs,” NBC at 10:30: Turk’s first solo surgery. Repeat.
Family Fare
“Double Teamed” (2002), Disney Channel at 8: The based-on-fact story of twins Heather and Heidi Burge and their success in women’s basketball.
Cable Cast
Shark week, Discovery Channel at 8: Tonight we’ll learn all about “The Bull Shark: The World’s Deadliest Shark.”
“And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself” (2003), HBO at 8: Antonio Banderas plays the Mexican revolutionary in a story of what happened when Pancho met Hollywood.
“Gone in 60 Seconds” (2000), TNT at 8: Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie and Giovanni Ribisi star in this giddy car-theft thriller. Repeats at 10:30.
“Celebrity Poker Showdown,” Bravo at 9: TV chef Bobby Flay and actress Mimi Rogers are among tonight’s players.