Check out the movie possibilities
Not much on tonight unless your team’s still in the pennant chase or you really, really care about the early rounds of U.S. Open tennis.
In other words: movie night!
You could dial up a repeat of “Inside the Actors Studio” on Bravo at 7, the two-hour John Travolta episode, followed at 9 by his comeback role in Quentin Tarantino’s outrageous, innovative, violent “Pulp Fiction” (1994).
Or, if you like “Lost in Translation” (2003), you could dial up “The Godfather III” (1990) on AMC at 8 and watch its director, Sofia Coppola, in a legendarily lame teenage performance in the third installment of father Francis Ford Coppola’s saga.
Want action? HBO at 9 is offering the mindless-but-filled-with-bang-bang cop drama “S.W.A.T.” (2003), with Colin Farrell and Samuel L. Jackson in a movie that would have been every bit as entertaining with much worse actors.
Comedy? On HBO2 at 9, it’s “Waiting for Guffman” (1996), the first in director/actor Christopher Guest’s delicious trio of semi-improvised mockumentaries, along with “Best in Show” (2000) and “A Mighty Wind” (2003). Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Fred Willard and many of the other loons from those two movies are also along here, in a story about a small-town theater group.
Or you could actually go to the movies. But who am I to suggest you leave your set?
Highlights
Sitcom repeats, ABC at 8: “George Lopez,” “8 Simple Rules,” “Hope & Faith” and “Less Than Perfect.” If you’ve been watching ABC this summer, you probably know them all by heart.
“Joan of Arcadia,” CBS at 8: God wants Joan to go on a date with the school bully. Repeat.
“The Complex: Malibu,” Fox at 8: The show moves into its regular time slot as the competition proceeds to another room. One couple resorts to sabotage to gain an advantage, but who will be ejected?
“Dateline,” NBC at 8: Two hours, and it looks like it’s a new episode.
Sitcom repeats, WB at 8: “What I Like About You,” “Grounded for Life,” “Reba” and the sketch comedy “Blue Collar TV.”
“JAG,” CBS at 9: Hurler Barry Zito guests as a Navy pitcher who beans a Marine. Repeat.
“20/20,” ABC at 10.
“48 Hours,” CBS at 10: Repeat of a diet-centric episode featuring the newly slim Wayne Knight, aka “Seinfeld’s” Newman.
“Hawaii,” NBC at 10: Repeat of this week’s pilot episode of the jazzy but underwhelming cop show, starring Michael Biehn, Sharif Atkins and Eric Balfour.
Family Fare
“The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius,” Nickelodeon at 7: Ninety minutes of animated fun as Jimmy and his pals compete on an alien game show with the highest stakes. Repeat.
Cable Cast
U.S. Open Tennis, USA at 4: Live from Flushing, N.Y.
College football, ESPN at 5: Washington State at New Mexico.
“Stargate SG-1,” Sci Fi at 9: The team lands on an alien world only to spark a civil war. Repeat.
“Stargate Atlantis,” Sci Fi at 10: Sheppard, McKay and others get caught halfway through a stargate with the clock ticking in an episode called “Thirty-Eight Minutes.” Repeat.
“Dead Like Me,” Showtime at 10: George faces her first big decision at Happy Time. Repeat of Sunday’s episode.
Late Night Talk
“Late Show with David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Comedian Bill Burr.
“Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” NBC at 11:35: Bernie Mac.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC at 12:05 a.m.: Repeat with Quentin Tarantino and musical guest Lenny Kravitz.
“Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35: Jeremy Piven and Bruce Hornsby.