Hallmark’s ‘Colt’ may become classic
Few war movies become family fare, but “The Colt” (9 p.m. tonight, Hallmark) is different.
Late in the Civil War, a Union soldier named Jim (Ryan Merriman) loses his brother in a bloody battle. Soon after, his brother’s horse gives birth to a chestnut colt.
The unit commander considers the young horse to be a nuisance to the men and a distraction to cavalry horses, so he orders it destroyed. But neither young Jim nor some of the more hardened soldiers can carry out the order, so the colt becomes a mascot of sorts for the unit.
But not all of the men cotton to the cute critter.
One grizzled veteran complains that he finds it difficult to concentrate on killing Confederates in the colt’s presence because it reminds him of his farm, his wife and his children back in Michigan. But Jim tells him that if “you stop thinking about those things, maybe you’re already dead.”
Yes, the colt becomes a metaphor of sorts, a spark of humanity in the dark smoke of the battlefield. But the symbolism is never so heavy-handed as to obscure an intelligent film filled with fine performances. Based on a short story by Russian Nobel Prize winner Mikhail Sholokhov, “The Colt” may just emerge as a small classic of the television-movie genre.
Sometimes a cartoon about cats and mice can say a lot about who we are and what we value – “Catscratch” (8 p.m. tonight, Nickelodeon), for instance.
As cat-and-mouse cartoons go, “Catscratch” is pretty funny, if derivative, fare. The “plot” concerns three cats: the delusional Mr. Blik (Wayne Knight), the Scottish-accented Gordon (Rob Paulsen) and the dimwitted Waffle (Kevin McDonald). What sets these felines apart is the fact that their late tycoon owner made them his only heirs, allowing the kitties to live in a mansion with their own butler.
Whenever I have to watch a new show that strikes me as mind-bogglingly wretched, I like to think of the “creative” meeting where it was conceived, nurtured and approved. Oh, to be a fly on the wall at the conclave that hatched the new reality series “The Princes of Malibu” (8:30 p.m. Sunday, Fox).
Brandon, 23, and Brody, 21, are the lazy, stupid and spoiled children of a Linda Thompson, a former beauty queen, and her first husband, Bruce Jenner, a 1976 Olympic champion and star of the 1980 disco comedy “Can’t Stop the Music.” The boys have dropped out of college and live with their mother and her current husband, David Foster, a successful record producer who is spectacularly wealthy.
The new “reality” show “Hogan Knows Best” (10 p.m. Sunday, VH1) “stars” wrestler Hulk Hogan, his wife, Linda, and 16-year-old daughter Brooke. All three look like they bathe in peroxide daily.
Hulk is a protective dad who flips out when an older boy asks Brooke out on a date, so he uses gadgetry to spy on the unsuspecting couple.
Tonight’s highlights
Scheduled on “48 Hours Mystery” (8 p.m., CBS): an interview with a fake doctor accused of murder.
On back-to-back episodes of the Sci Fi Channel series “Battlestar Galactica” (NBC), a fuel crisis (8 p.m.), and a new planet (9 p.m.).
A king becomes a llama in the 2000 animated comedy “The Emperor’s New Groove” (8 p.m., ABC).
Scheduled on “48 Hours Mystery” (10 p.m., CBS): the death of a Seattle rocker.
“Punk: Attitude” (7 p.m., Independent Film Channel) looks at the music and cultural influence of bands including The Ramones, The Clash, Sex Pistols and Black Flag.
Sunday’s highlights
Repeat reports scheduled on “60 Minutes” (7 p.m., CBS): “pork” folded into Homeland Security funding; an incendiary film about the Koran; personal flying machines.
Scheduled on “Dateline” (7 p.m., NBC): young drivers and vehicular mayhem.
Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jessica Biel star in the 2001 drama “Summer Catch” (8 p.m., WB).
“The Dark Art of Interrogation” (8 p.m., History) looks at the history of extracting information from unwilling prisoners, from World War II to the current war on terror.
“Amazing Animal Inventions!” (8 p.m., Animal Planet) looks at 20 eccentric pet-related gadgets.
A spurned wife (Christine Lahti) forges new relationships with her tenants in the 2003 drama “Open House” (9 p.m., CBS).
A shocking burglary on “Desperate Housewives” (9 p.m., ABC).
A collection to die for on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (9 p.m., NBC).
Blazing spatulas compete as the second season of “Iron Chef America” (9 p.m., Food Network) begins.
Cult choice
Journalist George Plimpton (Alan Alda) suits up with the Detroit Lions in the 1968 adaptation of Plimpton’s nonfiction book “Paper Lion” (6:30 p.m. tonight, Turner Classic Movies), co-starring Lauren Hutton.