See ‘West’ more for scenery than plot
Sick of reality and repeats?
TNT offers “Into the West” (8 p.m., TNT), a six-week miniseries produced on an epic scale by Steven Spielberg. “West” covers the settling of the region from the point of view of European explorers, trappers, ranchers and farmers, as well as the Native Americans they displaced.
The first episode kicks off this multigenerational saga in the 1830s with the tale of two young men, exiles from their home and culture. Raised on tales of the Revolutionary War heroism of his grandfather, Jacob Wheeler (Matthew Settle) feels stifled by his family’s wheelwright business and follows a shaggy mountain man to the infant city of St. Louis, from which they depart for unexplored territory known only to Indians and beaver trappers.
A parallel tale unfolds in Lakota country, where an elderly medicine man has a grim vision of a future without buffalo, a source of sustenance and strength to his people. Worried about this dark prophecy, a young boy (Simon R. Baker) undertakes the ritual sacrifices to become a rival shaman dubbed Loved by the Buffalo.
This does not sit well with all of the Lakota, and he eventually is sent on his way to mingle with other tribes and witness their interaction with the oncoming settlers.
At its best, “Into the West” is a feast for the eyes, the kind of widescreen spectacle they don’t make any more for either the cinema or television.
The first episode includes an impressive re-creation of a Lakota buffalo hunt that made me wish I were watching this in Cinerama (the multiscreen film technique created for the star-studded 1962 misfire “How the West Was Won”).
But like too many epics, “West” is heavier on message and metaphor than satisfying character development.
Jacob’s dialogue and narration strives for the earnest profundity of the celebrated letters featured in Ken Burns’ “Civil War” documentary. These uplifting words, combined with long passages devoted to Lakota mysticism, threaten to suffocate the drama in a damp blanket of solemnity.
After too many scenes of Loved by the Buffalo’s vision quest, I felt like He Who Reaches for the Remote.
But the visual splendor of “Into the West” can be savored long after the dialogue is forgotten.
A skater learns that some stars shine more brightly when they cooperate with their team in the 2005 kids’ drama “Go Figure” (8 p.m., Disney).
“Class of 1975” (8 p.m., CMT) looks at the D-I-V-O-R-C-E of Tammy Wynette and George Jones and the making of Robert Altman’s sprawling film “Nashville.”
Dysfunctional puppets look back at their glory days on a wonderful, if short-lived, Fox sitcom on “Fur on the Asphalt: The Greg the Bunny Reunion Special” (7:30 and 10:30 p.m., Independent Film Channel).
Other highlights
Ryan revealed on “Joan of Arcadia” (8 p.m., CBS).
Scheduled on “Dateline” (9 p.m., NBC): Interviews with Angelina Jolie and Keith Urban; e-mail scams; suburban gangsters.
Steven Seagal stars in the 2001 shoot-‘em-up “Exit Wounds” (8 p.m., Fox).
Jennifer Lopez (“Gigli”) and James Caviezel (“The Passion of the Christ”) team up in the 2001 mystery “Angel Eyes” (8 p.m., UPN).
An FBI agent”s brainy brother detects patterns in criminal activity in the pilot episode of “Numb3rs” (10 p.m., CBS).
Scheduled on “20/20” (10 p.m., ABC): King Tut; Alanis Morissette.
Series notes
Out all night on “8 Simple Rules” (8 p.m., ABC) … The big game trumps all on “Complete Savages” (8:30 p.m., ABC) … On back-to-back episodes of “What I Like About You” (WB), a beau is spoken for (8 p.m.), and life out of balance (8:30 p.m.).
A sailor faces a 20-year-old murder rap on “JAG” (9 p.m., CBS) … Dog gone on “Reba” (9 p.m., WB) … A catered affair on “Hope & Faith” (9 p.m., ABC) … A competitive training program on “Less Than Perfect” (9:30 p.m., ABC) … A bad first impression on “Living with Fran” (9:30 p.m., WB).