‘Harry Potter’ shows up on ABC
“Harry Potter” is everywhere, on virtually every screen in America. Even yours.
Daniel Radcliffe stars in the 2002 “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” (8 p.m. tonight, ABC).
A blockbuster film based on the best-selling book series by J.K Rowling, “Chamber” hardly required critical word-of-mouth to sell tickets, but the critics weighed in nonetheless. And while their verdict was generally positive, there were many dissenting voices.
Roger Ebert called it “a glorious movie … brimming with invention and new ideas.” Entertainment Weekly and Variety praised the film for its “darker” elements, while other outlets championed its ability to appeal to adults.
On the other side of the critical cauldron, some questioned the film’s very pedigree. The Los Angeles Times castigated “Chamber” as “the illegitimate offspring of ‘Alien’ and ‘The Absent Minded Professor.’ ”
It’s official: Alex Kingston wins the sweeps stunt-casting award of 2005. The former “ER” regular recently was seen in an episode of “Without a Trace” and now joins the star-studded cast of the 2005 disaster movie remake “The Poseidon Adventure” (8 p.m. Sunday, NBC).
It takes a lot of gall to remake “Poseidon,” the soggy mother of all disaster films, and a memorably cheesy one at that. Worse, this new one can’t decide what kind of film it wants to be.
Is it a campy homage to the ensemble casting of vintage disaster fare? Or is it a modern thriller set in our present terror-stricken times?
This 21st century “Poseidon” also has to compete with our memories of the original film, as well as “Titanic, “The Love Boat,” “Speed 2” and all those dreadful Carnival Cruise commercials with Kathy Lee Gifford.
This remake unfolds with no deliberate speed, wasting a solid hour with a turgid back-story about terrorists and a go-nowhere tale about Richard (Steve Guttenberg!), a henpecked writer. His rich wife (Alexa Hamilton, “Santa Barbara”) makes him feel rotten, so he embarks on an affair with the Poseidon’s shapely masseuse.
There’s also an annoying story about Richard’s precocious son, a would-be Steven Spielberg who documents everything with his video camera.
Only when the terrorists strike and the ship turns upside down does “Poseidon” get remotely interesting. The expensive-looking special effects create a realistic vision of havoc.
Time was, networks waited until after Thanksgiving to show holiday movies. But since retailers have been selling plastic Christmas trees since Labor Day, everything appears to be on an accelerated schedule.
Mary Tyler Moore leads a game cast, including Camryn Manheim, Poppy Montgomery and Jason Priestley, in the holiday fable “Snow Wonder” (9 p.m. Sunday, CBS), about a magical Christmas Eve blizzard that brings miraculous changes to five separate households just in time for the big holiday.
The comedy special “Earth to America” (8 p.m. Sunday, TBS) assembles an all-star roster to raise awareness of environmental crises around the globe. Look for jokes from Jack Black, Larry David, Will Ferrell, Christopher Guest, Tom Hanks and many more.
“Earth” was taped at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Now there’s a place I associate with environmental awareness!
Tonight’s highlights
A believer in aliens vanishes on “Without a Trace” (8 p.m., CBS).
A tourist vanishes on a two-hour episode of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (8 p.m., NBC).
A holiday meal takes only one hour to prepare on “Rachael Ray’s Thanksgiving in 60” (9 p.m., Food).
Scheduled on “48 Hours Mystery” (10 p.m., CBS): A true tale of a Halloween-night beauty-queen massacre.
A jock blames steroids for his violent behavior on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (10 p.m., NBC).
Eva Longoria hosts “Saturday Night Live” (11:30 p.m., NBC), featuring musical guest Korn.
Sunday’s highlights
Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (7 p.m., CBS): New Orleans’ sinking state; Internet gambling; U2.
“Nature” (7 p.m., KSPS) looks at Katrina’s “other victims,” the thousands of wild animals and pets left injured and homeless by the natural disaster.
The boys from Fenway pitch in on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (8 p.m., ABC).
Worries about a strange intruder on “Desperate Housewives” (9 p.m., ABC).
Three generations gather for a funeral in the 2004 comedy “Eulogy” (9 p.m., Lifetime), with a vast ensemble cast including Hank Azaria, Ray Romano and Debra Winger.
A fretful Thanksgiving on “Grey’s Anatomy” (10 p.m., ABC).