‘Hidden Places’ a predictable story
The handsome made-for-TV production “Hidden Places” (9 p.m. tonight, Hallmark) may concern the hardscrabble plight of California orange farmers in the 1930s, but don’t go looking for “The Grapes of Wrath.” Sydney Penny (“All My Children”) stars as Eliza, a pretty if dour widow whose life goes from bad to worse with the heart-attack death of her father-in-law, the stern family patriarch who harbored a long grudge against his spirited sister, Aunt Batty (Shirley Jones).
But just when things seem most grim, a mysterious vagabond, Gabe (Jason Gedrick), arrives on the outskirts of town. Within a few sun-drenched moments, Eliza and her small farm are touched by a guardian angel.
If a predictable plot, stilted dialogue and an insipid score don’t scare you off, then “Hidden Places” is as good a way as any to look back at the “good old days” of hunger, desperation and mass unemployment.
“The New Al Qaeda” (9 p.m. tonight, Discovery Times) features two reports from BBC terror expert Peter Taylor on recent changes in Osama Bin Laden’s network as well as emerging threats to the West.
Shirley Temple Black receives a Life Achievement Award on the “12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards” (8 p.m. Sunday, TNT).
Based on an autobiographical novel by Pat Conroy, the 2006 drama “The Water Is Wide” (9 p.m. Sunday, CBS) returns to the low-country setting of his other books-turned-movies, including “The Prince of Tides.”
Jeff Hephner (“The OC”) stars as a young Conroy, circa 1969, when he was a young, idealistic teacher on a remote island off the South Carolina coast. Alfre Woodard (“Desperate Housewives”) plays Mrs. Brown, a more traditional teacher whose idea of discipline involves frequent beatings. “Wide” is a smart and sensitive-enough film to champion Conroy’s rebellious nature but also show some sympathy for the folks whose way of life is threatened by change.
If you’re missing “Bleak House” on “Masterpiece Theatre” (8 p.m. Sunday, KSPS), you’re making a big mistake. It’s as smart and addictive as “Brideshead Revisited,” the 1982 presentation that set the gold standard for literary adaptations.
The only thing bleak about this “House” is the fact that it lasts only eight hours.
“The First Emperor: The Man Who Made China” (9 p.m. Sunday, Discovery) profiles Chin Shi Huang Di, who ruled from 247 to 210 B.C. and has been described as a combination of Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar.
“Nature” (8 p.m. Sunday, KSPS) joins the makeover fray with “Underdogs,” celebrating abandoned pooches that have been rescued and rehabilitated to become successful police dogs. Henry Winkler narrates.
Other critter-centric programming includes “Relentless Enemies” (9 p.m. Sunday, National Geographic), a two-hour documentary about the bloody struggle for food and survival in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.
The Animal Planet is back in the saddle again with “Trail Mix” (8 p.m. Sunday), a two-hour celebration of the special bond between singers and their horses. Musical equestrians include host Linda Eder, Rob Thomas, LeAnn Rimes, Joe Perry, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Ronan Tynan.
Tonight’s highlights
Tom Hanks departs from his nice-guy roles in the smart and visually opulent 2002 drama “Road to Perdition” (8 p.m., ABC). Paul Newman also stars.
“Challenger: The Untold Story” (8 p.m. tonight, National Geographic) looks at the mistakes and oversights that resulted in tragedy on Jan. 28, 1986.
Bill Engvall, Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White perform in the 2004 concert film “Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again” (8:30 p.m., Comedy Central).
Thoughtful interior design brings out the personality in a wallflower client on the first episode of “Design Inc.” (8 p.m., HGTV).
Scheduled on “48 Hours Mystery” (10 p.m., CBS): a bodybuilder caught in a love triangle.
Sunday’s highlights
Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (7 p.m., CBS): torture and terror; painkillers and drug laws; an opera diva struggles with her weight.
Scheduled on “Dateline” (7 p.m., NBC): A negligent mother is charged with murder after her daughter dies of a treatable disease; rapes in high school.
An animal shelter gets help on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (8 p.m., ABC).
Fatal facelifts on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (9 p.m., NBC).
A mysterious stranger on “Desperate Housewives” (9 p.m., ABC).
Macy’s daughter may be an endangered witness to a crime on “Crossing Jordan” (10 p.m., NBC).