Hargitay shines in ‘Law’ rerun
Tonight’s might-see
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” 10 p.m., NBC. Most of the stars in the “Law & Order” universe get ignored, especially at awards time. They’re good people in bland roles.
The exception is Mariska Hargitay, who has just received her fifth straight Emmy nomination for lead actress; she won in 2006. This rerun reminds us why she’s often honored.
Key evidence in a brutal rape has disappeared. Now a prison guard is the suspect; Olivia Benson (Hargitay) goes undercover as a prisoner.
Tonight’s might-see II
“POV: 9 Star Hotel,” 10 p.m., KUID. Here’s a personal and heartbreaking drama, in a no-win situation.
After hiring Palestinians to help construct a new city, the film says, Israel changed its policy. It banned Palestinians and did regular police sweeps to take them away.
Desperate for jobs, some young men continued to work secretly. Each night, they slipped into the hills, living in makeshift shacks.
This film by Ido Haar visits their world. We catch conversations (via subtitles) that are often sweet and boyish. One guy talks about getting engaged; another finds toys in the trash – for his future kids, he says – and plays with them himself.
This is not a whitewash: We see one man urging another to steal from his employers.
Mostly, however, we quickly like these guys. Then the finale hits hard.
Other choices include
“Celebrity Family Feud,” 8 p.m., NBC. One round has a battle of reality-show families - the Kardashians against the Deion Sanders clan. The second has Ed McMahon’s family feuding against Tiki Barber’s.
“The Secret Life of The American Teenager,” 8 p.m., Family. Amy has lots of frustrations. She likes Ben (who’s not the father of her baby-to-be), but he’s getting clingy. Also, her parents are fighting.
“Reality Bites Back” 10 p.m., and “The Gong Show,” 10:30, Comedy Central. These shows premiered Thursday with the loud and witless “Gong Show” first. That might have scared some people away. This time the “Reality” rerun is first. It’s quite clever, actually, with Michael Ian Black drolly hosting a takeoff on all reality shows.