‘No Greater Love’ Needs Fresher Look At Romance
“No Duller Movie” would be a better title for NBC’s latest Danielle Steel romance.
It’s that same tired formula: A woman seeking love and fulfillment is faced with the deaths of a lot of important people in her life. Others try to make her miserable, and, finally, Mr. Perfect makes sure that she lives happily ever after.
“Danielle Steel’s ‘No Greater Love”’ at 9 stars Kelly Rutherford (“Homefront,” “The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.”) as the daughter of a Boston newspaper publisher. We first meet her in 1912, crossing the Atlantic with her fiance aboard the Titanic.
Although the staging of the luxury ship’s disastrous encounter with an iceberg is above average, the movie sinks into turgid melodrama the moment that the 20-year-old heroine is rescued.
She goes on to take over the paper, raise three problematic siblings, and get over the loss of her fiance by having an affair with a married man (Simon MacCorkindale). She finally finds true love in the arms of a wealthy theatrical producer (Chris Sarandon).
Rutherford is much better than the mushy script allows her to be. What you’ll remember most about the story is its abrupt ending. You get the feeling that this movie, which sports the look of a big-budget miniseries, was paired down to a two-hour-long presentation.
Highlights
“The Orange Bowl,” NBC at 5: College football’s big day winds down with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (9-2) taking on Florida State’s Seminoles (9-2) in Miami.
“Melrose Place,” FOX at 8: It’s a night of revelations as Jane (Josie Bissett) awakens at the hospital to learn more bad news; Sydney (Laura Leighton) tells Kimberly (Marcia Cross) she’s been a bad girl, and Billy (Andrew Shue) gets the real story on Brooke’s (Kristin Davis) pregnancy.
“Sneakers” (1992), ABC at 8:30: Robert Redford leads a band of high-tech marauders in an effort to snatch a top-secret decoder that has fallen into the wrong hands. A strong cast - Sidney Poitier, Dan Aykroyd, Ben Kingsley and River Phoenix - help move along a script that is little more than a “Mission Impossible” of the ‘90s. Repeat.
“Great Performances,” KSPS at 8: “From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 1996,” features Lorin Maazel conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. Walter Cronkite hosts the festivities. (PBS airs the 90-minute concert live at 11:30 a.m. and repeats it in prime time.)
“Ned and Stacey,” FOX at 9 and “Partners” at 9:30: FOX attempts to cook up some interest in these slow-growing Monday comedies with guest shots from “Melrose Place” stars.
On “Ned and Stacey,” Thomas Calabro is Stacey’s (Debra Messing) New Year’s Eve date. On “Partners,” Courtney Thorne-Smith plays a woman that Bob (Jon Cryer) invites to ring in ‘96.
Cable Calls
“Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” (1989), TBS at 3:05: One of cable’s many movie alternatives to college football is this goofy, uneven time-traveling comedy starring Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves and George Carlin.
If you’ve seen this one a time too many, you can choose Showtime’s 6:15 screening of 1991’s “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey,” in which the dudes visit Heaven and Hell in a quest to catch a pair of evil robots. Most critics agree this is a rare case of a sequel being better than the original.
“Young Einstein” (1988), COM at midnight: Whatever became of Yahoo Serious? He may forever be remembered as the guy who wrote, directed and starred in this offbeat comedy depicting Albert Einstein’s early days. There are lots of oddball laughs in this Australian import.
Talk Time
“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, actress Lily Tomlin and singer Seal. Repeat.
“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 12:05 a.m.: Jerry Seinfeld (“Seinfeld”), music group Phish and comedian Dave Atell.
“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: To be announced.