‘Mysteries’ Mixes Serious With Laughable
I’ve always had trouble deciding how seriously we should take “Unsolved Mysteries” (NBC at 8).
For example, there’s tonight’s collection of repeat segments.
On one hand, there’s a report on Men in Black. Not the Tommy Lee Jones-Will Smith movie. No, this is about an alleged trio of dark-suited characters in black hats and sunglasses who arrive mysteriously on the scene of UFO incidents.
They reportedly speak simultaneously and come and go almost in an instant. People think they are alien agents.
(Memo to Robert Stack: It was only a movie.)
Also, there’s an interview with Rosemary Altea, whom the series describes as today’s “best spokesperson for people on ‘the other side.”’ Does she use MCI or AT&T?
But I can’t make fun of the serious work “Unsolved” takes on.
Tonight, an Idaho woman searches for the son she gave up for adoption 32 years ago who may be susceptible to a deadly hereditary disease.
And in an updated report, a fugitive accused of murder is back in custody, thanks to a viewer tip.
Canceled by NBC, “Unsolved” has been picked up as a possible midseason show on CBS. It will be interesting to see if it changes in either direction.
Highlights
“Ordinary/Extraordinary,” CBS at 8: Profiles include Evan Evans of Riverside, Calif., who has become a champion off-road truck driver despite the fact he is paralyzed from the chest down as a result of a motorcycle accident.
In the Florida Everglades, a man swims with alligators, sometimes taking time out to wrestle playfully.
In Chicago, surgery is performed on a gorilla with a brain tumor.
“Roar,” FOX at 8: The action-fantasy series lands in a special time slot, but it’s a repeat episode from just three weeks ago.
“JAG,” CBS at 9: Madeline Zima (“The Nanny”) guests-stars in an hour that sounds more like a plot from “The X-Files” than “JAG.”
Zima plays a girl allegedly abducted by aliens. But there’s an earthly explanation.
Robert Stack (“Unsolved Mysteries”) has a cameo. Repeat.
“Dateline NBC,” NBC at 9: In an updated report, John Larson uses a hidden camera to show how motorists in Louisiana are subject to severe treatment if police suspect they are drug dealers. Your car can be seized and you can end up in jail, practically in the blink of an eye. And it’s legal.
“Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper,” ABC at 9:30: Geneva (Saundra Quarterman) gets a proposal from Ken (Kevin Jackson). But he gets cold feet and disappears after a guy chat with Mark (Mark Curry).
“Homicide: Life on the Street,” NBC at 10: Pembleton (Andre Braugher) is assigned his first case after his stroke.
A woman and her two children are dead. Pembleton is convinced her abusive boyfriend is responsible, but his partner Bayliss (Kyle Secor) thinks it’s her ex-husband, a Navy commander stationed at Annapolis.
This series is always engaging, but when Pembleton and Bayliss collide, you get to see two of TV drama’s best-drawn characters in action. Repeat.
Cable Calls
“Blood & Wine” (1996), MAX at 8: Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine star in this violent thriller about a wine dealer (Nicholson) who conspires with a thief (Caine) to steal a client’s $1 million diamond necklace, and what happens to them next.
Directed by Bob Rafelson (“Five Easy Pieces,” “The Postman Always Rings Twice”), it is a dark, sex-laden tale with no redemption for either character. Judy Davis and Jennifer Lopez co-star.
Though challenging, it’s rewarding for film buffs who avoid more commercially driven fare.
Talk Time
“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: Actors Steven Seagal and Christopher Walken.
“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Actress Alicia Silverstone, homemaking guru Bev Tanner and comedian George Miller.
“Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher,” ABC at 12:35 a.m.: MTV’s Dr. Drew Pinsky, Galan Entertainment President Nely Galan and actor Dave Higgins.
“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Actress Janine Turner and musical guest Taj Mahal.