Contestants shed pounds on ‘Loser’
Two teams of plus-size contestants vie to shed pounds and add to their bank account as winners of “The Biggest Loser” (8 p.m., NBC), hosted by Caroline Rhea.
The two teams follow comprehensive diet and exercise plans to undergo radical physical makeovers. Difficult challenges, inevitable alliances and delicious temptations make life tough for the contestants.
And, this being a “reality” show, players will decide who gets eliminated each week. Will weekly winners receive a rose? And if so, will any of them consider it an edible flower?
When all is said and done and the pounds are shed, “The Biggest Loser” waddles away with a cool quarter-million. The former “Sabrina” star Rhea already considers herself a winner; she no longer has to worry about an animatronic cat stealing her best lines.
If you add “The Biggest Loser” to Pax’s “Cold Turkey,” you have two reality shows dedicated to losing weight and quitting smoking, problems on practically everyone’s to-do list. But what happens if viewers make a New Year’s resolution to give up reality shows?
And here’s just the show to inspire viewers to kick the reality habit. “He’s a Lady” (10 p.m., TBS) invites 11 rough, tough guys to a show called “All American Man” for a chance to win $1 million. Once assembled, they’re told they have to compete to see who will make the prettiest and most ladylike woman.
We’re supposed to laugh as we watch burly guys submit to bikini waxes and learn to walk in heels, etc. Judges include Morgan Fairchild, Debbie Matenopoulos and the ubiquitous John Salley.
Now that TBS calls itself the “funny” network, somebody should have studied cross-dressing comedies.
A cursory glance at “Some Like it Hot” or “Bosom Buddies” would show that cross-dressing is most humorous when guys do it under duress, as a means to survive a mob hit or rent a cheap apartment. Then it becomes part of a greater comedy of mistaken identity and misperception.
Watching burly men do it competitively, for money, is simply a vulgar drag.
Julie Andrews hosts “Broadway: The American Musical” (8 p.m., KSPS), a three-night, six-part history and celebration of the Great White Way. Tonight kicks off with a rich presentation of clips and newsreels about Broadway legend Florenz Ziegfeld, whose “Follies” blended visual sophistication (the sets were designed by Art Deco fashion illustrator Erte) with more popular and patriotic entertainment.
After America entered World War I, his girls were often dressed in red, white and blue – that is, when they were wearing any clothes at all. Surviving veterans of the Follies from 1918 and 1919 describe their lives on and off the stage.
Hour one of “Broadway” also profiles George M. Cohan but relies a little too much on Jimmy Cagney’s portrayal of him in the film “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” It also explores the comedic genius of black minstrel Bert Williams, who was once described by W.C. Fields as “the funniest man I ever saw and the saddest man I ever knew.”
“Broadway” is required viewing for fans of the musical or students of popular culture, from “The Ziegfeld Follies” to “Showboat” to “The Producers.”
Other Highlights
A double date turns icky on “Gilmore Girls” (8 p.m., WB).
Lou throws in the towel on “Clubhouse” (9 p.m., CBS).
Felonious nerds on “Veronica Mars” (9 p.m., UPN).
A teen’s confession rings less than true on “Judging Amy” (10 p.m., CBS).
A serial killer takes inspiration from famous cases on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (10 p.m., NBC).
A serious tiff erupts between Sipowicz and Clark on “NYPD Blue” (10 p.m., ABC).
Cult Choice
A morbid youth (Bud Cort) falls for an elderly woman (Ruth Gordon) in the 1971 comedy “Harold and Maude” (4:15 p.m., Independent Film Channel).
This period piece from the “midnight movie” era features a soundtrack by the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens.