“The Lost Room”
Tuesday 7pm, Sci Fi Channel
Look at little Sci Fi go! A couple of years ago, the cable net was a dumping ground for “Stargate” repeats and crappy made-for-TV movies starring, like, Kari Wuhrer. Now thanks to cult hits like “Battlestar Galactica” and “Who Wants to Be a Super-Hero?” it’s getting some cred and has netted a fairly impressive cast for this new mini-series (the first two parts air back-to-back tonight). Peter Krause (“Six Feet Under”) plays a police detective investigating a murder that leads to a mysterious hotel room. After his daughter disappears inside the room, he teams with Julianna Margulies (“E.R.”, Snakes on a Plane), who plays the sister of a man murdered for his knowledge of the room and its contents—ordinary objects now imbued with fantastic powers. We’re talking combs that stop time and reality-warping scissors. It’s all very trippy and convoluted, but it beats yet another holiday-themed episode of a lame sitcom.
“Next Top Model: The British Invasion”
Wednesday 8pm, CW
Tyra Banks plays Santy Claus this year, delivering more “Top Model” goodness even after cycle 7 has come to a close (and let me just say: Yay, CariDee! Take that, psoriasis). To further entertain all the catty little girls and boys, la Banks has taken the first two seasons of the British spin-off of her televised modeling competition and fashioned them into two two-hour specials that zip us from a dozen wannabe catwalkers to a top model in a mere 120 minutes. (Season 1’s recap airs tonight; season 2, next Wednesday.) The girls generally aren’t as pretty as their American counterparts, but bitchery knows no continental bounds. Plus, sobs and insults sound better with an English accent, anyway.
“Best Year Ever”
Friday 11pm, VH1
Now that Esquire’s Dubious Achievement Awards have become a shadow of what they once were, we’ve really no choice but to turn to the snarky recappers at VH1’s “Best Week Ever” for our mean-spirited end-of-the-year fun. Among the topics sure to be covered in this special 2006 recap: Dick Cheney, “Firecrotch,” Taylor freaking Hicks, Kazakhstan, Hollywood’s African adoption craze, “Sugar Tits,” Suri Cruise, Star Jones (please let them show the footage of her getting knocked out by a football again…), Pluto, K-Fed, “If I Did It, Here’s How it Happened,” Nancy Pelosi, Lance Bass and Saddam Hussein. Wow, there’s an odd couple for ya…
