“America at a Crossroads”
Tuesday-Friday, 9pm & 10pm, PBS
This series of documentaries examines just how screwed our country has become post-9/11. Well, that’s a cynical take. But it’s not far off. Each night, journalist Robert MacNeil hosts two hour-long segments examining terrorism, the messes we’ve made in Iraq and Afghanistan, Islam, the war on American civil liberties and more. Of special interest should be Tuesday’s 10pm show, “The Case for War: In Defense of Freedom.” That should be a conversation starter for C-VILLE readers…
“King of Queens”
Monday, 9pm, CBS
Over the next few weeks, Kevin James’ sitcom will wrap up its nine-season run. I’ve read articles where people express shock that it’s even still on the air, but I bet those hipster pundits have never watched it. “King” is a rarity, a standard sitcom that’s actually charming and funny. A lot of the credit goes to James himself, a pudgy schlep of a man who, inexplicably, exudes an aloof sexiness that’s tough to resist. You can absolutely believe that he’d bag a hot wife like Leah Remini. Plus, Jerry Stiller can always be counted on for the curmudgeon shtick. So to the naysayers, I say enjoy the last few episodes. There’s a reason the show lasted this long.
“Heroes”
Monday, 9pm, NBC
The best new show of the season returns after a seemingly interminable two-month hiatus. If you’re a fan of shows with grand mythologies, spine-tingling cliffhangers or gonzo soap opera, you should be watching this. When we last saw our heroes, indestructible cheerleader Claire left her adoptive father (so sad!) and inadvertently reunited with her fraternal grandmother, who knows everything about everything. Meanwhile, her bio-dad, flying politician Nathan, finally met Linderman—the man seemingly connected to all the super-powered people—and he turned out to be Malcolm McDowell! And he enjoys making pot pies! Is he the Big Bad, or just misunderstood? Probably the former, but we’ll see. Teleporting time-traveler Hiro finally got his sword, his sidekick and his powers back; clairvoyant artist Isaac painted his own grisly death; and multipowered good guy Peter was having his skull cap chopped off by multipowered bad guy Sylar so that Sy could eat Pete’s brains. Delicious! Oh, now you’ve got me all excited again….
