Monday: Chuck
With so many television shows getting toe tagged or suffering on life support, it’s probably time to remind everyone that Chuck is one of the most charming, romantic, smart and consistently fun hours of television we watch every week. NBC has already ordered a full second season, but if the ratings continue to slack, we can’t imagine a third being in the cards. Do us a favor and watch this gem while you can. Pretty please? [NBC, 8 p.m.]
Tuesday: The Savages
When making the rounds last year for The Savages, Tamara Jenkins’ first film since 1998’s Slums of Beverly Hills, the writer-director joked that she was on the "Terrence Malick schedule, without the masterpieces." Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait another nine years for her next film. Ms. Jenkins is right; The Savages isn’t a masterpiece. But it is mannered and truthful. And while it isn’t very hard to cull top-level performances from high-caliber actors like Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney, Ms. Jenkins manages to humanize the two of them in a way most directors never do. This is particularly true of Mr. Hoffman, who is as likeable here as he was in Magnolia. [@ Max, 5:30 p.m.]
Wednesday: Primary Colors
Until this past week, we hadn’t seen Primary Colors in ten years. However in the wake of Election Day, the film has been running on what seems like a continuous loop. And thank goodness! The Mike Nichols/Elaine May adaptation of Joe "Anonymous" Klein’s roman à clef holds up surprisingly well. Perhaps that’s because the politics strike an even greater chord in a post-Barack Obama world. As Kathy Bates, filled with foul-mouthed bravado and endearing sadness, says towards the end: "Our job is to make it clean; because if it’s clean, we win. Because our ideas are better." Primary Colors resolved that there is no staying clean in politics. Now, maybe that’s not the case. [Thriller Max, 11:45 a.m.]
Thursday: 30 Rock
Here’s a little something about the third season of 30 Rock that you might not realize: it hasn’t been very good. Before you come bang down our door with pitchforks and torches in hand, consider that both the season premiere and the second episode were two of the worst 30 Rock has ever produced. Granted, they were still better than almost everything else on television, but when the bar is set impossibly high, impossible standards are expected. Last week’s episode, featuring Jennifer Aniston and the cast of Night Court, was a clear return to form. This week, Steve Martin hopes to keep things moving forward. If his scenes with Tina Fey in Baby Mama are any indication, we should all be in for a treat. [NBC, 9:30 p.m.]
Friday: National Treasure: Book of Secrets
While we didn’t have the vitriol that so many others did towards Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, even we noticed that one key component was undeniably missing: joy. That isn’t the case in the National Treasure series. Book of Secrets is unabashedly stupid, but there is so much joy coming off the screen, you can’t help but get caught up in the ridiculousness of it all. We always love Nicolas Cage whenever he does his Jerry Bruckheimer thing, but the real treat here is Helen Mirren. Gloriously slumming and positively gorgeous, Ms. Mirren looks like she’s having a blast. [Starz, 7:55 p.m.]
