Monday: Charlie’s Angels
We’ve had Sam Rockwell on the brain since a colleague of ours saw his new movie Moon at Tribeca and came back raving. We love pretty much everything the guy does—remember the Clooney-directed Confessions of a Dangerous Mind?—but his turn as the secret bad guy who romances drew barrymore (and dances!) might be our favorite. Plus, speaking of Drew … this one reminds you how good she is when she’s just plain silly. [HBO, 9 p.m.]
Tuesday: Rescue Me
Rescue Me may be a dangerous thing to let into your house. We don’t really likewatching it. Denis Leary walks a thread-thin like of repulsive/charismatic as Tommy Gavin, an NYPD firefighter who epitomizes the bad guy that women can’t resist. His fellow firefighters, though, are the reason to watch—especially Steven Pasquale as Garrity, a guy who is always a half-step off from everyone else, and Mike Lombardi as Probie, the sweetest, dumbest, possibly closeted public serviceman we’ve ever seen on TV. This season, Michael J. Fox co-stars as a huge jerk romancing Gavin’s wife. He’s great. [FX, 10 p.m.]
Wednesday: Me and You and Everyone We Know
Miranda July may not be for everyone—we are talking extreme indie here—but her directorial debut is ultimately charming as it is strange. Think Altman, with a huge cast of characters whose lives intersect, meets Neil LaBute or Todd Solodnz. We won’t go into detail, but if you like quiet films exploring the quirks (sexual and otherwise) and pains of everyday Americans, this one’s for you. [IFC, 6:25 p.m.]
Thursday: Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist
Speaking of Mr. Fox … tonight ABC airs an hour-long special about the actor based on his book Always Looking Up. It sounds hokey, we know. But, first, we love Michael J. Fox. And second, would it kill us to get a little good feeling in these recession times? For the program, the actor, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, travels the world searching out stories of hope—and yes, he includes the inauguration of our president. He also talks to scientists and doctors who research the nature of optimism. Sounds kind of cool! [ABC, 10 p.m.]
Friday: Dollhouse
It’s the season finale of Joss Whedon’s somewhat failed post-Buffy experiment, Dollhouse. We’ve been watching, and our report is … eh. If you’ve missed it, the idea of the show revolves around a secret agency that programs a handful of dolls (i.e., people with their own brains erased) to do everything from standing in for people’s dead spouses to be experts in forensic science. The concept isn’t totally stupid, but the casting was a bit of a mistake: Mr. Whedon cast the magnetic if limited Eliza Dushku in the lead roll, and we’d rather see her kicking ass on a weekly basis than stretching her skills to the breaking point. [Fox, 9 p.m.]
