What was on TV? Mon, March 28, 2005

20 years ago, Adidas was selling "the first-ever intelligent shoe." Let's see what was on TV.

8:00 The West Wing (recorded)

6x20 "In God We Trust"

By the end of season six, Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits were essentially trading off episodes. I've reviewed several of the Jimmy Smits ones. But to take you behind the scenes, I have started a lot of the Alan Alda episodes and bailed on them. I like Alda's performance, hell, I just like listening to him talk. But his character Arnold Vinick is just such a fantasy. If Bartlett is the dream Democrat, Clinton without Monica, Vinick is the ultimate dream: what if a Republican, but cool? He's pro-choice, anti-subsidies for sports stadiums, he's even an atheist! He was a fantasy in 2005. In 2025, he's so divorced from reality that he might as well be a cartoon.

Then I remember that people have spent years wishing and hoping that an Arnold Vinick type will magically appear. There's always one Republican that's cast in the Vinick role of the cool and normal Republican: John McCain, Mitt Romney, Marco Rubio, the list goes on and on and on. And they always end up screwing the Democrats over. I wish that the dream of Arnold Vinick would die already.

9:00 24 on Fox

Day 4: "9:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M." (record Girlfriends on UPN)

The villain kidnapping Jack Bauer seems exciting in theory. But all it does is hem Kiefer Sutherland in. He isn't in very much in this episode, and his absence is keenly felt. The show really does fall apart without his intensity. And 24 is really a house of cards on just about every level: emotionally, logically, politically, morally. Take away Kiefer and it all crumbles.

10:00 Girlfriends (recorded)

5x17 "Good News, Bad News"

The two main A and B stories were good tonight (this is the first really good story Toni's had in a while!). But the C-story, involving Maya, Joan, William, a department store error, and a pink poncho, was my favorite. Reggie Hayes should wear that poncho again!

What Else Was On

• On MTV, you could watch "Trippin," in which Cameron Diaz tried to save the environment.
• A new season of The Bachelor premiered. This time around, women vied for the affections of Jerry O'Connel's brother.
• Before they were famous: actress turned wannabe lifestyle influencer turned princess turned wannabe lifestyle influencer Meghan Markle guest starred on the UPN sitcom Cuts.

TiVo Status

A Frontline documentary and the TV movies Sucker Free City, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Ladies Night, the miniseries Fingersmith, and one episode each of The Starlet, American Dreams, Carnivale, and Desperate Housewives. 13 hours total.

Music, 20 years ago

I like to imagine the girls on Girlfriends were listenin to this in 2005.