What was on TV? Sun, April 3, 2005

20 years ago, the pope died. Let's see what was on TV.

7:30 Malcolm in the Middle on Fox

6x16 "No Motorcycles"

Hal and oldest son Francis have a tender father-son bonding moment. Francis is all grown up now, and Dad has to accept that. It's bog-standard stuff for a family sitcom in its sixth season. Except this is Malcolm in the Middle, so the whole thing is shot like a prison movie? They are get hosed down in the showers and it ends with Hal punching Francis and Frances breaking Hal's fingers. Sure, the shower is post-mud bath and the violence is part of a cover story for Lois. But still, an insane choice. Can't believe it worked.

8:30 Arrested Development on Fox

2x16 "Meat the Veals"

So much of Arrested Development is just origin stories for memes. Sometimes the meme isn't as good in context. But that is not the case with the zoom on Gob's puppet Franklin! A great meme that loses none of its power in the episode itself. This is also a really good episode for Ann and Mae Whitman. The "her?" joke is great, but it's been 15 episodes of it. It was past time to move on. Thrilled to see her be a horny weirdo.

9:00 Deadwood on HBO

2x05 "Complications" (record Desperate Housewives on AC)

I didn't know Deadwood had Black people! I'd never heard anyone talk about any Black characters on the show, so I assumed they didn't exist (usually a safe assumption on American television). But here they are! I'm not going to get too attached to these people. The lack of chatter about them suggests they're not long for the show. Still, the fundamental compassion with which Deadwood approaches everyone and everything means I care about these characters and their stories. The rampant use of the n-word is still hard to take though.

10:00 Grey's Anatomy on ABC

1x02 "The First Cut is the Deepest"

Elevator kiss, elevator kiss, elevator kiss!

Elevators are full of dramatic potential. You can use them for romance, action, horror, humor, and more. They are an especially rich setting in workplace dramas. Elevators are a temporal space. A source of fleeting privacy or forced proximity, whether it's with someone you secretly adore or someone you'd rather avoid. Lots of shows use the elevator to great effect: Mad Men, The Good Wife, Severance. But Grey's Anatomy is probably the most famous elevator show.

The elevator kiss is a terrific scene. Fizzy, soapy, romantic, and sexy. But it also shows the dramatic potential of this space. The Ringer had a great piece a few years back about how Grey's uses the elevator. One of the key observations is that on the elevator, both actors face the camera; they face us. They do not face each other. Thus, we have more information than the characters do. As Meredith and Derek board the elevator, we can see McDreamy flirting, we can see Meredith struggling to resist. We anticipate the moment when she'll turn towards him and succumb to his charms. And when it comes, it's oh so satisfying. And then the doors open and the spell is broken, and we are reminded that this must be secret.

Grey's Anatomy has given us countless elevator scenes, and these building blocks are what give them their power. Dramatic irony, the tension between what the audience knows and what the characters know. The tension between what is public and private. And the ticking clock, the knowledge that soon the doors will open and everything will go back to normal.

What Else Was On

Tonight's Punk'd victims: Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Andy Roddick, and Marques Houston.

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 American Dreams and Desperate Housewives. 11 hours total.

Music, 20 Years Ago

Grey's Anatomy's Tegan and Sara obsession is so important to me.