What was on TV? Thurs, May 12, 2005

20 years ago, Coldplay was still cool. Let's see what was on TV.

8:00 The OC on Fox

2x24 "The O.Sea" (record Survivor on CBS)

This episode famously features a George Lucas cameo. Originally, it was supposed to be Ashton Kutcher, with whom creator Josh Schwartz was friendly. But Fox wanted Lucas since they were promoting the upcoming Revenge of the Sith.

But the Lucas cameo feels right. And not just because The OC is nerdy. Because The OC is cinematic. Think about that gorgeous prom. It's obviously intended as a tribute to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance from Back to the Future. But it works whether you recognize the reference or not. The production design is great. And the visual storytelling is exquisite. Think about that perfect Hollywood moment of Seth joining Summer onstage, and then the moment when "Fix You" (which had its premiere on this episode!) starts playing and everyone starts pairing up while Marissa stands alone. Or think about those gorgeous underwater shots of Julie in the pool. Or the moment when Ryan spies Theresa across the street, cars zooming past her. It all looks so beautiful, a relic of a time when TV shows were shot on film. But the command of visual storytelling is also so pristine.

9:00 Survivor (recorded)

10x13 "It Could All Backfire"

I've decided that this season of Survivor is Shakespearean. Not a comedy, not a tragedy. A history. Survivor: Palau reminds me of a history play. Everyone on post-merge Koror would slot into a history play:

• Coby, the side character who narrates and comments on everything.
• Janu, the fragile weirdo who makes a noble sacrifice
• Stephanie, the girl who goes at it alone (think Joan of Arc in Henry VI)
• Gregg, the guy who's politically important but kinda boring. It's still thrilling to watch our protagonists destroy him
• Jenn, Gregg's "widow" who proves more formidable than expected in his absence
• Caryn, abrasive, strange, underestimated. Will ruin all your complex plans
• Katie, who functions as a sort of "queen" or "wife" archetype. She's smarter than expected, powerful thanks to her connection and/or ability to manipulate the leading men. But her power is also limited by her connection to said men.
• Ian, charming and lovable but easily manipulated, crumbles once the stakes get high. Our tragic figure, his arc really comes into focus in this episode.
• Tom, seems like a textbook hero but look closely and he's ruthless and terrifying. Very Henry V.

Someone write a thingly-veiled fanfic now.

10:00 ER on NBC

11x21 "Carter est Amoureux"

Much of this episode is dedicated to Carter being all mushy and gushy with Thandiwe Newton in Paris, setting up his departure in the next episode. But with Carter absent from County General, we get a preview of what ER will look like without him. And it's not encouraging! All the doctors make huge mistakes and get yelled at. Also there is literal shit coming out of the ceiling. It's just a bummer. Give me some wins, give me some fun! Who wants this misery in their life at 10pm 22 nights a year?

What Else Was On

• The Simple Life aired its final two episodes starring Nicole Richie, and its final episodes on Fox. Paris and Nicole had broken up, and Fox would cancel the show in October. Paris would film one more season for E!
• In the penultimate episode of The Simple Life, Paris and Nicole do some matchmaking for a Nashville single mom. On hand to offer wry commentary is her daughter, a young Kesha. In a strange twist of fate, Dr. Luke actually called to express interest in the tape she'd sent him while they were filming, Nicole Richie answered the phone. Nicole passed on the message, and soon Kesha was in LA, singing backing vocals for Paris Hilton and other Dr. Luke clients. She would spend years being abused by Dr. Luke and writing generation-defining pop hits, then spend even longer trying to extricate herself from her rapist's music label.
• The George Lucas cameo is a very fun slice of OC history. According to Alan Sepinwall's book, Lucas agreed to the cameo because his daughter was a fan, he yelled out "cut" at one point like he was the director, and he added a line about Jar Jar Binks. All this makes me like him more. Another fun tidbit: Adam Brody hated the prequels and was not excited to meet George Lucas or promote the new Star Wars movie.
• ABC's Thursday movie was My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
• Before they were famous: Jenna Dewan on Joey
• Special Sweeps Guest Stars: Survivor's Colby Donaldson on Joey, Martin Landau on Without a Trace

Late Night

Last week Late Night did a bunch of sweeps-themed bits. The clear winner was the "hunky newcomer" who appears out of nowhere with his own Simple Plan soundtrack. I wasn't the only one who liked it. The writers brought it back night and night. Matt Dillon, Al Roker, and Will Ferrell all joined in on the fun. And judging by YouTube comments, Bowen Yang was a fan of this bit, which totally tracks.

TiVo Status

2 episodes of Mystery! 2 hours.

x, 20 years ago

"Fix You" is so overexposed but it still hits. More impressive: that needle drop in The OC works all these years later, when "Fix You" needle drops have become something of a cliche.