Tuesday Night Football

Is it me, or would it make more sense for Friday Night Lights to air...on Friday night? Regardless of where it falls on the schedule, this show is must-see-TV. The pilot was deeply intense and immediately draws you into the frenzy of the small Texas town obsessed with football. I'm sure that folks watching who don't even like football will be pulling up to the front of the TV on Sunday. Though I've never read the book or seen the movie (which I will definitely do now), the cinematic quality of Friday Night Lights was a refreshing change. At times I felt like I was watching a documentary, particularly during the flashes of the town we see from the moving car. This gritty, slice-of-life drama is not polished. For the first time in perhaps ever, I felt like I was watching a show about real Americans, not prefabricated Hollywood prototypes. The climatic football game was the most emotional football game I've ever seen, and as a football fan already, will forever change the way I look at the game. Stripped of the glitz of divafied National Anthems and breast-baring halftime shows, and at a time when overpaid, mediocre professional players intentionally stomp on the face of their opponents (shame on you Albert Haynesworth!) Friday Night Lights depicts the pure essence of the game of football. As the little pee-wee player asked the star QB Jason Street, "Do you think God loves football?" Kid, I sure hope so. There's a lot to love about Friday Night Lights.

I have a confession. While I'm a huge fan of the Law & Order franchise, Criminal Intent has always been my least favorite. I've never been able to sit though an entire episode because the weird machinations of lead detective Goren, played by Vincent D'Onofrio, have always been a turn-off. I don't know what it was about last night's episode, perhaps the blatant rip-off of Christie Brinkley's personal crisis (and how perfect to get another has-been model to play her character, go-head Brooke Shields with your bad self!), but I was glued to the TV from start to finish. I'll try again next week to see if it'll continue to hold my interest. Plus, I can't wait to see Theresa Randle, one of the finest, yet poorly misused Black actresses in Hollywood.

Nip/Tuck strikes again. Didn't I tell you last week that the kidney stealing incident would come back to haunt us? Now, who thinks Michelle personally orchestrated the removal of Liz's kidney as payback for her blabbermouth? I guess that in addition to her good looks, Michelle's med school training is another valuable asset to James. I wonder if Christian is really in love, in love with Michelle, or once again, his savior complex is coming out to save her from her old husband and disgruntled pimp. I'd have to be damn near head over heels before I even considered spending money on my significant other's behalf, let along dropping $500,000. Rosie O'Donnell's Dawn Budge was a convenient way for Christian to get the money. She had some of the funniest lines in Nip/Tuck history, particularly when she was having sex with Christian: "Your ass is really brown-what is that, Mystic spray-on tan? Are you all the way in? I am so worried about Britney and K-Fed-he's just like [her husband] Dwight-overwhelmed by the sudden glamour and wealth." And then Christian chimes in that he'll charge her extra if she doesn't shut up. Even though I'm not a fan of Rosie O'Donnell (I have yet been able to bring myself to watch The View), I hope her character comes back (and I'm sure she will). Tom Cruise...oh, I mean Kimber, isn't as fun as she used to be. Bring the old Kimber back, because the old Kimber would have definitely put a hurtin' on little Matt in the sauna - and obviously, Matt wanted to her to do so as well. Matt's Porsche, and Julia's ring, were so fly. The excessiveness of last night's episode was both enjoyable and somewhat disheartening for those of us with less funds to toss around. I LOL when Julia questioned Sean on his phone-sex addiction, a $500 addiction at that. Good thing he was able to whip out that ring to save the day. Overall, this episode was tighter and more focused than the previous ones this season. If there was an Emmy for best previews, the winner hands-down would be Nip/Tuck. The scenes for next week's episode are sometimes even better than the entire episode you just watched, leaving you totally breathless and asking yourself, is it next Tuesday yet?