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BEST BETS FOR DECEMBER 26, 2007
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IFC, 7:15 p.m. ET Jack Nicholson didn't develop that sassy, independent, magnetic rebellious streak as he got up in years. He had the same swagger as a young man, as evidenced in this 1970 drama, the title of rich refers not only to piano pieces he plays as a musician, but, in the vernacular of the period, the women with whom he surrounds himself. Karen Black, Sally Struthers, Toni Basil, Lois Smith and Susan Anspach co-star - and the movie contains one absolutely iconic scene. It's the one in which Jack and some friends visit a diner, and encounter a waitress who doesn't exactly support the "have it your way" approach. |
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ABC, 8 p.m. ET Repeats of series as good as this one are as good as original episodes of most other series. Tonight, Ned uses his odd powers to probe the even odder death of a car expert - in a traffic accident. |
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Oxygen, 8 p.m. ET A very deep supporting cast, including standout turns by Holly Hunter and David Strathairn, keep this 1983 legal thriller propelling confidently from start to finish. Tom Cruise and Jeanne Tripplehorn play young lovers ensnared by a southern law firm with sinister motives and agendas. Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook, Ed Harris and Wilford Brimley all have prominent roles as well. Like I said, this cast is deep. |
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TV Land, 8 p.m. ET This 1991 movie is famous for ushering in a new level of feminist feistiness in film, with Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis embarking on a road trip that, like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, ends by freezing its outlaw heroes in one last burst of gory glory. This movie is noted, though, for something else as well: Introducing Brad Pitt in the most potent supporting-role actor introduction since Richard Gere slid himself next to Diane Keaton in Looking for Mr. Goodbar. |
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CBS, 9 p.m. ET The honorees for tonight's special, reliably one of the most entertaining TV specials of the year, are Steve Martin, Diana Ross, Leon Fleisher, Brian Wilson and Martin Scorsese. For more on this program, see today's BIANCULLI's BLOG. |
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AMERICAN MASTERS: "BOB NEWHART: UNBUTTONED" PBS, 9 p.m. ET This is a repeat, but a good one. It includes some great TV footage - not only the incomparably brilliant ending of Newhart and some delightful scenes with Suzanne Pleshette on The Bob Newhart Show, but also some tastes of his previous variety series, which won an Emmy after it was cancelled. |
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