Just when Friday night lost its spiritual base, NBC presents “The Book of Daniel.”
The recently canceled “Joan of Arcadia” was about a mildly rebellious teenage girl who talked to God as he appeared to her as various strangers.
In “The Book of Daniel,” Aidan Quinn plays Daniel Webster, a pill-poppin’ Episcopal priest who talks to Jesus while trying to maintain order in his church and dealing with issues at home. He has a drinkin’ wife, a gay son, an adopted, sex-crazed straight son and a pot-selling daughter.
“The Book of Daniel” has a special two-hour premiere at 9 p.m. Friday and will air regularly at 10 p.m. Friday on KING-TV.
Some conservative groups are already protesting the show. Apparently they don’t appreciate Vicodin-addicted priests who have problems on the home front.
But the cries are sweet music to NBC’s ratings-starved ears, because they should only increase interest.
The drama starts a little slow, and “Daniel” feels forced in its early introduction of characters, but the action heats up.
In addition to his trials at home, the reverend finds himself in a quandary after it is revealed that his brother-in-law ran off with $3 million in church money.
The plot thickens and provides something that is at least watchable if you find yourself channel surfing on a Friday night and you aren’t in the mood for Jennifer Love Hewitt talking to dead people.
Still, it seems like every time NBC takes a step forward, it goes two steps back.
Or, in this case, four steps.
Finally in possession of a new hit comedy, “My Name is Earl,” NBC is moving it to Thursday in an attempt to reclaim the night it once owned.
Good news.
Finally realizing that “Joey” is a loser without his cool friends, NBC is putting him on the shelf and moving “Earl” and “The Office” to Thursday, where they will meet up with “Will &Grace” and a new “comedy,” “Four Kings.”
I’m only calling “Four Kings” a comedy because that’s what the press release says.
The actors deliver every bit of dialog in completely unoriginal one-liners and the play button on the laugh track appears to be stuck.
We can forgive keeping “Will &Grace” at 8 p.m. Thursdays for its grand send-off, but this quartet of annoying, single-note jesters is a waste of valuable airtime.
This is especially unfortunate because “Four Kings” is taking a time slot that could be filled by the brilliant “Scrubs.”
It’s been a long break, bur our favorite doctors finally return for their fifth season.
Good news.
But NBC has decided to break “Scrubs” off from its only other funny shows, “Earl” and “The Office.”
That means “Scrubs” will premiere with back-to-back new episodes at 9 p.m. Tuesday on KING-TV.
The sad part is they’re sharing a time slot with one of our other favorite doctors, “House,” on Fox, and our new favorite female president, Geena Davis on ABC’s “Commander in Chief.”
“Scrubs” might be up to the challenge, but any combination of TiVos and VCRs will feel the strain.
Good ‘roll’ models
You might have heard by now that roller derby is making a comeback.
But this time around it’s a somewhat underground movement that has sprouted nearly 50 leagues from Seattle to Florida, from Los Angeles to New Jersey.
Tapping into the trend, A&E presents “Rollergirls,” a new reality series that follows the lives of some members of the Lonestar Rollergirls league in Austin, Texas.
The hourlong show premieres at 10 p.m. Monday on A&E (check your listings for channel information).
The spectacle begins as we follow a rookie approaching her first time on the track.
At the same time, we learn about the lives of these women, some of whom are nurses and elementary school teachers by day and butt-kickin’ skaters by night.
Victor Balta’s TV column runs Mondays and Thursdays on the A&E page. Reach him at 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
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