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Is NBC’s Thursday still Must-See?
It’s supposed to be another fabulous Must-See Thursday, but NBC’s new lineup, part of which arrives tonight, is a pale imitation of the network’s glory days.
Unless you’re a rabid fan of “The Apprentice,” the night could turn into a Maybe See — at best. Especially because CBS’ popular Thursday trio of “Survivor,” “CSI” and “Without a Trace” is likely to draw a bigger crowd.
To make room for the 90-minute debut of “The Apprentice”, tonight’s lineup is temporarily missing “Will & Grace,” which returns next week. And to give the mundane “CSI”-inspired forensic-mystery drama a boost, “Medical Investigation” debuts tonight in “ER’s” spot before moving to its deadly slot Fridays.
First up, in the spot made famous by “Friends,” is the spinoff “Joey.” The pilot has a few chuckles, but Joey Tribbiani is no Frasier Crane, if you get my drift.
Next comes Donald Trump’s encore, the second edition of “The Apprentice.” In case you’ve managed to miss The Donald’s incessant drumbeat of self-promotion, he says the millions of viewers who tuned in to last season’s show did so to see him. Thus, the new installment will feature even more of him.
The real reason “The Apprentice” was such a hot commodity last season was the contestants, intriguing folks such as Omarosa, Austin’s Amy Henry and cute-but-quiet Kwame.
The new batch of contestants, vying for a top job with one of Trump’s many companies, is prettier than last year’s group. And there are 18 instead of 16 this time. The oldest is 37-year-old Kelly, a West Point grad who runs a software company and has a law degree; the youngest is 23-year-old Andy, a recent Harvard grad who lives in Boca Raton, Fla.
The Austin connection this time belongs to Rob Flanagan, a UT grad who works in Dallas for the Austin-based HotLink Inc., a Web-based corporate branding company.
It will take several weeks before the colorful characters rise to the surface, but when they do, “The Apprentice” could once again become the only real Must-See reality show.
And what of “Medical Investigation?” There’s a reason NBC has relegated it to Friday nights. Despite a first-rate cast, headed by Neal McDonough (“Boomtown”) and Kelli Williams (“The Practice”), this show is surprisingly run-of-the-mill.
In tonight’s pilot, victims of a mysterious disease turn blue and collapse. The medical investigators scurry to find the cause. You will not be surprised to know the mystery is solved and lives are saved. Zzzzzzzzz.
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