Blue Glow

Salon's TV picks for Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2000

By Joyce Millman

Dec 6, 2000 | Series

Ed learns a shocking secret about Molly's grandfather, and Phil and Shirley organize open mike night at Stuckeybowl as Ed (8 p.m., NBC) moves into its new time slot. Drew is less than a hit after his performance at a church fundraiser on The Drew Carey Show (9 p.m., ABC). The West Wing (9 p.m., NBC) reruns (for the second time) the one where Bartlet does a Hollywood fundraiser. On Felicity (9 p.m., WB), our heroine lives every student's worst nightmare -- she has to cram for the final of a class she thought she dropped. Robert Smigel, the demented genius behind the "Saturday Night Live" cartoons "X-Presidents" and "The Ambiguously Gay Duo" (not to mention that rambunctious sock puppet "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog" from "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"), gets his own show with TV Funhouse (10:30 p.m., Comedy Central). Structured like a kiddie show gone seriously awry, "Funhouse" is an uneven blend of inspired animated recklessness (check out "The Baby, the Immigrant and the Guy on Mushrooms") and perverse, almost tasteless, sight gags involving horny, foul-mouthed animal puppets. But, I admit, there is something weirdly entertaining about hearing a dog puppet who's obsessed with chasing his tail scream, "I will rule you, wagging bastard!"

Specials

What exactly is Martha Stewart's Christmas Dream (8 p.m., CBS)? To be queen of the world, of course. Watch, and know the many ways that she is more clever than you.

Sports

Basketball:
Cavs at Bulls (8 p.m., TNT)

Hockey:
Maple Leafs at Red Wings (7:30 p.m., ESPN2)

Talk

Rosie O'Donnell (syndicated) Chris O'Donnell, Natalie Cole
David Letterman (CBS) Kathie Lee Gifford (rerun)
Jay Leno (NBC) Ellen DeGeneres, Dwight Yoakam (rerun)
Conan O'Brien (NBC) Dave Chappelle, Kylie Bax (rerun)
Craig Kilborn (CBS) Kevin Sorbo, Michelle Rodriguez (rerun)

All times Eastern unless noted.

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