Blue Glow

Salon's TV picks for Monday, May 14, 2001

By Joyce Millman

May 14, 2001 |

Series

Al Pacino is profiled on a new Biography (8 p.m., A&E). Since "Biography" didn't call me for my Al Pacino story, I'll relate it here. In the mid-'80s, Pacino was touring in a revival of the play "American Buffalo." My sister and I were thrilled to have scored front-row seats to one of the Boston performances. Al was, like, a god to us. OK, so I'm all excited and everything and I'm telling my co-workers at the paper that I'm going to see Michael Corleone up close from the first row. And the theater critic warns me, "Bring something to cover yourself, he spits a lot when he acts." Oh, nonsense, say I -- what are we talking here, Gallagher with the watermelon? Long story short: Al comes out bellowing his first line, which went something like "Fuckin' Ruthie! Fuckin' Ruthie! Fuckin' Ruthie!" and the guy is spraying like an uncapped fire hydrant on a hot July afternoon. Eeeew! I should have listened to the theater critic and brought the tarp. But I digress ... On a two-part season finale of 7th Heaven (8 p.m., WB), Lucy pops the question to Jeremy, and Mary comes home for the summer. L'il Kim guests as a convict's girlfriend on the season finale of Moesha (8 p.m., UPN). Robert Downey Jr. makes what is likely to be his final appearance on Ally McBeal (9 p.m., Fox). On Everybody Loves Raymond (9 p.m., CBS), Debra reacts badly to the news that her parents are splitting up. Boy, Brian Krakow has certainly gone off the deep end since Angela went off with Jordan at the end of "My So-Called Life." When last seen, Brian -- OK, actor Devon Gummersall, not playing Brian -- was taking hostages on "Once & Again." Tonight, Gummersall plays a teenager tried as an adult in a fatal school shooting and awaiting execution on Family Law (10 p.m., CBS).

Sports

NBA playoffs:
Mavericks at Spurs, Game 5, if necessary (8 p.m., TNT)

Talk

Rosie O'Donnell (syndicated) Martha Stewart, Taye Diggs, Sugar Ray
David Letterman (CBS) Charlie Sheen, Missy Elliot
Jay Leno (NBC) Macaulay Culkin, Brooks and Dunn
Politically Incorrect (ABC) The Queens of Comedy
Conan O'Brien (NBC) Ray Liotta (rerun)
Craig Kilborn (CBS) Bryan Cranston

All times Eastern unless noted.

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