Oscar flashbacks, other delights as writers return

Oscar flashbacks, other delights as writers return

Diane Werts | GLUED TO THE TUBE
February 16, 2008




GOTTA LOVE THE STREAKER. David Niven's witty reaction to the naked man on the Academy Awards stage is among the clips revisited in "20 Greatest Oscar Moments" (today at 4 p.m., tomorrow at 5 p.m., VH1). That '70s event is joined by strange kisses, odd acceptances and peculiar costumes from previous seasons, as we await this year's Feb. 24 ceremony. More at vh1.com/shows/dyn/VH1 _20_greatest_oscar_moments /series.jhtml.



SPEAKING OF OSCARS. One of last year's nominees gets a commercial-free airing. The TV premiere of "Letters From Iwo Jima" (tonight at 8, AMC) is introduced by director Clint Eastwood, to air in the original Japanese with English subtitles, starring Ken Watanabe ("The Last Samurai"). Video preview at amctv.com



TUBE FLASHBACK. Ah, the '80s. Memories light the corners of my mind. Oops, sorry. That was the '70s. I mean, hit us with your best shot, fire away. That's what NBC does tomorrow night with a TV movie revival of that decade's weirdly beloved action series "Knight Rider" (Sunday at 9 p.m., NBC/4). The backdoor pilot for a prospective fall series resurrects KITT the talking car in the form of a Ford Mustang driven by Justin Bruening (Jamie Martin on "All My Children"). Another backward nod goes to Richard Dean Anderson's "MacGyver," whose resourceful use of everything ordinary to escape from sticky situations is tested on a new "MythBusters" (Wednesday at 9 p.m., Discovery) by the equally resourceful Adam and Jamie.


DINO TIME. We know it was way back when. But could it be again? "Dinosaurs: Return to Life?" (tomorrow at 9 p.m., Discovery) investigates the idea of reviving dinos today through recovered DNA. You'd think we'd have learned our lesson from "Jurassic Park." All the latest dino news at dsc.discovery.com/news/subjects/




SCRIPTS: GET USED TO 'EM. They're back. Well, almost back, with the settlement of the Hollywood writers' strike. In the meantime, CBS has imported the moody Showtime fave

"Dexter" (tomorrow at 10p.m., CBS/2), starring the estimable Michael C. Hall as a serial killer of serial killers who just happens to work for the Miami police as a blood-spatter specialist, the better to stalk murderers who'd otherwise get away with it. And "Prison Break" (Monday at 8p.m., Fox/5) presents what's being billed as its winter finale, when "a familiar face enters Sona as another leaves it in a body bag." Other clues at fox.com/prisonbreak.



HAVE YOU HEARD THE ONE ABOUT? The caveman? Is that how far back jokes go? Maybe we'll find out when Lewis Black hosts "The History of the Joke" (Monday at 9 p.m., History), consulting such funny folk as Penn & Teller, Kathy Griffin, Robert Klein, Shelley Berman and Dave Attell.


AWARDS ALERT. Live from Miami, the 20th annual

"Premio lo Nuestro" (Thursday at 8 p.m., Univision/41) salutes Latin music faves as voted on Univision's Web site, from nominees including Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Daddy Yankee, Chayanne, RBD and dozens more spanning tropical salsa, ranchero, urbano and other genres. Meanwhile, the taped "BET Honors" (Friday at 8p.m., BET) celebrates "African-American leaders" including Tyra Banks, Cornel West, Maxine Waters and Alicia Keys. More at bet.com


MORE FRESH FARE. Among the week's other new arrivals: Good Charlotte's Joel Madden on "The Naked Brothers Band" (tonight at 8:30, Nickelodeon) ... Charles S. Dutton and Elizabeth Pena in the TV movie "Racing for Time" (tonight at 9, Lifetime) ... Competition/game series "My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad" (Monday at 9 p.m., NBC/4), "Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious" (Monday at 9 p.m., CW/11) and "Amne$ia" (Friday at 9 p.m., NBC/4) ... Three-hour look "Inside the Vietnam War" (Monday 8-11 p.m., NatGeo) ... Raul Esparza in Stephen Sondheim's landmark musical "Company" on "Great Performances" (Wednesday at 9 p.m., WNET/13) ...

Race and Knicks' history in "Lapchick and Sweetwater Breaking Barriers" (Wednesday at 9:30 p.m., MSG).