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Archive for Friday, January 4, 2002

Walters, ‘20/20’ return to Friday nights on ABC

January 4, 2002

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To no one's surprise, "20/20" will return to Friday nights at 9 p.m., beginning Jan. 18. ABC upset some folks last summer when it decided to move "Once and Again" into that slot. Some considered it a slight to news veteran Barbara Walters and a sign that her "20/20" attracted an older audience than Sela Ward's critical favorite "Once and Again."

Unfortunately for ABC, "Once" failed to generate much of an audience from any demographic group. The network hopes the drama will do better when it moves to 8 p.m., beginning tonight.

The move offers viewers a matchup between the upper-middle-class angst of "Once and Again" and the sentimental Jersey girl comedy-drama "That's Life" (8 p.m., CBS). It's Lily versus Lydia.

In another schedule change, the WB network hopes that more viewers find "Maybe it's Me" at 8:30 p.m. This smart little comedy switches places with Bob Saget's "Raising Dad," which now airs at 7:30 p.m.

Filmmaker Stephen Okazaki travels to the Minnesota State Fair in his film "Butter Sculptures" on "Life 360" (1 a.m., PBS, KTWU). Contestants in Minnesota's annual Dairy Princess beauty pageant have their likeness carved in butter to commemorate their special day. Other segments concern life's milestones, including high school graduation and marking 50 years of marriage.

Tonight's other highlights

A malpractice suit leaves Sydney feeling jittery on "Providence" (7 p.m., NBC).

A law professor (Sean Connery) scrambles to save a convict from execution in the 1995 drama "Just Cause" (7 p.m., UPN), co-starring Laurence Fishburne, Ed Harris, Kate Capshaw and Blair Underwood.

Adam Sandler stars in the often-repeated 1996 comedy "Happy Gilmore" (7 p.m., Fox).

Brendan Fraser stars in the 1999 adventure "The Mummy" (7 p.m., TNT).

Scheduled on "Dateline" (8 p.m., NBC): A hidden-camera report on home-repair price gouging.

Sam and Judy's relationship heats up on "Once and Again" (8 p.m., ABC).

Molly feels threatened by a popular foreign exchange student on a repeat "Maybe it's Me" (8:30 p.m., WB).

Scheduled on a repeat of "48 Hours" (9 p.m., CBS): a teen's Internet seduction.

After a gruesome assault on a pregnant woman and her unborn child, both her husband (John Ritter) and her alleged lover (Bobby Cannavale) fall under suspicion on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (9 p.m., NBC).

Scheduled on a repeat of "Vanished" (9 p.m., ABC): a minister, missing since 1984 and presumed dead, resurfaces with another new church and a new wife and family.

Cult choice

Michael J. Fox stars as a paranormal detective in the offbeat 1996 horror film "The Frighteners" (7 p.m., Encore).

Series notes

"Ellen" is new ... A car wreck among friends on "King of Queens" (7 p.m., CBS) ... Tom Bergeron hosts movie parodies on "America's Funniest Home Videos" (7 p.m., ABC) ... Sabrina and Roxie become campus radio personalities on "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (7 p.m., WB) ... Ellen misplaces a family heirloom on "The Ellen Show" (7:30 p.m., CBS) ... Matt seems reluctant to offer driving lessons on "Raising Dad" (7:30 p.m., WB) ... Dolly throws her hat into the ring on "That's Life" (8 p.m., CBS) ... Cheyenne's choice of potato salad jinxes the team on "Reba" (8 p.m., WB).

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