Now that we seem to be living in George Orwell’s novel “1984,” isn’t it funny how nostalgic we’ve become for the actual year 1984? It was a time of Morning in America, a lopsided Olympic romp and “Where’s the beef?” The rain may have been purple for the artist known as Prince, but on television, pastels ruled.

We’re talking, of course, about “Miami Vice” (7 p.m. today, NBC). NBC repeats the 1984 pilot movie that launched the stylish Friday-night series starring Don Johnson as Sonny Crockett and Phillip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs.

“Vice” did nothing less than turbo-charge the detective genre. Gone were Colombo’s vintage car and dated threads. In were MTV-inspired editing techniques and the throbbing Jan Hammer score. These cops defined the casual cool of their era, affecting a sockless, unshaven nonchalance punctuated by their choice to wear T-shirts under designer suits.

Of course, this repeat “Vice” is not a mere exercise in nostalgia. It’s designed to spark interest in Hollywood’s latest retread, the new “Miami Vice” movie starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. Wake me up when they finally do the movie version of “Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp.”

¢ Hurricane Katrina revealed more than nature’s wrath. It reminded Americans of a segment of society seemingly paralyzed by poverty. Tom Brokaw is host of “Separate & Equal” (6 p.m. Sunday, NBC). The show’s producers spent months in Jackson, Miss., asking city officials, students, teachers, counselors and journalists about the root causes of poverty there, including lost jobs, racism, a pervasive and degrading hip-hop culture and the breakdown of the black family.

Much has been made of Katie Couric’s “listening tour” of America. She should take notes from Brokaw’s technique. He does an excellent job of asking hard questions while projecting an air of objectivity and empathy.

Today’s highlights

¢ Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman star in the 2001 military thriller “Behind Enemy Lines” (7 p.m., CBS).

¢ Scheduled on “48 Hours Mystery” (9 p.m., CBS): A man faces a third trial on the charge of killing his wife.

Sunday’s highlights

¢ Beauties from every planet compete on the “Miss Universe Pageant” (8 p.m., NBC).

¢ Rosanna Arquette guest stars on “Grey’s Anatomy” (9 p.m., ABC).

¢ Eileen feels abandoned on “Brotherhood” (9 p.m., Showtime).