Florangela Davila's TV Picks, by Florangela Davila, Seattle Times, January 14, 2007

Florangela Davila's TV Picks

By Florangela Davila
Seattle Times
January 14, 2007

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/television/2003520370_tvpicks14.html

As if we didn't already know that J.D. and Turk, the doctor buddies on "Scrubs," are the bestest of friends. True, years ago J.D. was ready to christen Turk his cruddy bud. But theirs is a snuggly-cuddly bond. Turk is, and forever will be, J.D.'s chocolate bear.

Now the pair have their own love song, sung to each other in the catchiest of duets: Guy love/ That's all it is/ Guy love/ He's mine/ I'm his. Watch them swoon and get gooey-eyed in "Scrubs: My Musical" (9 p.m. Thursday on KING), a special episode in which a patient hears the world in constant song. The Tony Award-winning composers of "Avenue Q" are responsible for turning Sacred Heart hospital into a Broadway stage, giving us new ditties for the soundtracks of our own lives. (Something I can relate to: Carla getting all hot and bothered when Turk flubs her ethnicity. For the last freakin' time she's not Puerto Rican — she's Dominican!)

"He's mine/ I'm his." Turk (Donald Faison, with back to camera) and J.D. (Zach Braff) sing about their guy love on "Scrubs: My Musical," airing Thursday.
Photo by Trae Patton / NBC

Speaking of friendships, Adrian Monk scores a buddy appreciative of his obsessive compulsions: wrapping apples up in bubble tape so they don't get bruised; buying eggs 10 at a time because why have a decimal system if it's not used? In the opener of "Monk's" new season (9 p.m. Friday on USA), the detective and his new pal go to a San Jose Sharks game where Monk scores some new headgear, fidgets at the smudges on the rink's glass and color comments on Jonathan Cheechoo. Tony Shalhoub remains a joy to watch in this show where the crimes never get too gory and the mysteries wrap up nicely in an hour. What's not to love?

An entirely different set of feelings — fury, revulsion — are prompted by Frontline's latest documentary, "Hand of God" (10 p.m. Tuesday on KCTS) about sexual abuse and the Catholic church. It's a very personal documentary: Filmmaker Joe Cultrera tells the story of his brother Paul who was molested in the 1960s by the parish priest in Salem, Mass. The film is as much about betrayal and cover-up as it is about faith, family and survival. There's no shortage of material here to make you squirm. Unfortunately, some of the film's power gets lost when the filmmaker veers into near-campiness with some of his footage: photos of priests set amongst fallen leaves; religious statues trimmed in spider webs. The documentary feels long at first but halfway through it becomes a detective story and the ending, in which a bishop tries to prevent Cultrera from shooting footage, is downright maddening.

Anthony Bourdain threatens a Canada goose Monday on the Travel Channel.
Photo by Trae Patton / NBC

Madness of an entirely different sort, the kind coursing through the veins of macho foodie Anthony "I'll eat sheep testicles" Bourdain, arrives to our Pacific Northwest tomorrow on the Travel Channel. "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" (10 p.m. Monday) highlights Bourdain camping in Oregon, looking decidedly more comfortable feasting on Copper River salmon and pork stew than chopping wood or pitching a tent. In Portland, Bourdain hangs with author Chuck Palahniuk ("Fight Club") and chows down at Voodoo Doughnut, rhapsodizing about the bacon maple bars. Then in Seattle he noshes on piroshkies at Pike Place, and on gizzard confit, Otter Pops and a special, noise-making lime cheesecake as part of the secret dining club known as Gypsy. He calls Pioneer Square's Salumi his "happy place" and also utters some priceless gems while digging for geoducks.

But the Hope Diamond of dialogue occurs when a Canada goose hisses. Bourdain: "[Expletive] you. I'll feed your ass till your liver blows up. And then I'll eat you."

Florangela Davila: 206-464-2916 or fdavila@seattletimes.com