What's on TV
Sunday 3/23
The 75th Academy Awards (ABC, 8:30 p.m.): Steve Martin, who hosted the awards in 2001, returns this year. Also presenting are Julianne Moore, Harrison Ford, and Halle Berry.
The True Story of Killing Pablo (History Channel, 9 p.m.): One of the world's most notorious drug lords, Pablo Escobar controlled his recruits and Colombian officials through violent intimidation and bribes as he raked in millions of dollars exporting cocaine. Mark Bowden, author of "Killing Pablo," thoughtfully tells how a determined Colombian security chief - with significant US support - eventually brought down Escobar's criminal empire in 1993. While most of the story is riveting to watch, some segments drone on. Beware of violent historical footage.
Wanda at Large (Fox, 9:30-10 p.m.): Stand-up comic Wanda Sykes stars in this off-beat situation comedy about the token liberal on a conservative Washington, D.C., talk show. She is helping to raise her nephew and niece, and the family comedy is perhaps the best part. The first episode is a fizzle, but the wit bubbles up promisingly in the next two episodes. Maybe it will hang around long enough to let Ms. Sykes and the writers warm to the task.
Regular Joe (ABC, 9:30- 10 p.m.): Daniel Stern stars as widower Joe Binder with two teenagers and a family business. His daughter, Joanie, is an unwed mom. His son, Grant, is one of the few kids his age afraid to learn to drive. And then there's granddad - Judd Hirsch plays the interfering curmudgeon. Brian George rounds out the cast as a Hindu with a close attachment to the paint machine. It's not all that funny, but the predictable characters are endearing. It may improve with time.
Tremors: The Series (Sci Fi, 9-10 p.m.): Comic gross-out is the name of the game here as large, super-ugly worms emerge from the earth in search of humans for supper. The worms seem to prefer tourists, since the locals study the creatures' bad habits and have learned to survive in the tiny desert community. Based on the film "Tremors," this has none of the original's fiery wit or social satire. However, with guest stars like Christopher Lloyd showing up on occasion, it may just get silly enough to be fun.
