The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 108

For the second week in a row, prime-time TV viewership was thoroughly dominated by coverage of the Summer Olympics in Athens, followed by mix of repeats and veteran reality shows. No other network even made the top 20. Although Olympics dominated the week ending Sunday, the Games did not drawquite the viewership of the first week. With fewer marquee events like gymnastics and swimming, viewership dipped from sky-high to merely impressive, according to data released Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research. The Aug.

23 programming highlighted by the last night of gymnastics and the softball gold medal game was the most- watched. CBSoccupied the remaining 13 slots in the top 20and 18 of the top 30. Producer Jerry Bruck- heimeris behind the three dramas that round out the top 10. Aside from pre-season NFL football, ABC enter the list until a rerun of Makeover: Home in 25th place. A repeat episode of is first appearance on the list, in 27th place.

Those two networks, which tend to skew younger, did better among 18- to 49-year-old viewers, a key demographic for advertisers. Night and Makeover: Home and and made the top 20 in that measurement. Overall for the week, NBC was the most-watched network, averaging 22million viewers, followed by CBS (7.4), ABC (4.5), Fox (4.3), UPN (2.5) and the WB (2.3). In cable, a contest of a different kind dominated viewership. Video Music Sunday night was the runaway winner, attracting 10.3 million viewers.

The post-show and pre-show drew 4.5 million and 4million viewers, respectively. NASCAR auto racing also did well, with the from Bristol, and the post-race show finishing second and third, respectively. Taylor Prime-Time TV Rankings Olympics dominate; reruns take the silver bitious high school factotum who digs her way out of suburban Omaha in Elle, the wily, ingratiating and unapologetically vulgar rich girl who triumphs over type and East Coast snobbery in and Melanie, the social- climbing clothing designer in the drippy Home which I half-watched on a plane and an Internet Movie Database search confirms chronicles adventures of a young woman with a white trash background runs away from her husband in Alabama and reinvents herself as a New York Written in the Victorian 1850s, is set several decadesearlier. The Napoleonic wars were raging and Eastern influences were all the rave; money pouring in from India had the same effect on society that money pouring in from anywhere does.With the fat, lecherous, high-living Prince Regent setting the tone for the 19th century party people, dandies turned to utteringwithering bonmotsfull time, famous courtesans became bestselling memoirists and everybody piled up debt. Famously subtitled Novel Without a book spared no one.

A century and a half later, this would create problems for $15-million-a-picture movie stars looking to play the characters. is a big, fat whale of a social satire, and Becky Sharp the kind of heroine movie stars dreamof playing, only not exactly. version is not as altogether callous as the original; nor are those closest to her quite as rakish or lamebrained. The simpering, self-annihilating Amelia Sedley is portrayed more fondly than foolishly here, in part thanks to Romola bubbly charm. And bonvivant (the dashing James Purefoy), is given a heart of gold.

In one scene, Becky professes her love for her husband as he goes off to battle not exactly what her novelistic counterpart was doing at the time. The daughter of a artist and a French opera girl (back when a stage career had nothing on porn stardom), Becky is orphaned and sent to live at an exclusive school for society girls. There, she befriends Amelia, the daughter of a wealthy broker. fat and absurd older brother, Jos (Tony Maudsley), the former collector of Bogley Walla, promptly falls in love with her. The story might have ended here were it not for the intervention of fian- Osborne (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), the son of a crass, socially ambitious merchant (Jim Broadbent) whose high hopes for his only son are thwarted when family is ruined thanks to him.

George is vain, petulant and faithless, and Amelia worships him blindly. He marries her to spite his father, in part because of the tireless efforts of his friend William Dobbin (Rhys Ifans), who pushes them together despite his all-consuming, though terribly polite, passion for Amelia. Becky, has gone on to take a job as a country governess at the house of Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins), an unkempt country baronet with an itchy wig and two unmarried sons. Elder son Pitt (Douglas Hodge) is a dull pedant who will inherit his estate. Second son Rawdon is a soldier, gambler and the pet of Sir spinster Aunt Matilda (Eileen Atkins), an Oscar Wilde type in petticoats.

Despite her love for Rawdon, her fondness for the witty, sharp- tongued Becky, and her insistence that she imprudent Aunt Tilly cuts them out of her will when she learns they have secretly married. As Rawdon warned Becky, talks like Oliver Cromwell, but thinks like George Becky uses her wobbly marriage into the aristocracy as the first rung in the ladder of her vertiginous social climb used to think she was a mere social Sedley (Deborah see now a eventually becoming afavorite of the Marquess of Steyne (Gabriel Byrne). His leg- up to the oxygen-deprived summit of Mayfair society comes at a price, and precipitates downfall. Nair makes the most of the extravagant splendor of the period while poking fun at its crassness, but overall she somewhat underplays its silliness. Part of this has to do with her usual loving attention to the astonishing visual detail of Maria production design, which has a way of slowing down the action.

But mostly you get the feeling that sense of the ri- diculous has been reinedless by directorial choice than by agent- orial concern. This may not be the case, and Witherspoon, Purefoy and Garai seem game, but they never get quite as down- and-dirty as they could. In profiles and interviews, the stars, director and screenwriter Julian Fellowes have suggested that, in this day and age, no longer possible to dislike Becky for her ambition. The movie reinterprets Becky for a feminist era which, like the book, says more about our society than about her character. Becky bad because she floutsconvention, monstrous because she steps on everyone on her way to fame, even her son.

In this day and age, more disheartening to see the mindless pursuit of celebrity canonized than it would be to see yet another female character ostracized by society in a period drama. Thackeray clearly preferred Becky over Amelia (he made her smarter, more resourceful and better able to care for herself), and there is certainly plenty to admire, but the claim to herolessness has as much to do with a reluctance to endorse selfish behavior as it does with a refusal to exalt absurdly selfless abnegation. Luckily, because they are less likely to go on to star in next romantic comedies, the supporting characters are free to be as ridiculous, and gross, as they want to be. The liveliest scenes by far belong to the rouged and itchy-wigged biddies. Atkins steals the show as bawdy Aunt Matilda, especially when paired with Geraldine Lady Southdown (who eventually becomes the younger mother-in-law), a symphony of aristocratic tics and affectations.

Lady twittering nervousness plays off demeanor like Laurel played off Hardy. husband is a haughty, air-headed beauty, and George is the picture of supercilious vanity. Hoskins plays the disheveled Sir Pitt with agleeful expansiveness and warmth. the only one secure enough in his social position to live like a pig. After having seen 19th century India through the eyes of English directors countless times, interesting to see the colonizer through the eyes of an Indian director.

Whether Nair overplays the Far East influence on fashions of the times I know, but Regency London as shown here is almost entirely swathed in paisley-printed cashmere and topped with turbans. A certain painted decrepitude characterizes all but the youngest and most attractive characters. Aside from the occasional sight of a subcontinental servant and the absurd gone-native styl- ings of Jos Sedley and Major Dobbin (sporting an improbable Fu Manchu mustache and St. Tropez tan), any directorial judgment on the British Empire feels somewhat reserved. One notable departure from the novel is the end, in which Jos and India play a radically different role in destiny than they do in the book.

possible that aside from succumbing to the pressures of a Hollywood ending Nair is suggesting an antidote to mindless materialism. It almost makes you wonder is not the perfect text for a lesson in Buddhist detachment. Certainly, is a never-ending Western story that benefits from philosophically Eastern pointofview. parts make this whole Frank Connor Focus Features LOOKING EAST: Regency London as shown in is almost entirely swathed in Eastern influence. from Page E1 E12 CALENDAR LOSANGELESTIMES TELEVISION RADIO MPAA rating: PG-13 for some sensuality, partial nudity and a brief violent image Times guidelines: Jane Austen would be fine with it Reese Witherspoon Sharp Romola Garai Sedley James Purefoy Crawley Jonathan Rhys Meyers Osborne Rhys Ifans Dobbin Jim Broadbent Osborne Bob Hoskins Pitt Crawley Eileen Atkins Matilda Crawley Gabriel Byrne Marquess of Steyne Focus Features presents a Tempesta Films Production.

A Mira NairFilm. Costume Designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor. Music Mychael Danna. Editor Allyson C. Johnson.

Production Designer Maria Djurkovic. Director of Photography Declan Quinn. Associate Producers Matthew Faulk, Mark Skeet. Co-producer Jane Frazer. Executive Producer Jonathan Lynn.

Executive Producers Howard Cohen, Pippa Cross. Produced by Janette Day, Donna Gigliotti, Lydia Dean Pilcher. Based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray. Screenplay by Matthew Faulk Mark Skeet and Julian Fellowes. Directed by Mira Nair.

A Focus Features Release. Here are the rankings for national prime-time network television last week (Aug. 23-29) as compiled by Nielsen Media Research. They are based on the average number of people who watched a program from start to finish. Nielsen estimates there are 272.04 million potential viewers in the U.S.

age 2 and older. Viewership is listed in millions. Program Network View- ersProgram Network Viewers 1 Summer (Mon.) NBC25.94 2 Summer (Tue.) NBC24.97 3 Summer (Wed.) NBC24.26 4 Summer (Thu.) NBC21.51 5 Summer (Fri.) NBC20.14 --------------------------------------------6 Summer (Sun.) NBC19.56 7 Summer (Sat.) NBC18.03 8 CSICBS12.55 9 Amazing Race: 5CBS10.49 10 Without a TraceCBS10.47 --------------------------------------------11 CSI: MiamiCBS10.19 12 Big Brother 5 13 60 MinutesCBS9.58 14 Everybody Loves Raymond CBS9.43 15 Two and a Half MenCBS8.82 --------------------------------------------16 Cold CaseCBS8.78 17 Big Brother 5 18 48 Hours MysteryCBS8.10 19 Navy NCISCBS8.05 20 60 Minutes IICBS7.34 --------------------------------------------21 22 Pre-Season (Mon.) ABC7.13 23 Still StandingCBS6.35 24 Yes, DearCBS6.16 25 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (Sun.) ABC6.00 --------------------------------------------26 King of QueensCBS5.96 27 The SimpsonsFOX5.90 28 King of Queens (9:30 p.m.) CBS5.89 My Wife and KidsABC5.89 30 Never --------------------------------------------31 Most WantedFOX5.64 32 Family Guy (9:30 p.m.)FOX5.54 33 Family Guy (9 p.m.)FOX5.34 34 Cops (8:30 p.m.)FOX5.20 35 Family Guy (8:30 p.m.)FOX5.18 --------------------------------------------36 George LopezABC5.09 37 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (Tue.) ABC5.05 38 39 48 Hours InvestigatesCBS4.88 40 That Show 9:30 p.m.) FOX4.77 --------------------------------------------41 According to JimABC4.75 That Show 8:30 p.m.) FOX4.75 43 Extreme Makeover ABC4.70 44 8 Simple RulesABC4.67 45 Family Guy (8 p.m.)FOX4.62 --------------------------------------------46 47 That Show 9 p.m.) FOX4.47 That Show 8 p.m.) FOX4.47 49 Pre-Season (Sat.) CBS4.46 50 Trading SpousesFOX4.36 WWE 52 on Fox 53 The PracticeABC4.29 54 CopsFOX4.24 55 Hope FaithABC4.13 56 Less Than Perfect 57 Less Than Perfect 58 Arrested DevelopmentFOX4.00 59 Blue Collar TVWB3.98 60 Malcolm in the MiddleFOX3.84 --------------------------------------------61 JAGCBS3.81 62 In the Jury Room 63 In the Jury Room 64 The Drew Carey Show (9 p.m.) ABC3.65 65 Reba --------------------------------------------66 Simple Life (9:30 p.m.)FOX3.57 67 Simple Life (9 p.m.)FOX3.56 68 CasinoFOX3.53 69 Joan of ArcadiaCBS3.51 70 Simple Life (8 p.m.)FOX3.43 --------------------------------------------71 The Drew Carey Show (9:30 p.m.) ABC3.36 72 League World (Sun.) ABC3.35 73 Simple Life (8:30 p.m.)FOX3.31 74 Amish in the CityUPN3.29 75 Casino --------------------------------------------76 RebaWB2.99 77 Oliver BeeneFOX2.89 78 Steve Big Time (7:30 p.m.) WB2.76 79 7th HeavenWB2.74 80 GirlfriendsUPN2.70 --------------------------------------------81 SmallvilleWB2.65 Half and HalfUPN2.65 83 Whose Line Is It Anyway? (10:30 p.m.) ABC2.63 84 EveUPN2.61 85 One On OneUPN2.53 --------------------------------------------86 Girlfriends (9:30 p.m.)UPN2.52 87 League World (Sat.) ABC2.48 88 Blue Collar TV 89 All of UsUPN2.41 90 Gilmore GirlsWB2.38 --------------------------------------------91 CharmedWB2.25 Smallville (9 p.m.)WB2.25 93 Steve Big TimeWB2.18 94 Whose Line Is It 95 Grounded for LifeWB2.11 --------------------------------------------96 Charmed (9 p.m.)WB2.03 97 What I Like About YouWB1.91 The Player 99 The Player 100 EverwoodWB1.58 --------------------------------------------101 One Tree HillWB1.57 102 Studio 7WB1.37 103 Amish in the City 104 EnterpriseUPN0.98 Network averages Here is the number of viewers (in millions) that each network averaged per hour of prime time, for last week and for the season. Network Last week Season to date NBC22.0310.70 CBS7.3711.72 ABC4.548.04 FOX4.338.41 UPN2.523.17 WB2.303.27 and later a fifth sitting in a sink full of dirty dishes. That they have been removed with teeth is what passes here for local In addition to all the gore porn, has the distinction of bringing the term into what was once puckishly called Family (If Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell too worn out rubber- stamping media mergers, he might want to give NBC that is, NBC Universal a call.) Like the Republican National Convention, in whose midst it is premiering, is a thing of no surprises and little drama or suspense.

The end of every scene may be predicted nearly from its beginning. There is a sad, an almost mathematical, inevitability to the whole affair. Creator Jeff Eastin is the man who wrote (the yet unmade) Lies and the upcoming Hour and thattoomakes a certain mathematical sense. Like most TV detectives, the men of all but one are too young for the joband as well qualified to model underwear as to fight crime. Their dress is expensively casual, their hair cranial and facial professionally tended.

In usual way, they have been cast to reflect and flatter the audience: Three of the four stars are whiteand one is black, with Asians, the largest ethnic Pacific Islanders in supporting roles and providing The actors do what they can, but none actually has a character to play. Michael Biehn and many action pix thereafter) is the above-noted older guy, and I know what else to say about him. We meet him and new partner Sharif Atkins as they drive crazily around Honolulu in a red convertible in hot pursuit of a stolen car, while Biehn gaily relates the breakup of his marriage. character comes from Chicago, which is supposed to explain why he swim unfamiliar as he is, apparently, with Lake Michigan and is required to what talking And then say it again. (And: even think about And up with Ivan Sergei plays the brash hothead, upbraided for insulting language and generally unprofessional by crusty ethnic superior officer Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who performed the exact same service for Don Johnson back on The special twist here is that char- actually seem to be avery good detective, though not sure that is intendedor that he is meant to be as thoroughly unlikable as he is.

(Sergei certainly can be charming when allowed.) Partner Eric Balfour Feet O.C.”) seems to do all the work; Balfour has a goofy charm, and his moments on-screen are best. The opening hour does pack in an impressive amount of action, though it does not entirely distract from the fact that nothing of interest is happening. (The action is not all that interesting, either, to be frank, but it is very well staged, especially for television.) And there is beautiful Hawaii, shaping up as the TV flavor of the year, for the scenery and the tax credits and the fact that it Canada.Of the five broad- cast networks, only CBS (which has used the islands as a backdrop to Amazing has no drama shooting there. is up and running, but more fictional) is scheduled for midseasonand the WB is filming a pilot for its However good or bad these showsprove to be, Hawaii will survive them, as it has survived Donnyand Marie and the Brady Bunch, and And that, at least, is pleasant to consider. In new the scenery chews the actors Mario Perez BEACHED: Ivan Sergei, left, plays the obligatory hothead; Eric Balfour is his detective partner on new from Page E1 Pick upyour life on Thursdays.

03ED000 8 DAYS Complete arts and entertainment listings for Southern California. Pick up your life on Thursdays. Calendar Weekend Where: NBC When: 8-9 p.m. Wednesdays Michael Biehn Harrison Sharif Atkins Declan Ivan Sergei Edwards Eric Balfour Gains Aya Sumika Tamiya Peter Navy Tuisapo Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Terry Harada Executive producers: Jeff Steiner, Chris Black. Director: Daniel Sackheim..