Dangerous Minds

DANGEROUS MINDSMusic from the Motion Picture (MCA 12282)Since "urban reality" is most often translated in Hollywood as "rap music," it was probably inevitable that the soundtrack to "Dangerous Minds" would be almost 95 percent hip-hop. What keeps the album from becoming drearily predictable, however, is the way the tracks avoid the crude overkill of most movie-issue gangsta rap. There are plenty of tough-talking titles like "True O.G." or "Gin & Juice," but even those tunes tend to avoid the expletive-filled excess that so inflames rap's critics.

The Ed Reed most often seen patrolling the deep middle of the Ravens' defense is renowned for improvisation, the ability to get inside an opposing quarterback's head and dedication to film study. But the Ed Reed who acquired a measure of celebrity as a high school athlete some 15 years ago in tiny St. Rose, La., had little confidence in the classroom, studied just enough to be eligible for sports and skipped school altogether when the mood struck. "He was a typical young boy," said Jeanne Hall, an academic adviser at Destrehan High School in nearby New Sarpy.

Tonight, get a sneak peak at the show that should keep ABC a force to be reckoned with on late-night TV, even after "Nightline" signs off."The Drew Carey Show" (9 p.m.-9: 30 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- This repeat of the season opener is funny enough by itself, but the opening production number, in which Drew, Mimi and the gang shake it to the tune of "Five O'Clock World," is a classic. ABC."Politically Incorrect's Greatest Hits" (10 p.m.-11 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- Welcome to one of the great premises of TV history: Get four people together from disparate backgrounds -- actors, politicians, athletes, journalists, fly-by-night celebrities -- and have them mouth off about current events.

An air of mystery, melancholy and muted hope pervades "Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her" (8 p.m.-10 p.m. tomorrow, Showtime), first-time writer-director Rodrigo Garcia's carefully textured mini-portraits of women living the drama that is everyday life. The film is told as a series of five vaguely interconnected stories, with Mexican actress Elpidia Carrillo providing the common thread. Glenn Close is Elaine Keener, an M.D. who seems preoccupied with ... something. Close provides a powerful, nearly wordless performance that sets the bar high for the rest of the cast.

Can a mediocre film be made into a good TV show? "Dangerous Minds" has already been the former; can it become the latter?"Dangerous Minds" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- Annie Potts (who's OK, but no Michelle Pfeiffer) is a teacher so good, so strong, so committed, you wonder if she's vulnerable to kryptonite. She also inhabits a fantasy world where she's able to stare down gang members and nonchalantly plant a kiss on the cheek of a sleeping student (wonder what the school-system lawyers in B'more would say)

You don't have to hate Michelle Pfeiffer anymore because she's so beautiful. You can hate her because she appears to have it all -- family and career, fame and fortune.The acclaimed actress married handsome, successful TV producer David E. Kelley, creator of television's "Picket Fences" and "Chicago Hope," and has two kids, Claudia Rose (2 1/2 ) and John Henry (just one year), three Oscar nominations -- "Dangerous Liaisons," "The Fabulous Baker Boys," "Love Field" -- and a steady perch on Hollywood's A-list of female talent.

Jon Lovitz is one of the moronz in the 'hood in "High School High," an otherwise routine parody of the inner-city soap opera. Lovitz's bumbling innocence and grandly delusional self-importance are so amusing that you want to like "High School High" more than it deserves.Lovitz plays one Richard C. Clark, the son of a prominent prep school principal, a young man raised to the highest standards of liberal education and hopeless impracticality. He seems to view reality through a fog of noblesse oblige, which makes him chump change to the rest of the world.

It's a good night to check in on some of the Monday shows you may not have seen in a while, to see if they've improved. "Ink," for example, has a somewhat ambitious episode about parental reaction to their kids' encounter with dope in the '90s, while "Melrose Place" tries to correct last year's off-the-wall course by introducing at least one seriously dramatic plot line."

Unforgivably, tonight's big event, the late-night ABC premiere of "Politically Incorrect," is not being carried by the network's Baltimore affiliate. For shame. I envy those of you who can pick up WMDT in Salisbury or WJLA in Washington, which will broadcast the show nightly, beginning at 12: 05 a.m. on WMDT and 12: 35 a.m. on WJLA. As for Channel 2: Hey, let's get on the stick."Sunset Beach" (11 a.m.-noon, WBAL, Channel 11) -- Apparently nowhere in TV Land is safe from Aaron Spelling, the mega-producer who's brought the world everything form "Charlie's Angels" and "The Love Boat" to "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Melrose Place."

A pair of women-in-danger-at- the-hands-of-particularly-nasty- men movies dominate the network programming tonight."Dangerous Minds" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- Superteacher Louanne gets together a group of volunteers to build a house for a student and her family -- only to learn the site is on territory claimed by rival gangs. ABC."Mr. Rhodes" (8: 30 p.m.-9 p.m., WBAL, Channel 11) -- Teacher Tom gets into a bit of a scuffle, finds himself in court and has to depend on up-tight teacher (and former attorney and Teacher Tom adversary)

It may seem a little warm for March, but there's still plenty of ice on the tube. Check out CBS tonight."Michael Flatley: Lord of the Dance" (7 p.m.-9 p.m., MPT, Channels 22 and 67) -- "River-dance" star Flatley performs in his own Irish dance-and-music spectacular. (Times are approximate; remember, it's pledge time.) PBS."Star Trek: Voyager" (7 p.m.-8 p.m., WNUV, Channel 54) -- Capt. Janeway and the gang finally make it back to Earth; only problem is, it's 20th-century Earth, where they have to prevent an egotistical jerk of a computer genius from tampering with the future and ending life as everyone's come to know it. If you saw this two-parter when it aired in November, you know whether the world survives.

A pair of women-in-danger-at- the-hands-of-particularly-nasty- men movies dominate the network programming tonight."Dangerous Minds" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- Superteacher Louanne gets together a group of volunteers to build a house for a student and her family -- only to learn the site is on territory claimed by rival gangs. ABC."Mr. Rhodes" (8: 30 p.m.-9 p.m., WBAL, Channel 11) -- Teacher Tom gets into a bit of a scuffle, finds himself in court and has to depend on up-tight teacher (and former attorney and Teacher Tom adversary)

Unforgivably, tonight's big event, the late-night ABC premiere of "Politically Incorrect," is not being carried by the network's Baltimore affiliate. For shame. I envy those of you who can pick up WMDT in Salisbury or WJLA in Washington, which will broadcast the show nightly, beginning at 12: 05 a.m. on WMDT and 12: 35 a.m. on WJLA. As for Channel 2: Hey, let's get on the stick."Sunset Beach" (11 a.m.-noon, WBAL, Channel 11) -- Apparently nowhere in TV Land is safe from Aaron Spelling, the mega-producer who's brought the world everything form "Charlie's Angels" and "The Love Boat" to "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Melrose Place."

Tonight, get a sneak peak at the show that should keep ABC a force to be reckoned with on late-night TV, even after "Nightline" signs off."The Drew Carey Show" (9 p.m.-9: 30 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- This repeat of the season opener is funny enough by itself, but the opening production number, in which Drew, Mimi and the gang shake it to the tune of "Five O'Clock World," is a classic. ABC."Politically Incorrect's Greatest Hits" (10 p.m.-11 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- Welcome to one of the great premises of TV history: Get four people together from disparate backgrounds -- actors, politicians, athletes, journalists, fly-by-night celebrities -- and have them mouth off about current events.

If you watch "Batman" on NBC tonight, keep this in mind: Adam West, who played the bat-guy in the '60s television series, really believes he should have starred in this film. Just try to imagine him in the role."Cosby" (8 p.m.-8: 30 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13) -- In a repeat from last month, Hilton has to explain to his wife why there's a nude woman in the bathroom. Good luck. CBS."Dangerous Minds" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- Superteacher Louanne grapples with whether to tell James that he'll never make the basketball team a particularly galling situation, given that James has been working extra hard to pull up his grades and make himself eligible for the squad.

One of the best movies of the '80s airs on HBO tonight, just a week before the release of its sequel, already being ballyhooed as one of the best films of 1996."

It may seem a little warm for March, but there's still plenty of ice on the tube. Check out CBS tonight."Michael Flatley: Lord of the Dance" (7 p.m.-9 p.m., MPT, Channels 22 and 67) -- "River-dance" star Flatley performs in his own Irish dance-and-music spectacular. (Times are approximate; remember, it's pledge time.) PBS."Star Trek: Voyager" (7 p.m.-8 p.m., WNUV, Channel 54) -- Capt. Janeway and the gang finally make it back to Earth; only problem is, it's 20th-century Earth, where they have to prevent an egotistical jerk of a computer genius from tampering with the future and ending life as everyone's come to know it. If you saw this two-parter when it aired in November, you know whether the world survives.

An air of mystery, melancholy and muted hope pervades "Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her" (8 p.m.-10 p.m. tomorrow, Showtime), first-time writer-director Rodrigo Garcia's carefully textured mini-portraits of women living the drama that is everyday life. The film is told as a series of five vaguely interconnected stories, with Mexican actress Elpidia Carrillo providing the common thread. Glenn Close is Elaine Keener, an M.D. who seems preoccupied with ... something. Close provides a powerful, nearly wordless performance that sets the bar high for the rest of the cast.

It's a good night to check in on some of the Monday shows you may not have seen in a while, to see if they've improved. "Ink," for example, has a somewhat ambitious episode about parental reaction to their kids' encounter with dope in the '90s, while "Melrose Place" tries to correct last year's off-the-wall course by introducing at least one seriously dramatic plot line."

Jon Lovitz is one of the moronz in the 'hood in "High School High," an otherwise routine parody of the inner-city soap opera. Lovitz's bumbling innocence and grandly delusional self-importance are so amusing that you want to like "High School High" more than it deserves.Lovitz plays one Richard C. Clark, the son of a prominent prep school principal, a young man raised to the highest standards of liberal education and hopeless impracticality. He seems to view reality through a fog of noblesse oblige, which makes him chump change to the rest of the world.