“Grease: You’re the One That I Want”
Sunday 8pm, NBC
The producers of “Dancing With the Stars” and the folks behind this summer’s Broadway Grease revival unite for this talent competition, in which America chooses the new Sandy and Danny from a legion of musical theater nerds. I’m a little wary. The hosts are “Access Hollywood” android Billy Bush and Brit TV personality Denise Van Outen, and the preview features Van Outen and some hoochies performing a dance club mix of “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” while prancing about in black panties and bras. That’s…not Grease. But the co-writer of the original musical is on board as a judge, so they can’t bastardize it too bad, I guess. Dare we hope for cameos by Olivia Newton-John or Stockard Channing? (Forget Travolta; he’s dead to me. Again.)
“The L Word”
Sunday 10pm, Showtime
The fourth season of Showtime’s Sapphic soap starts with some major cast shake-ups. Gorgeous Sarah Shahi is out by episode four (BOO!), and rumor has it one of the original gals might be getting the ax by midseason. The void will be filled by five new cast members: Marlee Matlin as an artist/love interest for Bette (Jennifer Beals, still smokin’ hot); a new Latina character called Papi, who apparently gets around more than old-school Shane; some girl named Tasha I know nothing about; Kristanna Loken (Terminator 3) as a PTA mom gone girl crazy; and Cybill Shepherd as an older woman who puts the moves on
Alice. Dramarama!
“The Surreal Life Fame Games”
Sunday 9pm, VH1
Basically the “Real World/Road Rules Challenge” for washed-up celebs. Ten former “Surreal Life” cast members compete in grueling and, I’m sure, humiliating tasks. One by one they get picked off until only one wannabe remains to take home a $100,000 cash prize. The line-up includes ex-wrestler Chyna Doll, Emmanuel Lewis (the artist formerly known as Webster), porn stars Ron Jeremy and Andrea Lowell, musicians Pepa of Salt-N-Pepa and C.C. DeVille from Poison (both are really too good for this), Vanilla Ice, “Baywatch” babe Traci Bingham, and major crazy Brigitte Nielsen. Robin Leach hosts. Of course.