TV Guy: Game show rewards first impressions
Kevin McDonough, Times Herald-Record
Penn Jillette hosts the game show \
https://www.gannett-cdn.com/sites/recordonline/images/favicon.png
Times Herald-Record
Penn Jillette hosts the game show "Identity" (9 p.m., NBC, airing every night this week). Every contestant faces a panel of 12 strangers and a list of 12 "identities" that describe them. In the pilot, a woman must point out a sushi chef, an organ donor, "the youngest," a break-dancer, etc.

In many ways, "Identity" is the mirror image of "I've Got a Secret," a witty and urbane show that ran from 1952-67 (and was briefly exhumed in 1976). Don't look for urbane wit here.

"Identity" emphasizes gut reactions and hunches. It's the game-show version of the book "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell, a celebration of the notion that your first instincts are almost always correct. It also rewards contestants — in increments from $1,000 to a cool half-million dollars — for exercising the kind of racial, class and gender profiling that would make one uncomfortable if one were on the receiving end of it at an airport security station or a police lineup.

Most game-show hosts tend to be cool, genial types. Jillette is hot, not cool. As co-host of Showtime's "B.S.," Jillette projected a volcanic sense of outrage as he deflated politically correct pieties.

Speaking of hunches, my initial reaction to the holiday TV movie "A Perfect Day" (8 p.m., TNT) was not good. The good news is my reaction was only half-right.

Rob Lowe plays Robert, a laid-off salesman for a radio station. He uses his painful downtime to polish off the novel gathering dust in his drawer, a story about his wife's (Paget Brewster) reaction to her father's death. In very short order, he finishes the book, finds an agent (Frances Conroy), gets a staggering offer and ends up on every best-seller list as he goes on an endless publicity tour.

In almost equally short order, success starts to mess with his priorities — and he risks losing his family, during the holiday season, no less. Like Scrooge of old, he's haunted by a spectral presence (Christopher Lloyd) urging him to watch his step.

Contrived and rather predictable and dogged by a third act that drags and then disappoints, "A Perfect Day" is still far better than I expected. So much for first impressions.

Eddie Murphy appears on "Inside the Actors Studio" (7 p.m., Bravo).

Even fakers get sick on "House" (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14, L, V).

The Colts host the Bengals in NFL action (8:30 p.m., ESPN).

A domestic needs a vacation from her vacation on "Supernanny" (9 p.m., ABC).

Matt aims for a memorable Christmas show on "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).

Brian knows Bridget's awkward secret on "What About Brian" (10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

Al Roker hosts "Innocence for Sale" (11 p.m., Court TV), a look at child prostitution.

Governor and presidential aspirant Tom Vilsack, D-Iowa, appears on "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" (11 p.m., Comedy Central).

Lily returns on "How I Met Your Mother" (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG,L) ... Howie Mandel hosts "Deal or No Deal" (8 p.m., NBC, TV-G) ... A snob and a slob clash on "Wife Swap" (8 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) ... Chris hones his campaign oratory on "Everybody Hates Chris" (8 p.m., CW, r, TV-PG) ... Ethan may be too nice on "The Class" (8:30 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) ... Bobby behind bars on "All of Us" (8:30 p.m., CW, r, TV-PG) ... Steven Tyler cameos on "Two and a Half Men" (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG, D) ... A senator's autopsy on "Bones" (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14, L, V) ... Joan feels left out on "Girlfriends" (9 p.m., CW, r, TV-14) ... Richie finds religion on "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (9:30 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG, D) ... Gift wrapping on "The Game" (9:30 p.m., CW, r, TV-PG) ... A threat to Calleigh may be an inside job on "CSI: Miami" (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14, V).

Kevin McDonough, a syndicated columnist who lives in Narrowsburg, can be reached at kmcdonough@unitedmedia.com.