By Dean Robbins

Expect the unexpected at the opening ceremony

I was put off by the militaristic strain in Beijing’s opening ceremony for the 2008 Olympics, complete with goose-stepping soldiers. But it didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for Olympics opening ceremonies in general. I love the parade of nations, the torch ceremony and the sense of epic dramas waiting to unfold.

Indeed, the whole two-week package for the London Olympics promises drama galore for U.S. fans. Will Ryan Lochte edge out Michael Phelps in the pool? Will the women’s soccer team bounce back from their embarrassing loss in the 2011 World Cup? Will hurdler Lolo Jones erase the memory of her fateful stumble in Beijing? Will beach volleyball duo Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh hold off their younger rivals? Will Venus and Serena Williams be utterly awesome on the tennis court, even in their 30s?

OK, there’s not much drama in that last question — the answer is “duh.”

But expect plenty of surprises in the opening ceremony (Friday, 6:30 p.m., NBC), which includes Paul McCartney, James Bond and several unknown elements. I’m slightly alarmed that Danny Boyle, known for such creepy movies as “Trainspotting” and “28 Days Later,” will direct the production. Will Boyle fill the Olympic stadium with his trademark junkies and zombies? I might even prefer goose-stepping soldiers to that.

‘The Great Escape’

Sunday, 9 p.m. (TNT)

In this headache-inducing reality competition, three pairs of players are locked in confinement. As deafening percussion fills the soundtrack, the players must search for maps and keys, avoid security guards, crack codes and make their way through obstacles. The first pair to break out wins $100,000.

I say “The Great Escape” is “headache-inducing” because it’s relentlessly tense. If I were a contestant, I’d be less interested in escaping than in finding the source of that deafening percussion and destroying it. CV