TV’s search for truth

‘Touch’ finds the meaning of life in the number 318

If you love TV, you have to love its grand follies. These are the shows that throw caution to the wind to make really important statements about humanity. “Touch” is one of those shows. Kiefer Sutherland plays the father of a mute boy who sees the connectedness of all things, somehow involving the number 318. (The number 5227 also seems significant. Who knew?) Needless to say, an evil corporation wants to harness the boy’s powers to end life as we know it. At the start of season two (Friday, 7 p.m., Fox), Sutherland meets a woman (Maria Bello) searching for her own mystical child who’s also in grave danger.                

The two parents agree that “we cannot go to the police.” No, that would be too sensible. It would also prevent Sutherland from conking bad guys over the head, kicking in doors and sneaking into corporate headquarters all on his own.              

“Touch” is utterly convinced of its profundity, and that makes it irresistible for aficionados of bad TV. The child actors strive to look cosmic, and the script throws around concepts like destiny and mortal sin. The dialogue sounds less like human speech than a new age bumper sticker: “No matter how we try to control it, nothing is as it appears to be.”                

Well, with one exception. “Touch” appears to be as nutty as a fruitcake, and I think it really is.

‘Shakespeare Uncovered’

Friday, 8:30 p.m. (PBS)

Actor David Tennant conducts an inquiry into “Hamlet,” seeking to understand why Shakespeare’s tragedy has made such a primal connection with audiences for more than 400 years. Tennant takes us chronologically through the story, making detours to speak with scholars and fellow actors who’ve performed the title role. The actors testify to the difficulty of incarnating a character so obsessed with conscience and mortality: “This is a sharing of one’s soul,” confides Jude Law. The scholars offer interpretations of key scenes, which we experience in excerpts from movies and stage productions.

I’m here to tell you that, even in snippets, “Hamlet” works its magic. This is the first time I’ve ever experienced pity and terror in an educational program.

Grammy Awards

Sunday, 7 p.m. (CBS)

“American Music Awards draw lowest ratings ever despite a performance by Justin Bieber,” read the headline after last fall’s telecast. I think a more accurate headline would have been, “American Music Awards draw lowest ratings ever because of a performance by Justin Bieber.” Bieber was an embarrassment as he sat on a stool in a tank top and backwards baseball cap, accompanied by guitar. He scrunched up his face to sing faux-soulful bubblegum lyrics, straining for the high notes. His attempts to mimic African American inflections caused me — and apparently millions of other viewers — to flee the room in horror.                

Wisely, the Grammys have made this year’s ceremony a Bieber-free zone. The singer’s camp was stunned to find him shut out of every category, despite the platinum success of his album “Believe.” Now that viewers can feel safe, I predict the Grammys will have the highest-rated broadcast in its history.

‘Monday Mornings’

Monday, 9 p.m. (TNT)

Critics accuse David E. Kelley of having too much fun with his doctor-and-lawyer series (“Ally McBeal,” “Chicago Hope,” “Harry’s Law”), to the point of rendering them absurd. Kelley’s latest doctor series goes the opposite direction: no fun at all. Co-produced with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, “Monday Mornings” is as generic as they come. Doctors (Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, Jennifer Finnigan) roam a hospital’s corridors to deal with traumatized patients and anxious parents, not to mention their own personal melodramas. We get the usual tears, blood, arrogance, heartwarming music, medical jargon and soul searching. Lots and lots of soul searching.                

David E. Kelley, all is forgiven. Please bring back the fun. CV