In the new Showtime Original Movie BEHIND THE RED DOOR, Keifer Sutherland plays Roy Haddad, an unlikeable, arrogant and selfish gay Boston ad agency executive dying of AIDS. Rather than simply asking for help from his long-estranged sister Natalie (Kyra Sedgwick), a New York photographer, Roy manipulates Natalie’s agent (Stockard Channing) into arranging for the two to work together on a project, during which he reveals his illness and demands her assistance. Her return to Boston also opens up wounds and unanswered questions from the siblings‚ abusive family background, in particular their father’s murder of their mother. At times affecting and vividly filmed on a beautiful portion of the New England Coast, BEHIND THE RED DOOR is one of those well-intentioned films that unconvincingly tries to make death redeem a person’s history of unlikeability or bad behavior.
THURSDAY, JAN. 9: WILL & GRACE (NBC, 8 p.m.) New: Karen falls for a suave and sexy restaurateur (Andy Garcia). The two seemed to hit it off on their first date, but when he hasn’t called in three days, Grace makes it her mission to confront Prince Charming and find out why. Will and Jack join a gay men’s soccer team, but Will isn’t having any fun: ‘They were running and kicking and pushing each other down.’ he says. ‘It was supposed to be gay sports. Where were the lingering hugs?’
E.R. (NBC, 9 p.m) New: Lesbian Dr. Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) hopes to keep her pregnancy a secret, but physical complications might compromise her plans. Elsewhere, Dr. Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) keeps a wary eye on a self-destructive patient (Rob Moore) who admits to molesting young boys.
REAL WORLD/ ROAD RULES BATTLE OF THE SEXES (MTV, 9 p.m.) Gay Dan from REAL WORLD MIAMI and lesbian Aneesa from REAL WORLD CHICAGO are on opposite teams, as 18 guys and 18 girls battle for a grand prize.