TV Reviews : ‘Eye’ on ‘Route 66’ Finds the Superficial

“Route 66,” an “Eye on L.A.” segment airing today at 3 p.m., is one of those shows perfect for the VCR generation: It’s not worth staying home to watch but is mildly entertaining enough that you might want to tape it to view at 3 in the morning when you’re desperate.

Really desperate.

A one-man project by G. Bowdon Hunt--he produced, directed, photographed and, presumably, drove the truck--”Route 66” is the usual “Eye on L.A.” fare but, for once, minus the jiggling bikinis.

Chuck Henry hosts the show--which has the feel of a compilation of material left over from years on the road with “Eye on L.A.”--with his trademark superficiality.

Mostly, we get a glimpse--make that a mini-glimpse--of some of the people who have made their lives along this fabled thoroughfare. They tell of their lives in the small towns that have been bypassed by the interstates, of their memories--usually in 60 seconds or less.

Divided into titled segments ranging from “motels” to “culture,” some of it is cute stuff--Ernie Edwards’ pig-hip sandwich shop and the Ant Farm’s Cadillac Ranch, for example.

Most of it is just trivial. But even the trivial can be somewhat useful--in desperate times.