There's no escaping it: Reactions to the FX docu-reality series "Black. White." (10 p.m. Wednesday) are likely to fall along racial lines, just as they do in this thought-provoking, drama-filled series.

		TV Reviews 'The Miracle Workers' When: 10 tonight, ABC. 'Black. White.' When: 10 p.m. Wednesday, FX.

The Sparks family, African-Americans, are transformed through makeup into a white family; a white family, the Wurgels, are made up to look black. The idea is they'll walk a mile -- or at least six hour-long TV episodes (four were previewed) -- in each other's shoes.

But it quickly becomes clear that members of both families are set in their beliefs: Bruno Wurgel thinks Brian Sparks goes looking for racism and sees slights where none exist; Brian thinks Bruno isn't paying attention. They're both right.

The families also clash over the notion of assimilation. The Wurgels are often over-eager to assimilate. They even want to dress in traditional African garb to attend church, leading Brian Sparks to grump, "Why don't they dress like Aunt Jemima on the syrup bottle and get it over with?" The Sparks don't see assimilation as an intriguing exercise; they feel like they've spent their whole lives assimilating to white-dominated culture.

This isn't just a clash of races -- personality differences play a huge role. When Carmen Wurgel and Renee Sparks practice with a dialect coach and Carmen says, "Yo, -itch," which is on paper as part of the lesson, Renee takes it personally even though Carmen clearly was not using the word against Renee.

In episode three, it's Carmen's turn to go overboard when she embarrassingly "raps" at daughter Rose's slam poetry class.

What's most revealing in "Black. White." is the generational differences when it comes to racial issues. Teenage Rose Wurgel is far more sophisticated about race issues than her liberal, bleeding-heart parents, who have a tendency to take everything to its black stereotype extreme.

But Rose is more sensible; she's willing to listen and less likely to adopt racial stereotypes in her behavior. Perhaps she's just innocent, or maybe it says something about growing up in a post-civil-rights era.

High-schooler Nick Sparks also has a different attitude than his parents. He says he doesn't experience racism. Like many in the "Boondocks" generation, he isn't fazed by the N-word when it's not used in anger, which annoys his parents who, some will say, set about instilling in him a sense of victimization.

Developed by R.J. Cutler ("30 Days," "American High," "American Candidate") and executive-produced by Ice Cube (he performs the show's infectious theme song), "Black. White." was clearly cast with an eye toward generating conflict, particularly when you see Bruno Wurgel's mid-life rap video in episode four (it could be just the thing that got him and his family cast on the show). Regardless of casting designed to elicit TV drama, "Black. White." makes you think, makes you want to have a conversation about racial issues and makes you examine your own beliefs and biases. How often does a TV show do that?

'The Miracle Workers'

Where "Black. White." challenges viewers, "The Miracle Workers" is strictly comfort food.

If you like to get weepy over "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," you'll love ABC's "Miracle Workers" (10 tonight, WTAE). It might as well carry the title "Extreme Makeover: Medical Edition."

In tonight's premiere, one woman seeks an operation that would get her out of her wheelchair and a man who's been blind since age 11 has hope that he'll regain his sight with help from the show's "elite team of medical professionals."

Frustratingly, the show doesn't tell us much about how these people got in the condition they're in. Some of the scenes and conversations look and sound staged. The surgery sequences aren't overly bloody, but the squeamish may be uncomfortable with some shots during the eye surgeries.

"The Miracle Workers" offers a warm, fuzzy ending that's enough to melt the heart of TV cynics. But even the wallowers who glom onto this sort of show may be disappointed by one facet: Recovery, and especially extreme, "miraculous" recovery, strikes me as a very personal thing that you feel as an individual -- something a TV show can't fully communicate.