Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE (network TV): "GoldenEye" (1995), 7 p.m., NBC: One reason to celebrate is that this is a reasonably entertaining James Bond tale. Pierce Brosnan is a terrific Bond. He gets lots of adventure, beautiful co-stars (Famke Janssen and Izabella Scorupco) and a so-so plot about Russian sabotage.

TONIGHT'S OTHER MUST-SEE (cable): "61*," 6 p.m., HBO: Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris seemed to spring from the same roots. They were small-town guys who were deluged with New York fame. With the New York Yankees, however, they became opposites. Then came the amazing summer of 1961, when both men chased Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs. This is a richly told drama.

"Nero Wolfe: The Doorbell Rang," 6 p.m., A&E: Here's a second chance to see the season-opener for this series about a stay-at-home detective (Maury Chaykin) and his legman (Timothy Hutton).

"Meet Joe Black" (1998), 7 p.m., ABC: This is what happens when people lose their editing machines or their sense: The original "Death Takes a Holiday" ran one hour and 18 minutes; this remake ran three hours in movie theaters. It's a sumptuous looking film, with an excellent cast led by Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and Claire Forlani.