Tube Notes
By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service
• TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: "Biography Hitmakers: The Teens Who Stole Pop Music," 5 p.m., A&E. When the rock era began, record companies thought it was business as usual. They would write bad songs with teen buzzwords; kids would buy the stuff. Then everything changed: Teens wrote their own songs. Some, including Neil Sedaka, worked alone. Others — Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry — worked as couples, eventually marrying. They wrote some numbing garbage, from "Oh! Carol" and "Oh! Neil" to "Hanky Panky." They created such eccentric classics as "Leader of the Pack," a teen-angst tragedy of operatic proportions.
They also wrote great songs in many styles. King and Goffin gave us "Up on the Roof," "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," "I'm Into Something Good" and the resounding "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" They wrote "The Loco-Motion" for their 17-year-old maid, Little Eva. Today, only one of the couples (Weil-Mann) is still together. All, however, have rich memories. Stuffed with clips and interviews, this special is a dandy joyride.
• "NFL Monday Night Football," 7 p.m., ABC. The Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders in Mexico City.
• "Farscape," 5 p.m., Sci Fi Channel. This series has become a favorite of fantasy fans, mixing Earthlings with odd creatures from the Jim Henson Company. Its pilot film airs today, followed by more reruns at 8 p.m. through Thursday and then by a five-episode marathon on Friday — its regular night.
• "Everybody Loves Raymond," 8 p.m., CBS. This delightful rerun has Ray fretting about meeting a woman he once failed to walk to the door after a date.
• "State of Grace," 9 p.m., FOX Family Channel. This sweet semi-comedy has emerged as one of the summer's best surprises. Now it wraps up its first season with a low-key episode about dad trouble. Hannah's upset that her dad is always working; Grace is upset about a potential stepdad. Don't expect any big laughs, but do expect some strong human touches.
• "The Human Face," 9 p.m., The Learning Channel. Alongside the delightful humor of host John Cleese, there are strong views of how we perceive faces. Most chilling are the recollections of a white rape victim who now realizes her testimony sent an innocent black man to prison for eight years.
• "The Sandra Bernhard Experience," 8 p.m., A&E. This talk show's one-week run starts horribly. Bernhard keeps praising her guests — Edie Falco, Steven Van Zandt, Chrissie Hynde —or finishing their sentences. These are praiseworthy people, but there's nothing entertaining here.
