Tube Notes
By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service
OF LOCAL INTEREST: "Holocaust: The Untold Story," 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., History Channel, (a rebroadcast). This award-winning Newseum documentary explores how the U. S. press downplayed reports of the genocidal campaign against European Jews. Arthur Kent narrates this documentary, which was written and produced by the Newseum, an interactive museum of news, and Honolulu's own Colette Pritchard served as producer.
OF LOCAL INTEREST: "Na Mele: Traditions in Hawaiian Song," 7:30 p.m., PBS. This week's featured player is Jerry Byrd, playing steel guitar.
TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE (network TV): "Friends," 7 and 7:30 p.m., NBC. Sometimes, this show doesn't need a full story to get big laughs. It gets terrific moments by lumping together sly snippets. Here are terrific examples, with two reruns back-to-back. In the first, Monica and Chandler are working on their wedding vows. That brings a flood of flashbacks. In the second — rescheduled from earlier — Rachel is fuming about her 30th birthday. That leads to some hilarious peeks at what happened when the others turned 30. They range from Ross trying a sports car to a drunken Monica who gets a jolt: Her parents are at her surprise party.
TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE (cable): "Biography," 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., A&E. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller figured to spend life at the fringes of the music world. Here were two young Jewish guys who loved the music of old black bluesmen. They wrote for such people as Big Mama Thornton. Then one of her songs, "Hound Dog," was recorded by Elvis Presley. Leiber and Stoller were thrust into the rock hurricane. These men crafted some of the greatest songs in the early rock era. They ranged from the sheer fun of "Jailhouse Rock," "Charlie Brown" and "Kansas City" to the rich emotion of "Stand By Me," "On Broadway" and "I Who Have Nothing." This is a rich legacy, which Stoller and Leiber — busy and articulate in their late 60s — discuss wittily. A few moments are repeated from Monday's "Biography"; mostly, however, this is fresh and fascinating.
"This is Destiny's Child," 7 p.m., FOX: The terrific rhythm-and-blues trio is featured in a hometown concert in Houston. For a full musical experience, watch this and tape tonight's "Biography."
"Night Visions," 8 p.m., FOX. One episode has Mare Winningham having a very strange day. The other has Stephen Baldwin as a musician who distrusts his financial benefactor.
"Will and Grace," 8 p.m., NBC. In this rerun, Will is not happy about Grace's new piano.
"Just Shoot Me," 8:30 p.m., NBC. Dean Cain guests in this excellent rerun, as a handsome stranger in Maya's life.
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," 9 p.m., CBS. A skeleton is found in the concrete under a house.
