Tube Notes
By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service
LOCAL INTEREST: "Hawaiian Quilting," noon, PBS. Honolulu quilting teacher Deborah Kakalia, who teaches the traditional /-fold technique, is featured in the half-hour show that also examines the history of monarchy and flag quilts.
TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: "Rugrats: All Growed Up," 8 p.m., Nickelodeon. After spending a decade being 1, the Rugrat kids get a brief reprieve. They hop aboard a time machine and become (for this one-hour special) 11.
Now — like any well-meaning 11-year-olds — they're headed to a rugrat concert. More plot twists follow, eventually propelling the kids onstage. The result celebrates the 10th anniversary of a hugely successful cable cartoon.
TONIGHT'S OTHER MUST-SEE: "Top Gun" (1986), 7:30 p.m.-11 p.m., NBC; preceded by "Story Behind: Top Gun" at 7 p.m. To fully appreciate "Top Gun" just head out and see "Pearl Harbor." Both are produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by gifted people; both have lots of action and airplanes, plus a handsome hero. "Top Gun," however, also has a good script.
It's a neatly understated one with the sort of sparse dialogue that marks any good military drama. Still, the writers — Jack Epps and the late Jim Cash — left enough words there to make us care about the characters.
The rest worked perfectly, helping this become the 1986 box-office champion. Tony Scott, usually overshadowed by his brilliant brother Ridley, directed beautifully and had an ideal cast.
Tom Cruise starred as the too cocky pilot, Val Kilmer starred as his rival, Anthony Edwards as his friend and Tom Skerritt as their instructor. Then there are the love interests (Kelly McGillis and Meg Ryan) and more stars; look around and you'll spot Tim Robbins, Rick Rossovich, Adrian Pasdar and others.
All of them were somewhere between being unknowns and near-stars. They were propelled to the top by a movie offering dazzling visuals, vibrant music and (fortunately) a good script.
"Best Commercials You've Never Seen (And Some You Have)," 7 p.m., ABC. This rerun looks at top commercials.
"Biography," 5 p.m., A&E. In her 66 years, Sophia Loren has ranged from the poverty of wartime Italy to movie stardom, then to long disputes with a nation that banned divorce. Here's a portrait.
"Kingpin" (1996), 8 p.m., ABC. Midway between the box-office boom of their hits "Dumb and Dumber" and "There's Something About Mary," directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly saw this film do only so-so business. Woody Harrelson stars as a ruined bowler desperately seeking revenge. Along the way there are the usual broad gags.
"Walker, Texas Ranger," 8 p.m., CBS. A villain plans to kill someone live on the Internet. Walker disapproves and wants to stop him.
"Inspector Morse," 6 p.m., A&E. Morse tries to figure out who killed a lovable art forger.
