Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: "Biography: The Impressionists," 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., A&E. If you missed this splendid miniseries on Sunday and Monday, here it is in one chunk. We see the people who dared change the French standard for paintings: Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot and Camille Pissarro. They fought with the establishment and (sometimes) with each other. Moderately successful in their lifetimes, they created paintings now worth millions. It's a fascinating story, told with rich detail and with gorgeous use of the paintings.

TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE: World Stunt Awards, 8 p.m., ABC. For good or bad, the people who rule modern movies are the ones who perform the stunts and special effects. Now the stunt guys get their night. There are 11 categories with six nominations for "Charlie's Angels" and five for "The Perfect Storm." There are also special awards for director John Woo ("Mission Impossible 2"), actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and for Hal Needham, the former stunt star who went on to direct "Smokey and the Bandit."

"The Personal Experience, Helicopter Warfare in Vietnam," 9 a.m., History Channel. For the guys in the choppers Vietnam was a startling change. Some were just teen-agers. Using film footage and gripping accounts, this program details their personal experiences and shows how many went from the edge of adulthood to commanding these powerful machines.

"Congo" (1995), 8 p.m., NBC. A lot of big-deal talent got thrown into a so-so movie about killer gorillas. Michael Crichton's novel was adapted by John Patrick Shanley, with such gifted actors as Laura Linney, Ernie Hudson and Tim Curry; the result is a moderately interesting adventure.

"The District," 9 p.m., CBS. Manion uses an undercover cop to try to stop vigilante murders.