Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE: "The Beast," 9 p.m., ABC. Few shows are more fascinating and frustrating than "The Beast." It has thick stories, strong camerawork and great actors, but it's still wildly overwrought.

The show is set at a cable news network. A billionaire (Frank Langella) is in charge — but a shadowy figure named Harry sees all and puts it on the Internet. Tonight, an anchor (Jason Gedrick) gets a package that leads to a bizarre chase. A reporter (Elizabeth Mitchell) grapples with Harry's ethics. And the search for mad bomber Bobby James concludes. Each part is overheated, sometimes defying believability. Still, the characters and camerawork keep us watching.

"The Drew Carey Show," 7 and 8 p.m., ABC. The first rerun is a delight, with Drew in a coma and temporarily inside the soul of Mimi's baby. The second has him caring for the baby.

"The West Wing," 8 p.m., NBC. A rerun that shows Tim Matheson as the vice president suddenly reversing his view on the oil industry.

"Eye for an Eye" (1996), 8 p.m., CBS. Sally Field plays a mom who wants revenge on the man (Keifer Sutherland) who raped and killed her daughter.

"America's Junior Miss Scholarship Contest," 6 p.m., The National Network. Deborah Norville hosts the pageant with music from Toby Keith, Dream Street and 3rd Faze.

"Soul Food" season-opener, 10 p.m., Showtime. Last season ended with a traffic accident, with family members in both vehicles, that left Kenny and Bird seriously injured. Tonight, bodies and souls begin to heal. The result is mild. But an emotional ending — complete with gospel star Shirley Caesar — makes it worth watching.

"Primetime Glick," 7:30 p.m., Comedy Central. This continues to be a clever TV takeoff. This time, the self-centered Jiminy Glick (Martin Short) interviews — sort-of — Dennis Miller and Jerry Seinfeld.