Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE (or tape): "Conrack" (1974), 2 p.m., AMC, or "The Great Santini" (1979), 6 p.m., A&E. Author Pat Conroy wrote both of these autobiographical stories. He summed up the theme: "Tough father, tough mother, tough college, tough life." The tough dad was a military man. Conroy graduated from the Citadel, then taught in a poorly financed school on a South Carolina island. That led to his first book on which "Conrack is based."

"On the Edge," 8 p.m., Showtime. Three brief sci-fi movies make up this anthology directed by actresses Anne Heche, Helen Mirren and Mary Stuart Masterson. In "Happy Birthday" a bright girl (Sydney Tamia Poitier) discovers she's been "quota'd out" of school; in "Reaching Normal," a homemaker (Andie MacDowell) finds out she has a psychic connection with an educator; and in "The Other Side" a sick scientist (Anthony LaPaglia) clones himself.

"ABC News Special" 10 p.m., ABC. John Stossel looks at ways man interferes with nature.

"Stargate SG-1," 10 p.m., Showtime. This series' fifth season starts with two intense enemies — Teal'c and Apophis — in conflict. Their balance teeters wildly tonight complete with a boom-bang finish.