Tube Notes
By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service
TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: "Minute by Minute" premiere, 7 p.m. (repeats at 11), A&E. Long before Sept. 11, this series began restudying the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. The result is a documentary that was altered only slightly after the recent attack to add an epilogue and prologue. Some of the haunting moments in this compelling program come early in the hour. That's when the WTC (referred to in the present tense) is shown as a booming, dynamic spot. Still, the most unsettling moment is this comment from Leslie Robertson, who helped plan the buildings: "The towers were designed so that if a fully laden 707 aircraft would (hit) the buildings at any level, in any place, the building will stand."
There are other vignettes here, reminding us that people in 1993, as in 2001, were at their best during a crisis. A young engineer repeatedly returns to the building, rescuing 20 people. A teacher keeps her kindergarten class amused during sub-freezing hours on the roof. Trapped in a smoke-filled elevator, a man carefully writes love notes to his wife and children. He survived; so did the others who lived through a sort of preview of the Sept. 11 tragedy.
"Malcolm in the Middle," 7 p.m. and 7:30, p.m. FOX. With the season-opener still four weeks away, here are two reruns to keep our interest. The first involves visits to the bowling alley; the second has strange new neighbors.
"Everybody Loves Raymond," 8 p.m., CBS. Frank is jealous because Marco is spending all his time with Marie, his piano teacher.
"Masterpiece Theatre: Merchant of Venice," 9 p.m., PBS. The good news is that this fine series has moved to Mondays; the bad news is that it's starting with Shakespeare. Yes, this Royal National Theatre production, set in the 1930s, is superbly directed (by Trevor Nunn) and acted (with Henry Goodman as Shylock). Still, many of us will find the words impenetrable.
"100 Centre Street," season-opener, 6 p.m., A&E. This well-crafted drama series, produced by movie great Sidney Lumet, takes a gritty look at New York's legal system. In the first season, Bobby Esposito (Joseph Lyle Taylor) was disbarred for using his position to help his brother avoid a drug conviction; now Cynthia Bennington (Paula Devicq) is joining him to start a storefront law clinic.
"No Ordinary Baby," 9-11 p.m., Lifetime. The complex issue of human cloning is tackled with intelligence and well-crafted detail. Mary Beth Hurt plays a passionate doctor who found a last-chance way to help middle-aged people whose daughter died. Bridget Fonda plays a TV news reporter who stirs a fuss. Skillfully directed by Peter Werner, this is an involving drama that packs a lasting punch.
