Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: "The West Wing," 8 p.m., NBC. Tonight's "West Wing" is a rerun of the season finale, setting up next week's opener. President Bartlet prepares to tell the world he has multiple sclerosis and to decide whether he's running for re-election. Meanwhile, Haitian troops besiege the U.S. embassy and the fight with tobacco companies continues.

TONIGHT'S ODDITY: "Wolf Lake" premiere, 9 p.m., CBS. A cop (Lou Diamond Phillips) searches for his beautiful girlfriend (Mia Kirshner) after she disappears, leaving only someone's severed hand. His search takes him to Wolf Lake, a strange town in the Pacific Northwest. In the wrong hands, this would be ludicrous; in the right ones, it would be "Twin Peaks" meets "The X-Files." As it happens, "Wolf Lake" is between the extremes. It's not good enough to drag us along in this weekly series; still, the opener has some fascinating moments.

"The Amazing Race," 8 p.m., CBS. Last week's opener was fast and fun, sending duos on a global adventure that swept them from New York to South Africa and beyond.

"Ratrap" premiere, 6 p.m. and midnight (analog), Court TV. Cheap British series that's sort of a low-rent "Cops."