Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

• "Crossing Jordan," 9 p.m., NBC. Tonight we get two personal stories. Each is beautifully told, introducing characters who will be back. One story begins when Macy (Miguel Ferrer) is told his father has died. There are curves and twists ahead with Carl Reiner playing a charming drifter. Another has Jordan meeting a handsome stranger, played by Brian Stokes Mitchell, who triumphed on Broadway in "Ragtime." He dares her to take risks.

• "Biography" (5 and 9 p.m.) and "SHACKLETON" conclusion (6 and 10 p.m.), A&E. Even if you missed Sunday's opener of the stunning "Shackleton" miniseries, jump in now. First, "Biography" tells us of Ernest Shackleton's life, including the parts not covered in the miniseries. We see a charming outsider — an Irishman in England, a macho guy in a house full of girls. He developed a teamwork style that was unusual in an autocratic age. Then the second half of the miniseries begins in 1915 with Shackleton (Kenneth Branagh) and his men stuck off the Antarctic coast. What follows is a stunning tale of human wisdom and endurance.

Of Note

• "Masterpiece Theatre: The Way We Live Now," 9 p.m., PBS. Last week's opener to this lush, four-week miniseries got a bit tangled. Tonight things get interesting. The best plot line, laced with humor, centers on Felix, a young nobleman who has no money or morals. He's trying to marry the ditzy daughter of a rich scoundrel. Meanwhile, his sweet sister, Hetta, longs for decent Paul who has a prior commitment and a troubled railroad.

• "We Were the Mulvaneys," 9 p.m., Lifetime. This movie, based on Joyce Carol Oates' novel, starts by telling us terrible things will happen. Be warned. "Mulvaneys" is superbly acted (including Blythe Danner and Beau Bridges) and directed. But it's also darkly depressing with every character making every possible bad choice.