Posted on: Tuesday, April 9, 2002
Tube Notes
Tonight's Must-See
• "Frasier," 8 p.m., NBC. Brian Stokes Mitchell became a powerhouse Broadway star in "Ragtime" and "Kiss Me Kate." Now he's back on TV. Tonight, he returns to his occasional role as Cam, the condo neighbor who infuriates Frasier. Now Frasier's dad (John Mahoney) and Cam's mom (Emily Yancy) divert them by pretending to date each other. Meanwhile, Niles decides he can avoid human contact by riding a ped-mobile. Of Note
• "JAG," 7 p.m., CBS. In real life, black sailors were convicted of mutiny during World War II, after protesting conditions at a loading dock. Now "JAG" takes a fictional view with a proposal for a retrial. • "That '70s Show," 7 p.m., Fox. Eric isn't supposed to drive his dad's Corvette. Then, alas, he's tempted by a cheerleader. • "Spin City," 7:30 p.m., ABC. We flash back to when Caitlin and Charlie (Heather Locklear and Charlie Sheen) were in college. • "The Shape of Life," 9 p.m., PBS. When documentaries talk about hunters they usually give us the kinetic grace of a leopard or tiger. Tonight we see what the first hunter might have looked like. We meet the flatworm — creepy, disturbing and enduring. In the second hour, we study how animals managed the transition from sea to land. • "The Walking Shadow" (2001), 6 and 10 p.m., A&E; and "The Shield," 7 p.m., Fx. Cable delivers two tough crime stories. First is Joe Mantegna as Spenser, the private detective. In the rerun of a good movie, he collides with the Chinese mob. Then Fx continues its much-praised series with Michael Chiklis as a fierce cop on tough turf.
• "Scrubs," 8:30 p.m., NBC. The young doctors' parents all arrive. They include John Ritter as Zach's dad, Hattie Winston as Turk's mom and Markie Post as Elliott's mom.
— Mike Hughes, Gannett News Service
