Posted on: Saturday, December 7, 2002

Tube Notes

Tonight's Must-See

"Live From Baghdad," 6 p.m., HBO. As the Persian Gulf War neared, some CNN producers and reporters wanted to be in the middle of the Iraqi action. That meant facing a frustrating wall of censorship. Then, remarkably, the Iraqi government approved the request for a radio that could transmit reports directly from Baghdad to the United States.

It seemed like a minor concession, until the bombing began. Suddenly, CNN had the only eyewitness accounts; a tiny cable network became a force to be reckoned with. That story is skillfully told here, with Michael Keaton excellent as the producer who did the dealing.

"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), 7 p.m., NBC. Here's a holiday classic, a warm and intelligent portrait of a decent man overwhelmed by life. The movie didn't win any Academy Awards, but had plenty of nominations. It was nominated for best picture, director (Frank Capra), actor (Jimmy Stewart), sound and editing. There's a bonus for some viewers. Former President George H.W. Bush has recorded a separate track, describing the visuals. That track, aimed at the visually impaired, is available only if your TV set has a Separate Audio Program control and your station transmits an SAP signal.

Of Note

College football, 1 p.m. (CBS) and 3 p.m. (ABC). Here are two conference championship games. It will be the SEC on CBS and the Big 12 on ABC.

"The District," 8 p.m., CBS. In this rerun, Mannion goes after the person who plotted to kill him.

"Monster's Ball" (2001), 8 p.m., Cinemax. Here's the cable debut of the film that brought Halle Berry her best-actress Oscar. She plays a woman falling for the guard (Billy Bob Thornton) who watched her husband on death row.

"Saturday Night Live, 10:35 p.m., NBC. After teasing fans with cameos over the past decade, Robert De Niro finally accepts hosting duties for the first time. Too cool for school jazz-pop pianist Norah Jones (daughter of sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar) performs a couple of tracks from her superb debut CD "Come Away With Me."

— Mike Hughes, Gannett News Service