Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"Friends," 7 p.m., and "ER," 9 p.m., NBC. On a night stuffed with reruns, we might as well catch the leaders. They reflect opposite fates. "Friends" is having a terrific year, and this episode is a prime example. "ER" is having a sluggish year. This hour, however, is a pleasant exception. On "Friends," Rachel has a date with a handsome actor from Joey's soap opera. Ross — the father of the baby she's expecting — promptly frets and lectures. On "ER," we get four separate stories that overlap. That means we sometimes revisit parts of the same scene, from a different perspective. In some hands, that would have been a shabby gimmick. Fortunately, these are strong stories.

Of Note

"American Family," 8 p.m., PBS. In the terrific season-opener, a Mexican American couple (Edward James Olmos and Sonia Braga) decided not to leave their neighborhood and move into a condo. Meanwhile, their kids were moving in opposite directions. The troubled one (Esai Morales) was out of prison, after taking the rap for his troubled then-girlfriend. The successful one (Constance Marie) decided there was only one way her brother could be near his son: She turned away from a great job in Washington, D.C., so she could work at home and watch the boy. The story continues tonight, then settles into regular Wednesday duty.

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," 7 and 8 p.m., CBS. The first of back-to-back reruns has Grissom taking over as head of the unit; the second has a woman's body found in a restroom.

"Will and Grace," 7:30 and 8 p.m., NBC. Here are more reruns. The first has Grace breaking up with Nathan (Woody Harrelson); the second finds her in a deep funk.

"Frontline: Dot Con," 9 p.m., PBS. This documentary looks at the boom and bust of technology stocks.