Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"Lizzie McGuire" (3-8 p.m.) and "Cadet Kelly" (8 p.m. & 9:50 p.m.), both Disney Channel. In both of these shows teen actress Hilary Duff offers something special. In one package we get intelligence and a bright, glowing likability. That's just what Melissa Joan Hart offered in "Clarissa Explains It All." Now Duff matches that charm. "Lizzie McGuire" is a comedy, somewhat hobbled by a small budget and inconsistent scripts. Still, it's a solid show that's beautifully cast, especially with Hallie Todd and Robert Carradine as the parents of the delightful Duff. After the "Lizzie" marathon, Disney goes to "Cadet Kelly." The story is strictly a "Private Benjamin" knockoff: A vibrant New Yorker (Duff) is stunned when her mom marries the commandant of a military school. Suddenly, she's a cadet there, with a towering squad leader (Christy Carlson Romano) darkening her life. This is a thoroughly forgettable movie — except that Duff keeps us watching and rooting.

Of Note

"Dude, Where's My Car," (PG-13), 6 p.m., HBO. More like, "Dude, what happened to 90 minutes of my life?" Jesse ("That '70s Show's" Ashton Kutcher) and Chester ("American Pie's" Sean William Scott) are a couple of slacker losers who wake up one morning with no memory of the wild night that has passed. An automobile is just one of many things this decidedly un-P.C. duo and the mildly funny movie that follows their adventures is missing.

"First Monday," 8 p.m., CBS. A woman wants to end life support for her husband who has been in a coma for nine years.

"The Brady Bunch Movie" (1995), 9 p.m. & 11 p.m., USA. What would it be like if the 1970s Bradys were around now? That was answered in this clever comedy, skillfully directed by Betty Thomas.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," 9 p.m., NBC. When a cellist is attacked in her apartment, revelations follow.