Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"Benjamin Franklin" conclusion, 9 p.m., PBS. Ben Franklin reached France in 1776 on a crucial mission: The colonial Army faced impossible odds. It couldn't defeat the British without France's help. That key duty was given to the 70-year-old widower with an eye for the ladies. When the austere John Adams arrived later, he grumbled that Franklin did nothing but play. Franklin got France's help, and the war was won. He was the only man to sign the Declaration of Independence, peace treaty and Constitution. A man of genius and ego, he completed a fascinating life.

Of Note

"Victoria's Secret Fashion Show," 8 p.m., CBS. This special will have singers (Destiny's Child, Phil Collins, Marc Anthony) and a theme about holidays. And what, after all, says holiday quite like having tall women walk around in their underwear? "This isn't your grandmother's CBS," network president Leslie Moonves says. Indeed.

"The Bachelor," 8 p.m., ABC. Tonight, the bachelor decides which of the two finalists he'll ask to marry him. Think about that for a moment: People can spend hours tonight watching women in underwear scheming to get a rich guy to marry them.