Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"8 Simple Rules" premiere, 7 p.m., ABC. Here is a return to what ABC used to do best — bright comedies with snappy dialogue, attractive people and young lust. In the old days, John Ritter was one of the lusty ones. Now he's the dad, fidgeting because he has a popular and sexy-looking teen daughter (Kaley Cuoco). Cuoco is perfectly cast with good support from Amy Davidson and Martin Spanjers as her siblings and Katey Sagal ("Married ...With Children") as her mom. The result balances broad humor with moments of warmth.

Of Note

"Wild Kingdom: The Lost Elephants of Timbuktu," 2 and 5 p.m., Animal Planet. This nature show was a staple of early TV, including eight years on NBC and 16 years making new episodes for syndication. Now it's back with six specials this season. Unlike the old days of folksy hosts, tonight's opener is a full-scale documentary, skillfully filmed and edited. Researcher Anne Orlando visits a land so sprawling that elephants are hard to find. She tries to give them tracking devices.