Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"John Doe" premiere, 8 p.m., FOX. A handsome chap (Dominic Purcell) wakes up naked on an island. He soon finds that he knows everything — yes, everything, from trivia to science — except who he is and how he got there. In the wrong hands, this would be silly. Here, it's the start of what feels like a grand adventure. The script is smart and the camera work is stylish. Purcell, a talented Australian, becomes an instant star.

Of Note

"Firefly" premiere, 7 p.m., FOX. Roaming through the galaxy is a rogue space ship filled with attractive young newcomers plus veteran actor Ron Glass of "Barney Miller." They want to make their deals, while avoiding cannibals and government officials. Fortunately, this is from producer-writer Joss Whedon, who did wonders with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

"The Omega Code" (1999), 7 p.m., Pax TV. Here's the TV premiere of a movie that became a box-office hit after being heavily promoted on Christian talk shows. Casper Van Dien tries to untangle something about messages encoded in the Torah.