Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"The West Wing," 8 p.m., NBC. Matthew Perry is often overlooked for his terrific work on "Friends." But he has an Emmy nomination for his guest appearances on "The West Wing." Here is the first one. Perry plays a lawyer applying for a White House job. Shortly after he arrives there's a security alert and the place goes into lockdown.

Of Note

"Unseen and Untold: Animal House," 6 p.m., Spike TV. Spike fancies itself as the channel for men, so it seems logical that it would profile 1978's "Animal House." The movie began as a low-budget movie with a then-unknown director (John Landis); its only real star (John Belushi) had only a supporting role. Somehow, the film became much more — an epic tribute to a male urge toward total decadence.

"Take This Job ..." 7 & 11 p.m., A&E. Each week this documentary series visits people in unusual jobs. This time it focuses on the funeral business. We meet an embalmer, a saleswoman and a funeral home owner.

"Law & Order," 7 & 9 p.m., NBC. Maybe we're not far from the days of perpetual "Law & Order" reruns. The first one has Mandy Patinkin witnessing a jewelry store shooting. Andrew McCarthy plays the victim's lawyer. The second has a limousine driver found dead. The investigation changes when cops learn about his dealings with a baseball star.

"The Simpsons," 7:30 p.m., Fox. A movie star (voiced by Marisa Tomei) falls in love with Ned Flanders and moves to Springfield.

"Defiant Requiem" (8 p.m.) and "Great Performances: Berlin Philharmonic Europakonzert" (9:30 p.m.), PBS. Here is a rare night of large-scale symphonic music. In the first show, the Oregon Symphony and the Portland Opera Chorus perform Verdi's "Requiem"; in the second, the Berlin Philharmonic performs music by Brahms (with Gil Shaham as violin soloist), Beethoven, Verdi and Dvorak.