Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must See:

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (1966), 6 p.m., Cartoon Network. One of TV's great specials is everywhere now. It will be on the next four nights on Cartoon Network before bouncing to other spots. For those without cable, it reaches the WB Network Dec. 18.

World AIDS Day specials, cable. As the AIDS epidemic grows internationally it has slipped from the attention of many Americans. Now come reminders. At 6 p.m. on MTV (and 8 p.m. on VH1), "Concert for Staying Alive" has Bono, 50 Cent and Queen performing. At 5 p.m., Cinemax has the documentary "To Live Is Better Than to Die"; in a Chinese village, it shows a family shattered by AIDS. At 7, Nickelodeon has a "Nick News" special: Linda Ellerbee views the devastation of AIDS in South Africa. At 9 a.m. and 3, 7 and 9:30 p.m., VH1 has "AIDS: Pop Culture History," a skillful blend of clips and memories.

Of note:

"Nicole Kidman: An American Cinematheque Tribute," 8 p.m., AMC. Friends and colleagues salute the gorgeous Australian actress.

"Two and a Half Men," 8:30 p.m., CBS. A rerun of the terrific pilot. The life of a bawdy bachelor (Charlie Sheen) is altered by the arrival of his repressed brother (Jon Cryer) and nephew.

"Average Joe," 9 p.m., NBC. After lots of cruelty, this series comes up with a clever twist. Melana Scantlin, the slim (5-foot-2, 100 pound) beauty puts on convincing makeup and pretends to be her own 260-pound cousin. While talking to the guys — and to strangers on the sidewalk — she gets a lesson about body image.