Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"Tremors: The Series" debut, 7 p.m., Sci Fi Channel. Life in Perfection, Nev., has its imperfections. This is stark desert land. It has a couple of businesses that are mostly aimed at confused tourists. It also has a giant sand worm, capable of eating people, cars and such. It can't be killed — endangered-species act, you know — but it can be feared. That weird setting has propelled three movies. Now this series has an agreeably off-kilter start. Victor Browne plays the handsome newcomer planning to take tourists on Jeep adventures. He finds a town that mainly consists of four people. One (Michael Gross) is a survivalist; the others (Lela Lee, Gladise Jimenez and Marcia Strassman) are beauties who don't fit this harsh setting. "Tremors" mixes light humor with occasional car-crunching terror. It's a strange combination that works well. Now we'll have to see if it can hold up. Repeats at 8, 9 and 10 p.m.

Of Note

Basketball, 2 to 7 p.m., CBS or ESPN. The NCAA tourney continues.

"Miss Congeniality" (2000), 3 and 5:15 p.m., TBS. Someone is trying to kill beauty contestants, so an FBI agent — clueless in matters of beauty and charm — must go undercover. Since she's played by Sandra Bullock, she can pull it off. This comedy sounds contrived, but it works well — especially with Candice Bergen, Michael Caine, William Shatner and Benjamin Bratt working in support.

"Killer Bees," 7 p.m., Pax. A sheriff (C. Thomas Howell) warns people to beware of nasty bees. Of course, they ignore him.

"REGULAR JOE" (premiere), 8:30 p.m., ABC. Daniel Stern takes a turn at another sitcom as a widower living with his meddling father (former "Taxi" star Judd Hirsch), teenage children Grant and Joanie, and Joanie's infant daughter Zoe. Yup, finding the hook here isn't brain surgery — four generations gathered under the same roof, with network hopes that hilarity ensues.