Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"Cambridge Spies," 5 p.m., BBC America. As this true story builds, we see how a scheme kept growing, taking on a life of its own. All of this started in the 1930s with four students who hated Hitler and passed British secrets to the Soviet Union. Now, in wartime, the stakes grow. They're talking about code-breaking, atomic bombs, murder and more. Anthony Blunt, who is close to the royal family, wants out; Kim Philby rages. That leads to next week's finale of a compelling story.

"Mermaids," 8 p.m., Pax TV. Don't look for Cher, Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci here. Instead, imagine a cautionary tale for fishermen: Be careful not to kill Neptune, king of the seas. His daughters might look like sweet mermaids, but their vengeance is mighty. One can hypnotize and another can see the future. The third has the strength of 10 Xenas, plus a nasty trident to toss around. They fight back, in this odd film. It has beautiful actresses (all unknowns), pretty Australian settings and a mixture of action, anger, romance and goofiness.

Of Note

"Grosse Pointe Blank" (1997), FX; and "The Grifters" (1990), Bravo; both 6 p.m. Cable-viewers will have to make a choice between two excellent John Cusack features. In the first, he's a hit man who has work to do during his class-reunion weekend; in the second, he and Anjelica Huston play two generations of con artists.

"Law & Order: Criminal Intent," 8 p.m., NBC. When a woman is killed, in this rerun, her ex-con son seems like a logical suspect until cops start to doubt his previous conviction.

"Hack," 8 p.m., CBS. Mike and Marcellus help a woman elude a corrupt, small-town cop.

"The District," 9 p.m., CBS. Mannion goes on a personal vendetta against drug dealers.

"Saturday Night Live," 10:30 p.m., NBC. Alec Baldwin hosts, with Missy Elliott as musical guest.