Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must See

"Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip," 9 p.m., PBS. As the 20th century began, America was a nation of horses. It had 14 million of them, compared to 8,000 cars. It had 150 miles of paved roads and few people went more than 12 miles from home. In 1903, 31-year-old Horatio Jackson made a bet. He would drive from San Francisco to New York City in less than three months. He bought a car for a then-staggering $3,000 and hired a young bike repairman to be his driver and mechanic. The troubles began. The car got stuck in mud, sand and riverbeds. Jackson kept getting lost; key things — his glasses, his luggage, car parts — fell off during bumps and disappeared. Still, Jackson made it, causing a national sensation. Filmmaker Ken Burns and writer Dayton Duncan tell the story with a sense of history and humor.

Of Note

"Worlds Apart" debut, 2 and 6 p.m., National Geographic Channel. Here's a reality show with a heart and a brain. It has privileged Americans spend a week or so in a different world. Tonight, the Russells — bright and likable people from Birmingham, Ala. — move into a hut in Ghana. Their 12-year-old daughter gets extremely sick then snaps back; their 15-year-old son marvels at a life in which women seem to do all the work.

"Killer Instinct: From the Files of Agent Candice DeLong," 6 and 8 p.m., Lifetime. The real-life DeLong is a fascinating subject. A former nurse, she became a top FBI profiler, working on the Unabomber and Tylenol cases. Jean Smart gives a brilliant performance.

"Still Standing," 7:30 p.m., CBS. Judy's leadership days in the PTA might be doomed.

"Everybody Loves Raymond," 8 p.m., CBS. When his son keeps claiming to be sick, Ray takes him to work.

"Las Vegas," 8 p.m., NBC. There are fresh complications for Danny (Josh Duhamel), when his boss' daughter (Molly Sims) suddenly breaks up with him.