Tube Notes
By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service
Tonight's Must-See
"Last Comic Standing," 7 p.m., NBC. The summer's most entertaining show nears its finale. Tonight, the final three comics perform. Then viewers pick one who gets a Comedy Central concert and an NBC development deal.
Naturally, things will be spread out in the "American Idol" style. Tonight's special will run two hours, including comments by the 10 finalists; at 8 p.m. Thursday, the show will spend almost another hour revealing the winner.
"Joe Schmo 2" finale, 6 p.m., Spike TV. For sheer daring, this show wins all prizes. It's a satiric send-up of TV dating shows. When it started two people — Tim and Ingrid — thought the show was real.
Everyone else, however, was an improvisational actor.
When Ingrid suspected something, the producers told her the secret and asked her to play along. They added a new target, Amanda. Now comes the two-hour finale: Tim and TJ compete for Piper; Amanda and Ingrid compete for Austin.
Tim and Amanda think it's real; the others are acting.
Of Note
"Outback Jack" finale, 6 p.m., TBS. This series started by dumping city women into Australia's Outback where they began competing for "Jack," who is actually Vadim Dale, an athlete and outdoorsman.
Now, the final two women reach an oceanfront camp by hot-air balloon. Each has a day at the beach with Jack before he chooses one.
"Chappelle's Show," 7 p.m., Comedy Central. Expect some big laughs as this witty show offers highlights from this season.
"Navy NCIS," 7 p.m., CBS. A stranger holds Ducky and Gerald hostage in the autopsy room.
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," 7 p.m., ABC. This feel-good show adapts a home for a boy in a wheelchair.
"Amazing Race," 9 p.m., CBS. Last week, the bowling moms finished last. For them, the good news was that it wasn't an elimination round. The bad news was that they had to forfeit their money.
With seven duos remaining, they're the only one that must do the next leg — still in Egypt, now heading to an island in the Nile — without money.
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," 9 p.m., NBC. When a rich, elderly woman is killed in her apartment, police fear there's a serial killer.
"In the Jury Room" debut, 9 p.m., ABC. This documentary series views jurors at work. Tonight's story, involving an Ohio murder case, concludes tomorrow.
