Posted on: Wednesday, December 8, 2004
Tube Notes
By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service
Tonight's Must-See
"Billboard Music Awards," 7 p.m., Fox; or "Clay Aiken Christmas," 7 p.m., NBC. Two music shows collide, putting some VCRs and DVD recorders into action. Fox has the mass star power with performances by Nelly, Usher, Gwen Stefani, Green Day and Evanescence. There's also a tribute to Stevie Wonder. NBC, by comparison, seems to be smaller-scale. It has Christmas music by Aiken, Barry Manilow and gifted gospel star Yolanda Adams. Still, Aiken says he's happy to have his show competing. "It's a family alternative to the Billboard awards." He was on the Billboard show last year and wasn't happy about it. "It was just 'bleep this' and 'bleep that,' " he says.
Aiken grew up in a Southern Baptist home (he actually says the word "bleep" instead of repeating what he heard). His special will mix light tunes with serious, religious ones. "It's important for me to incorporate my belief system," he says. Of Note
"Lost," 7 p.m., ABC. Last week's terrific episode left Claire shattered. She's convinced that a psychic, having a fearful vision about her baby-to-be, deliberately sent her on a doomed plane. She also thinks someone is trying to kill her. Tonight, she and Charlie are missing, feared kidnapped by someone who wasn't on the plane's manifest. With her baby's birth imminent, two search parties scramble to find them. "Biography," 8 p.m., A&E. Gene Simmons of KISS is filled with fascinating contrasts. He talks against marriage, implies that he's had relations with more than 1,000 women — but has lived for decades with Shannon Tweed and their children, ages 15 and 12. He's an anti-authority figure who praises his mother and says he avoids alcohol and drugs. A symbol of American brashness, he was born in Israel as Chaim Witz. Simmons could be the subject of a great biography; this film, however, plays mostly as a one-hour promotion for his solo album. He stuffs it with hype, leaving none of the outside perspective that a good portrait needs. "Barbara Walters Special," 8 p.m., ABC. Walters profiles the year's 10 top news makers. They include two contrasting men whose films were propelled to success via controversy — Michael Moore ("Fahrenheit 9/11") and Mel Gibson ("The Passion of the Christ"). Oprah Winfrey and Usher are also interviewed. "The West Wing," 8 p.m., NBC. Alan Alda settles into his key role as a moderate Republican and presidential prospect. "King of Queens," 8 p.m., CBS. Doug frets that his mom is spending too much time with his wife's bizarre father. "CSI: NY," 9 p.m., CBS. Mac (Gary Sinise) is tracking someone who imprisons and kills women. That brings back painful memories of his wife's death.
