Posted on: Thursday, December 16, 2004

Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"The Apprentice" finale, 7 p.m., NBC. This is the one that counts. One person will emerge as the champion with fame and the presidency of a Donald Trump division. The bad news is that it is stretched too long. NBC goes to three hours. Mark Burnett is a masterful producer, working wonders with film. Tonight, we see one finalist running an NBC charity event and the other running a polo match. The finals, however, jump from film to a live portion. Last year, Donald Trump showed that live TV isn't his forte.

Of Note

"A Charlie Brown Christmas," 7 p.m., ABC. The wonderful cartoon reruns for the second time in nine days. There are some extra shorts at the end.

"The O.C.," 7 p.m., Fox. Seth Cohen has his annual "Chrismukkah" party, merging his dad's Jewish traditions and his mom's Christian traditions. Tonight, that arrives amid family trouble.

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," 7 and 8 p.m., CBS. In the first rerun, arson is suspected after two fires in the same neighborhood. In the second, bodies are found in a storm drain.

"Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus," 7 p.m., Hallmark Channel. Here is a second chance to see the movie with Steve Guttenberg as Santa-to-be, smitten with Crystal Bernard. It's mildly pleasant.

"North Shore," 8 p.m., Fox. Tessa, who has rough edges, fills in as a model at a high-fashion show.

"Without a Trace," 9 p.m., CBS. This rerun has Jack (Anthony LaPaglia) returning to work after having been tricked by his estranged wife into resigning. Now he's working for his former aide, Vivian (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). Meanwhile, a nurses' aide has disappeared from a rural road, where she was changing a tire. Investigators find surprises about her.