Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"Monk," 7, 10 p.m. and midnight, USA Network. On its regular days, "Monk" is pleasant and interesting. On some days, it's one of the best series on TV. Here in mid-January, we get a surge of the best. After a long rerun break, "Monk" has seven new episodes to finish this season. Tonight's episode and next Friday's are simply wonderful. Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) was a brilliant police detective before crumbling after his wife's murder. He descended into a compulsive-obsessive fear of anything messy but he hires out to solve cases, with the help of his nurse-turned-colleague Sharona (Bitty Schram). Tonight, crime comes to his doorstep — literally. A guy is slain while trying to deliver Monk's newspaper. Did someone have a reason to censor the news? Monk tries to find out while struggling with the worry that Sharona is more muscular than he is.

Of Note

"The Goodbye Girl," 6, 8:15 p.m., TNT. The original 1977 film crackled with Neil Simon's wit and had the perfect casting of Richard Dreyfuss (winning an Oscar) and Marsha Mason. The remake is moderately enjoyable.Patricia Heaton plays the often-dumped New Yorker startled to find that her latest ex has sub-let the apartment to a newly arrived actor (Jeff Daniels). What's missing is the zest of the machine-gun dialogue in the original.

"Joan of Arcadia," 7 p.m., CBS. When Joan's parents are away, God — perhaps having never seen "Risky Business" — tells her to have a party.

"Hope & Faith," 8 p.m., ABC. Hope (Faith Ford) fumes when the guy she liked in high school (Clint Black) is now interested in Faith (Kelly Ripa).

"Between the Lines," 8 p.m., A&E. One of life's oddest letters was written by Elvis Presley on an airplane. Presley — who simply wasn't a letter-writer, said his former wife, Priscilla — wanted to get a badge and join the war on drugs.