Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"Traffic," 9 p.m., USA Network. Continues tomorrow and Wednesday. At first, viewers may find this miniseries perplexing. "Traffic" leaps between stories, rarely lingering for long. But once "Traffic" gets rolling, it's terrific. In Afghanistan we meet a Drug Enforcement Agency agent (Elias Koteas) on a rogue mission. Meanwhile, a young businessman (Balthazar Getty) has gone bust. He reluctantly works at his dad's company, which is tangled in shaky shipping deals. One deal went horribly wrong, when illegal immigrants drowned. A widower (superbly played by Cliff Curtis of "Whale Rider") tries to learn what happened. This is a powerful, passionate story.

Of Note

"Armageddon" (1998), 7 p.m., ABC. As an asteroid streaks toward Earth, wildcat oil drillers try to save mankind. Bruce Willis stars with Ben Affleck, Billy Bob Thornton and Liv Tyler.

"Antiques Roadshow," 8 p.m., PBS. The show begins a three-part visit to San Francisco.

"Everybody Loves Raymond," 8 p.m., CBS. This rerun has Chris Elliott back as Amy's nasty brother.

"Las Vegas," 8 p.m., NBC. A power outage paralyzes the casino while a killer is loose.

"My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé," 8 p.m., Fox. In this new reality show, Randi will win a fortune if she convinces her family and friends to attend her wedding to a stranger. Still, the trick is also on her. She thinks her fake fiance is just another reality-show civilian. Instead, he's an actor hired to upset people. Tonight, they meet the wedding planner.

"Average Joe: Hawaii," 9 p.m., NBC. Eight average guys compete with eight new guys — all of way above average, physically.