Posted on: Monday, July 12, 2004

Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must See

"Baby for Sale," 6 p.m., Lifetime. Dana Delany's subtly emotional performance brings this quiet, true story to life. "Baby" tells about a doctor (Hart Bochner) and shop owner (Delany) in Duluth, Minn. They recognize they've had a privileged life, but they ache to adopt a baby. That involves them with a slick schemer — and major news events.

Along the way, "Baby for Sale" avoids the usual histrionics. This is a story of two intelligent and caring people in an emotional situation. All of that — strength and pain, honesty and temptation — ripples across Delany's face.

"I Love the '90s," 6 and 9 p.m., VH1. Yes, the 1990s are already fodder for nostalgia. This special races through the decade, two years per night. Remember Tickle Me Elmo and the Spice Girls? What about MC Hammer and Dr. Kevorkian? And how can we forget "Twin Peaks"? This is all rehashed with comments from witty people (Michael Ian Black, for instance) and others.

Some subjects (starting with the movie "Pretty Woman") inspire great humor. Others (such as Sinead O'Connor) bring only lame remarks. Still, the clips and comments flow so quickly that most of this is fun.

Of Note

"North Shore," 7 p.m., Fox. Nicole's fiance may be making a move to get control of the hotel.

"Yes, Dear," 7:30 p.m., CBS. Tim Conway and Vicki Lawrence play Greg's parents. Greg's appalled that his dad is now obsessed with comic books.

"Everybody Loves Raymond," 8 p.m., CBS. This terrific series has a so-so episode with Robert being told he has potential as a model.

"For Love or Money," 8 p.m., NBC. A new round begins with 15 men arriving, expecting to compete for one woman. Instead, they find two women — both freshly rejected by Preston Mercer.

"Growing Up Cheetah," 9 p.m., Animal Planet. This hour launches a "Growing Up" series that will spend future weeks looking at marsupials, elephants, wolves and more. This first one views cheetahs raised in captivity in South Africa. The narration is flatly written, but the cubs are cute enough to hold our attention.

"History Detectives," 9 p.m., PBS. There's a Hollywood theme tonight, viewing light and serious matters from the early days of moviemaking.

"Who Wants to Marry My Dad," 9:05 p.m., NBC. Tonight, the field gets trimmed from five women to three. We also see the disconcerting image of two women in wedding dresses, taking lie-detector tests.