Posted on: Thursday, July 22, 2004

Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"Studio 7" debut, 8 p.m., WB. Reality and a quiz show form an uncomfortable alliance in this youth-oriented show. The idea, from "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?" producer Michael Davies, is solid. Seven strangers — all young, all smart, mostly attractive — share a fancy Manhattan apartment.

Friendships are formed and then they enter a "Millionaire"-type studio and face questions on contemporary subjects. Each contestant can take one point to ask another contestant for help with an answer.

That person can, however, simply refuse. Whenever two people have flubbed answers the others can oust one of them — usually the bigger threat. That sounds promising, but the show does little to establish each contestant as an individual. And Davies — usually a master at creating interesting questions — ends the show with sheer memorization. For viewers that's about as interesting as your third-grade spelling bee. There are some interesting moments, though. We also learn one valuable piece of advice:

If you're going to be in such a show it's best to be a blonde in a sun dress. People will keep you around, assuming you're harmless.

Of Note

"Scrubs," 7 p.m., NBC. Four episodes air in a row, leaving viewers "Friends"-less for the second straight week. In the first, J.D. finds himself between an old romance that failed and a new one that seems ominous. In the second, Brendan Fraser returns as the brother of Cox's ex-wife. The next two involve the Turk-Carla wedding. First, he's stymied when writing the vows; second, he performs surgery shortly before the ceremony. The latter is not advised by wedding planners.

"Whose Line Is It Anyway?" 7 and 7:30 p.m., ABC. This fun improvisation show has been on the shelf for way too long. Now it's back for a short summer run that includes a new episode at 7.

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," 8 p.m., CBS. Grissom can't seem to get away from work. During a relay race he finds a body in the desert.

"Without a Trace," 9 p.m., CBS. Jessalyn Gilsig, formerly of "Boston Public," plays a missing woman who isn't what she originally seems.

"ER," 9 p.m., NBC. This returns to the emotionally brutal story line in which Kerry Weaver must battle with her late lover's family for custody of her baby. Tonight, she considers extreme actions.