Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"Friends," 7 p.m., NBC. "Friends" has made only 18 episodes for its final season instead of the usual 24. It's filling the gap by rerunning the episodes that viewers (voting online) picked as the six best. That starts by revealing No. 6 today and peaks with No. 1 on April 8. Then new episodes will return, setting up the May 6 series finale.

"History vs. Hollywood," 6, 10 p.m., History Channel. Actually, "true" is an elusive concept when dealing with the Old West. In his autobiography, Frank Hopkins told of a grand life: He was born in Wyoming with an Army scout father and a Sioux mother. He befriended Billy the Kid and performed with Buffalo Bill. He won a desert horse race depicted in the current movie "Hidalgo." If true, this is fascinating stuff; if not, it's the cowboy art of spinning a grand tale.

OF NOTE

"Survivor: All-Stars," 7 p.m., CBS. It's time to oust a sixth person, after mostly-naked former "Survivor" champion Richard Hatch's ouster last week.

"Will & Grace," 7:30 p.m., NBC. Two romances are wobbling. Karen argues with Lyle (John Cleese) about his spoiled daughter (Minnie Driver). Jack and Stuart (Dave Foley) are wrapped up in an apartment deal.

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," 8 p.m., CBS. This rerun sends Grissom to a small town where a head was found in the woods.

"Without a Trace," 9 p.m., CBS. In a rerun, Jack is haunted by murders he failed to prevent a dozen years ago. A new kidnapping follows the pattern of those cases.

"Princess Diana: The Secret Tapes," 9 p.m., NBC. NBC continues to shatter the Thursday lineup that made it so successful. Now "ER" will rest to make room for this two-week documentary. It uses the tapes that Princess Diana secretly made for the biography written by Andrew Morton; also included are interviews and film clips.