Posted on: Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"Last Comic Standing," 7 p.m., NBC. Here's the finale for this wonderfully entertaining show. Barring a late change — an NBC problem lately — we'll see the final four comics, then vote on a winner. For two summers, "Comic" was a ratings success. NBC rushed this version onto the air, pitting comics from the first two years. Laughs have been strong; ratings haven't. Now, sadly, NBC is rushing the show out the door. It plans to replace it with one that rewards hurry-up weight loss. First, we get one more burst of laughter. Two of the finalists are Dave Mordal (a delightfully droll Minnesotan) and John Heffron (the witty Detroiter who was the second-season champion). The other two will be announced tonight.

Vice-Presidential Debate, 3 p.m., ABC, CBS, NBC, and cable news channels; 9 p.m., PBS. The vice-presidential candidates get their prime-time moment. Dick Cheney and John Edwards debate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Of Note

Baseball, 2 p.m., Fox. The playoffs begin.

"And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop," 6 p.m., VH1. If you missed Monday's excellent start of this five-night documentary on rap, here's a quick rerun. At 10 p.m., Run-D.M.C. and Run's brother, mogul Russell Simmons, discuss hip-hop.

"NCIS," 7 p.m., CBS. Last week's hour, filled with mystery surprises, got this second season off to a great start. Tonight, a body, partly mummified, is found under a building at a former military base.

"Second Verdict" debut, 7 p.m., Pax TV. This new reality show tests human nature under serious circumstances. A real-life court case is presented to a new jury, to see if the result is the same.

"My Wife and Kids," 7 p.m., ABC. With his class reunion coming, Michael draws doubts from his wife that he can dance well.

"Wanda Does It," 7:30 p.m., Comedy Central. In the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" genre, this show mixes fiction and improvisation. Comedian Wanda Sykes plays a version of herself. Tonight, she sells her car and then learns to be a repo person. The result is terribly uneven, but it has some good laughs.