Posted on: Saturday, April 9, 2005

Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"Whoopi: Back to Broadway — The 20th Anniversary," 7 p.m., HBO. Whoopi Goldberg glides nimbly between stand-up comedy and acting in this one-woman show that returns her to Broadway where she first drew attention. In this show, she simply chats with the audience as three separate characters. The first is a street-smart guy, assessing the world. Liberals will enjoy him much more than conservatives. The second is a menopausal woman, looking back and ahead to life's changes. Women, mostly, will roar with laughter. Some people will bail out because of the language. But most can admire her smart material and sharp delivery. Then comes the third piece, which is universal. Goldberg plays a woman with a distorted body. She saw herself as a cripple, incapable of romance. Then it came, unexpectedly. This is a one-person play, beautifully written and acted. Goldberg goes from broad stand-up to subtle drama. It's a masterful work.

Of Note

"The Masters," 9:30 a.m., CBS. This is the 50th year that CBS has broadcast the Masters tournament, so the network is doing it up big. Coverage is scheduled until 11 a.m. daily. The network will use 42 high-definition cameras, plus 10 hand-held cameras; the same signal is converted to analog for most viewers.

"Bowfinger" (1999), 7 p.m., NBC. Steve Martin wrote this comedy and re-teamed with Frank Oz, his "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" director. This time, Martin is a broken-down movie producer who is going to make it seem like a mega-star (played by Eddie Murphy) is in his movie with the help of the star's look-alike (also played by Eddie Murphy).

"Wonderful World of Disney: Little House on the Prairie," 7 p.m., ABC. Here's the third week of the five-week new miniseries. The family has settled in Kansas now but little Laura frets that Santa won't find them. Also, she plays with Indian children against her parents' orders.

"CSI: Miami," 8 p.m., CBS. During a routine traffic stop, someone has killed a cop and taken a ride-along hostage.

"About a Boy" (2002), 8 p.m., ABC. A self-centered guy (Hugh Grant) surprises himself by bonding with a 12-year-old boy. The result has drawn praise for subtly mixing comedy and drama.

"Saturday Night Live," 10:30 p.m., NBC. Cameron Diaz hosts. The musical guest is Green Day.