Posted on: Monday, April 11, 2005

Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"American Experience: The Great Transatlantic Cable," 9 p.m., PBS. Filled with success and energy, Cyrus Field was ready for the impossible. He wanted to string a cable across the Atlantic Ocean for instant telegraph communication. At 38, Field had already become a millionaire in business. His confidence was contagious — and risky. Field did little testing. He relied on "experts," some wise and some not. His plans were thrown off by outside factors, including the Civil War. And there was no way of knowing how far a signal could be sent. After many failures, the plan worked and everyone nudged closer to a wired world. It's a fascinating story that is well told.

Of Note

"Summerland," 7 p.m., WB. Here's the season finale of the show, which then will give its slot back to "Everwood." Tonight, Jay gets a chance to get back into surfing and promotes big-time events.

"Fear Factor," 7 p.m., NBC. For the second year, NBC has an unusual lead-in to the Miss USA competition. Six of the pageant's contestants — it won't say which ones — were taped for this. Think of it as a prolonged swimsuit competition, possibly torturous and demeaning.

"Miss USA," 8 p.m., NBC. Here's the annual pageant (now owned by Donald Trump). Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell host. In a night of cross-promotion, the judges include Molly Sims of "Las Vegas" and Raj Bhakta of "The Apprentice."

"Everybody Loves Raymond," 8 p.m., CBS. This terrific show gets closer to next month's finale. (In case you missed it, the viewers' choice for the best episode ever was the hilarious PMS one.) Tonight, PTA members criticize Debra as dressing too sexy.

"Two and a Half Men," 8:30 p.m., CBS. Berta's odd sister (Camryn Manheim) works for Charlie and Alan.

"CSI: Miami," 9 p.m., CBS. Two IRS agents were killed on the same day. There's a good chance this is no coincidence.

"Journey to Planet Earth," 10 p.m., PBS. This hour views broad ecological questions involving food, water and global warming.