Posted on: Friday, January 7, 2005

Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"8 Simple Rules," 7 and 7:30 p.m., ABC. Scrambling to recapture the success it had before John Ritter's death, this show keeps adding and rearranging story lines for its stars. Tonight, it finds a fresh use for David Spade as the cynical C.J. He becomes a substitute teacher in the same school where his three cousins are students and their mom is the nurse. In the first episode, C.J. finds one cousin, Rory, cheating. In the second, the principal (Adam Arkin) has his new girlfriend (Pamela Anderson) sit in on the class.

"Merge" season-opener, 9 p.m., Lifetime. This fast and cheery show is usually fun. Actress-turned-host Lisa Rinna exuberantly helps merge his-and-her furnishings while the couple is away. Tonight's hour brings a new challenge: The guy is so sure of his own taste that he has confined his wife's belongings to a storage shed. With the help of designer Bobby Trendy, a surprisingly attractive blend is created.

Of Note

"Now," 9:30 p.m., PBS. David Brancaccio takes over as host and the show goes to a half-hour format. Brancaccio joined Bill Moyers on the show last season after 10 years as host of NPR's "Marketplace."

"Joan of Arcadia," 7 p.m., CBS. Worrying about her post-high school future, Joan meets a handsome tutor.

"Toy Story" (1995), 8 and 9:35 p.m., Disney Channel. This wonderful little comedy started the run of great animated films created by Pixar and distributed by Disney. This one is set among a boy's old and new toys.

"JAG," 8 p.m., CBS. A plane crash near a school is investigated by Harm. Meanwhile, Bud is angry about having to take an anger management class.

"Third Watch," 8 p.m., NBC. Sully obsesses on finally bringing down the evil Captain Finney, played by Charles Haid of "Hill Street Blues." To do it, he needs the help of Monroe (Nia Long) and of some of Sully and Finney's former colleagues.

"Hope & Faith," 8 p.m., ABC. Mark Consuelos, Kelly Ripa's real-life husband, starts a three-episode story. He's a former baseball star, moving into the neighborhood. Faith (Ripa) thinks they'd be a great couple. He disagrees.

"Less Than Perfect," 8:30 p.m., ABC. The gang goes to an employee retreat.

"Medical Investigation," 9 p.m., NBC. In a seaside community, fit people — a male surfer and a female volleyball player — are ill. Conner suspects seals are spreading the illness. He's attracted to a local doctor who disagrees.

"Mystery Woman: Mystery Weekend," 7 and 9 p.m., Hallmark Channel. A new series of mystery movies starts with Kellie Martin starring as a talented amateur sleuth who's the proprietor of a bookstore called Mystery Woman. If the idea seems straight out of "Murder, She Wrote," just remember that that one lasted 12 seasons and lived on in a string of occasional movies.