Posted on: Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Tube Notes
By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service
Tonight's Must-See
"American Idol" season-opener, 7 p.m., Fox. Other reality shows soar and fade, but "American Idol" remains immensely entertaining. That starts tonight and tomorrow with highlights from the show's auditions. This part never quite rings true; producers deliberately pass some of the worst performers to the second round so they can be mocked. Still, viewers love the audition portion. It mixes promising talents and vacant no-talents; it mixes the wide-eyed optimism of young Americans and the jaded cynicism of older Englishmen, including judge Simon Cowell and the show's producers. The essentials will be the same. Young people will sing and the judges (Cowell, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Gene Simmons, LL Cool J, Brandy and Kenny Loggins) will listen, sometimes in agony. Viewers will pick favorites and start arguments. Flaws and all, this is reality TV at its best.
"NCIS," 7 p.m., CBS. A Naval officer has disappeared suggesting foul play. "My Wife and Kids," 7 p.m., ABC. Michael becomes obsessed with foosball. "The George Lopez Show," 7:30 p.m., ABC. Ernie dates the mother of his foster son. She is, he soon learns, a complex and troubled soul. "According to Jim," 8 p.m., ABC. Jim sets up a secret camera to spy on the nanny. What he finds, instead, is an unhappy surprise. "Scrubs," 8 p.m., NBC. Elliot (Sarah Chalke) finds troubles. J.D. is jealous because she keeps topping him at work. Meanwhile, her coffee date with the janitor brings complications. "Committed," 8:30 p.m., NBC. When Nate and Marni sleep together they find morning-after trouble. That involves her father, her friend, his friend and even the old clown living in the closet. "Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson" conclusion, 9 p.m., PBS. Monday's opener focused on the rise, with boxer Jack Johnson finding national fame. On July 4, 1910, he easily beat retired champion Jim Jeffries. Johnson remained the champion; he was strong, smart, buoyant — and black, a fact that enraged many whites. In some states, he was considered a criminal for marrying a white woman. Courtroom battles would follow, battering a powerful figure. "NYPD Blue," 9 p.m., ABC. Ortiz learns that her cousin's boyfriend is the target of a narcotics investigation.
Of Note
