Posted on: Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"American Idol" (7 p.m.) and "Point Pleasant" debut (8 p.m.), Fox. Shifting its plans a tad, Fox uses its hottest show to help launch a new series. For "Idol," this is another hour of auditions. Expect some to be good, others to be wondrously awful. That's followed by "Point Pleasant," which will then be the new show at 9 p.m. Thursdays. The setting is New Jersey, one of those picture-perfect places that Hollywood loves to bedevil. It's filled with such picture-pretty people as Grant Show, Dina Meyer, Susan Walter and Richard Burgi. Then a young beauty (Elisabeth Harnois, a former child star) washes ashore. No one knows she's the devil's spawn. It's produced by the same folks who did "Tru Calling" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Of Local Note

"Late Show with David Letterman," 10:35 p.m., CBS. Hawai'i-raised Jason Reece and Conrad Keely and their up-and-coming indie rock band — And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead — are the guest musical act. Though Reece and Keely met and became friends while attending Kalaheo High School, they formed the band while living in Austin, Texas.

Of Note

"The Road to Stardom With Missy Elliott," 5 p.m., UPN (KIKU). Elliott, now a big music star, returns to her hometown, Norfolk, Va. While there, she watches contestants perform on the high school stage where she got her own start.

"Shallow Hal" (2001), 6 p.m., FX. Bobby and Peter Farrelly are in their element when directing the goofiness of "Dumb and Dumber" and "There's Something About Mary." Here, they try to mix a message in with the broad comedy: Hal (Jack Black) is only interested in surface appearance. Now he's hypnotized, making him think a profoundly overweight woman (Gwyneth Paltrow in a fat suit) is svelte and beautiful (Gwyneth Paltrow without fat suit).

"Lost," 7 p.m., ABC. The focus shifts to Michael and his 10-year-old son, Walt, who shows an odd sort of advanced wisdom.

"Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search," 7 p.m., NBC. There's another beach photo shoot, only in freezing cold.