Posted on: Wednesday, July 6, 2005

Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Tonight's Must-See

"Beauty and the Geek" (7 p.m., WB) and "Dancing With the Stars" (8 p.m., ABC) finales. Both reality competitions end tonight; catch them back to back. One "Beauty" team has Richard and Mindi, 21-year-old college students. She's a sorority girl at the University of Missouri, majoring in special education. He just graduated from Brandeis University, majoring in history and Spanish. The other team has Chuck, 27, a med student, and Caitilin, 24, who's called an "aspiring fashion expert." Chuck, a calm sort, finds the ultra-hyper Richard annoying. Meanwhile, "Dancing With the Stars" is down to two duos, each of a celebrity and a dance pro. John O'Hurley (J. Peterman on "Seinfeld") dances with Charlotte Jorgensen; Kelly Monaco (the pregnant Sam McCall on "General Hospital") is with Alec Mazo. It should be a fun battle.

Of Note

"Cutting It" debut, 3 p.m., WE (Women's Entertainment). This British series focuses on Allie, co-owner of a hair salon in working-class Manchester. Tough yet sensitive, she's haunted by an early romance. Now forces collide as a competitor arrives. This is a solid human drama damaged by an incoming character (Finn) who is wildly unlikely, even by soap standards. Also, some dialogue is tough for American viewers to grasp.

"30 Days," 7 p.m., FX. Ryan Hickman, 24, is a conservative who lives in Oxford, Mich., population 3,500, and is sharply critical of homosexuality. For this documentary, he spends a month with a gay roommate in San Francisco.

"The Inside," 7 and 8 p.m., Fox. This well-made show offers two new episodes. In the first, Rebecca goes undercover when a suicide hot-line worker is suspected. In the second, Paul's first big case is now in doubt when new crimes occur.

"American Masters: Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong," 9 p.m., PBS. Last week's documentary (on Sweet Honey in the Rock) had great music but little story. This one has both. The soaring trumpet and gritty vocals of Louis Armstrong accent a fascinating life story.

"Tom Brokaw Reports," 9 p.m., NBC. Now that Mark Felt — former No. 2 man at the FBI — has acknowledged he was the "Deep Throat" of Watergate fame, Tom Brokaw interviews Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, who broke the story that toppled a presidency.