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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Mark Kanemura, of Honolulu, has advanced to the top eight contestants on "So You Think You Can Dance."

Fox

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TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE

"Black in America: The Black Woman and Family," 3 p.m., CNN, rerunning at 9 p.m. Here is the first half of a richly crafted documentary miniseries. We haven't seen the full film, but a sampling shows that this is a wide-ranging project, skipping any convenient cliches. It catches the success of black women in the workplace, moving into middle-income lives. On the flip side, it views the spiraling number of black single parents, holding two jobs to get by. There are health crises, including a devastating rate of HIV and AIDS. There are growing dropout rates — plus educators who bring fresh approaches. One literally pays his students to get good grades. That sort of energy and optimism ripples through this project, hosted by Soledad O'Brien. The second half, "The Black Man," airs tomorrow.

"So You Think You Can Dance," 7 p.m., Fox. This terrific show is in its "wow" stage. That's when many of the young dancers are stunningly good. There are only eight of them now, each dancing duets and a solo. Then viewers will decide, with the result announced tomorrow. One other plus: This has been an extraordinary year for choreographers, especially Mia Michaels. Barring a late change, she's expected to do a couple of tonight's dances.

OF NOTE

"Casino Royale" (2006), 3:35 p.m., Showtime; and/or "The Hunt for Red October" (1990), 5 p.m., AMC. First is the current James Bond (Daniel Craig), in his first Bond film; he's excellent and the film is exciting, despite huge stretches of logic. Then the original Bond (Sean Connery) co-stars in "Red October"; in a smart Tom Clancy thriller, he's a Russian submarine captain who may be ready to defect.

"Criss Angel: Mindfreak" season opener, 7 p.m., A&E. Among other things, Criss plans to walk on water.

"Baby Borrowers," 7 and 8 p.m., NBC. First is a rerun of last week's episode, in which the teens must watch pre-teens at a slumber party. Then comes the next step — caring for actual teenagers.

"Click & Clack's As the Wrench Turns," 8 p.m., PBS. This series — a cartoon for grown-ups, starring the "Car Talk" guys — has been a mixed blessing, at best. Still, we like the notions behind these two episodes: In one, the guys need a sponsor and turn to Gigantic Motors, maker of gas-guzzlers. In the other, Zuzu the shop dog becomes temporarily famous.

"Criminal Minds," 8 p.m., CBS. Kate Jackson, one of the original Charlie's Angels, guests. She plays the mother of Prentiss (Paget Brewster), seeking help for a kidnapped Russian immigrant.

"Nova ScienceNow," 9 p.m., PBS. Leeches aren't nearly as popular as they once were, but this documentary studies occasional medical uses. It also visits new stem-cell techniques, innovative marine biologist Edith Widder and the first 48 years of SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

"CSI: NY," 9 p.m., CBS. A murder has occurred at the old house famed for the "Amityville Horror" tale.

"Law & Order," 9:01 p.m., NBC. When legal-aid lawyers go on strike, there are double problems. One is that a striker is killed; the other is that Connie must defend the accused killer, because defense lawyers are scarce.