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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 9:06 a.m., Monday, April 27, 2009

Tube Notes: 'Heroes,' 'American Experience' and 'Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!'

By Mike Hughes
mikehughes.tv

TV critic Mike Hughes offers suggestions for adult fare tonight, but Beyonce fans might want to turn on the TV earlier:

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEES

"HEROES" SEASON FINALE, 8 P.M., NBC

The evil Sylar is only a handshake away from being the most powerful man in the world. If he grasps the president (Michael Dorn), he can transform into him.

Can anyone stop a shape-shifter who has turned himself into Sen. Nathan Petrelli? The real Nathan will try; so will Nathan's biological daughter Claire and his brother Peter and more.

In typical "Heroes" style, all of this is passionate and cinematic and a bit overdone. When the heroes and villains have ultimate powers, the battle becomes uninteresting, sort of like Superman twins in a brawl.

Still, "Heroes" does manage to wrap up this half-season chapter and to offer a brief peek at next fall. Flaws and all, it's a good show.

"AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: WE SHALL REMAIN," 9-10:30 P.M., PBS

As a young Cherokee, John Ross was educated in the white man's schools and married the headmaster's daughter. He worked through channels, even winning a Supreme Court decision that let his people keep their land; President Andrew Jackson promptly ignored it.

Ross stood firm, then endured a forced exodus with his people. Some 4,000 died during the "trail of tears," but others rebuilt a strong Cherokee nation. It's a dramatic tale, well-told.

THIS MORNING'S BONUS

"WOW! WOW! WUBBZY!" 7 AND 10:30 A.M., NICKELODEON

This sweetly goofy show wants us to believe that the world's hottest singing group is visiting tiny Wuzzleburg.

That's almost true in real life. Beyonce, one of the hotter music stars, visits this tiny show. She's the voice of Shine, the star (alongside Shimmer and Sparkle) of a pop trio.

They sing (often) a song about singing a song. This micro-budget half-hour will tickle kids and many of their parents. It starts a mini-series of sorts, with the story (and Beyonce) continuing through Thursday.