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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, January 16, 2009

Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

On "Howie Do It," host Howie Mandel, right, pulls pranks on people who think they are on a commercial or reality show.

NBC

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TONIGHT'S MUST SEES

"Friday Night Lights" season-opener, 8 p.m., NBC. One of TV's best series finally returns to NBC. Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) is still coach, with some of his key players — running back Tim Riggins, quarterback Matt Saracen — back; everything else, however, seems changed. His wife Tami is principal now. Their daughter is scheming to get a job and a car. Other teen girls are also struggling: Lyla has a secret lover; Tyra wants to go beyond her sister's dead-end ambitions. "Smash" Williams has dreams, too. His knee is getting better, but maybe not enough to let him play college ball. Stepping into this is a hot-shot quarterback, with a dad who's spending a fortune on anything from smoothies to a giant scoreboard. Beautifully acted and directed, "Friday Night Lights" is a great portrait of small-town life, with or without football.

"Flashpoint," 8 p.m., CBS. This Canadian series returned last week with a strong episode, showing cops in crisis. Now comes another week and another crisis. Convinced that her husband is having an affair, one woman holds another one hostage.

OF NOTE

"Good Will Hunting" (1997), 7 p.m., Bravo. Here's another chance to see this terrific drama about a tough, blue-collar guy (Matt Damon) who learns he's a genius. Director Gus Van Sant assembled a great supporting cast, led by Minnie Driver and Robin Williams.

"Howie Do It," 7 p.m., NBC. People who think they're on commercials and reality shows soon find everything going wrong in Howie Mandel's pranks show. A stain-remover fails, a magician flubs, a house break-in is at the wrong house.

"Profoundly Normal" (2003, Lifetime) or "Expecting a Miracle" (2009, Hallmark), 7 p.m. Choose between two feel-good movies. Lifetime's film is based on a true story, with Kirstie Alley and Delroy Lindo excellent as mentally challenged people seeking love and independence. Hallmark's film is an amiable fiction about a small-town priest (Cheech Marin) and a couple (Jason Priestley, Teri Polo) with cluttered lives.

"Ghost Whisperer," 7 p.m., CBS. There are new problems for Sam, the guy whose body Jim inhabits. Confused about his past, he travels back in time with a ghost.

"Numb3rs," 9 p.m., CBS. The FBI has only four hours to rescue tourists who were in a hijacked Hollywood bus.