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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 1:19 p.m., Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Tube Notes: 'Cupid,' 'American Idol,' more

By MIKE HUGHES
Special to The Advertiser

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE:

"Cupid" debut, 9:02 p.m., ABC.

A no-nonsense therapist (Sarah Paulson) is not happy with her new patient (Bobby Cannavale). He insists he's Cupid, banned from Mount Olympus until he can make 100 perfect matches.

She's a pragmatist with a wounded love life; he's raving about love at first sight.

Yes, this may sound familiar. The original "Cupid" -- same story, network and writer-producer -- aired a decade ago. It had fine stars (Jeremy Piven, now an Emmy-winner, and Paula Marshall) and an awful time slot.

This new version has a lighter feel, thanks to director Bharat Nalluri and the buoyant stars. As in "Harvey" or "Miracle on 34th Street," it doesn't matter whether this guy is crazy; you root for the joy of possibilities.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE II:

"Frontline: Sick Around America," 9 p.m., PBS.

The extremes in a patchwork health-care system are boggling.

We meet a fortunate family. Its insurer picked up all the bills -- between $500,000 and $1 million -- for its premature baby.

We see one woman whose insurer rescinded her policy, leaving her with $160,000 in cancer debts. And another who couldn't get care to control her lupus; she racked up $900,000 in unpaid bills during her final months.

Five states flatly require insurers to accept anyone, this impressive documentary says. Healthy people resist insurance, sick people take it and rates triple.

One state (Massachusetts) requires everyone to have insurance. We see a family of four struggling to pay $12,000 a year -- almost one-fifth of its income.

OF NOTE:

"The Penguins of Madagascar," 5 p.m., Nickelodeon. This animated delight has new episodes each weekday, through April 10. Scheduled for tonight is a good one in which King Julien proclaims his own holiday.

"American Idol," 7-8:20 p.m., Fox. With fewer contestants, the show starts to recede. It gets 80 minutes tonight, 61 next week, when "Fringe" returns.

"Jim Gaffigan: King Baby" (7 and 9 p.m., Comedy Central) and "My Boys" season-opener (7:30 p.m., TBS). Gaffigan is a drolly brilliant comedian. Catch the first half of his stand-up routine at 7; then switch to the situation-comedy at 7:30. The latter is mostly a serious episode, starting on the eve of Bobby's wedding; there are also some laughs, mostly centering on Gaffigan as Andy.

"The Mentalist," 8 p.m., CBS. A hypnotist is instructing people to kill.

"Osbournes: Reloaded" debut, 8:20 p.m., Fox. In real life, Ozzy Osbourne and his family are thoroughly likable. If a sampling of clips from this variety show is representative, however, "Reloaded" is loud, blunt, dim-witted and desperate.