Tube Notes
By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service
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TONIGHT'S MUST SEE
"Monk," 7 p.m., NBC. Having exhausted other choices during the writers' strike, NBC wisely borrows this show (and "Psych," which follows at 9 p.m.) from the USA Network. Tony Shalhoub is terrific as Adrian Monk, a detective who fears almost everything. He's tickled tonight to have a new friend (Andy Richter). This isn't one of the better episodes, but it's a fun option.
OF NOTE
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005), 7 and 9:30 p.m., ABC Family. Director Tim Burton and Johnny Depp brilliantly redo a family classic.
"Nature: What Females Want and Males Will Do," 7 p.m., PBS. So you think human males will do a lot for sex? Consider other species. The males change colors, dance, sing; they even create drums. This is a fun film, concluding next week.
"Cold Case," 8 p.m., CBS. The popular drama has its first new, post-strike episode. Lily and Valens go to West Virginia to retrieve a murder suspect.
"Masterpiece Theatre: Sense and Sensibility," 8 p.m., PBS. As the first half of this tale ended, romances foundered. Now the ending, cleverly adapted by Andrew Davies, patches things together. It's a fine finish to PBS' Jane Austen project.
"King," 9 p.m., History. Tom Brokaw brings rich depth to this portrait of Martin Luther King. We see a deeply intellectual man who also had the common touch.
"John Adams," 6 p.m., HBO. No one ever said the vice presidency would be exciting. Here's a dry, somber hour.
"The Tudors," 8 p.m., Showtime. In a strong episode, King Henry VIII reaches a pivotal time in his passionate relationship with Anne Boleyn.