Tube Notes
By Mike Hughes
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TONIGHT'S MUST-SEES
"30 Rock," 8:31 and 9 p.m., NBC. Here are two reruns, the first of which is hilarious. Nervous about a flight, Liz takes Jack's advice and his medication. She's thoroughly loopy by the time she spots Oprah Winfrey in the next seat. From there, things build in bizarre ways. There are also sub-plots, one of them (NBC faking Olympic events) quite funny and one lame. The Oprah portions, however, are wonderful.
"Million Dollar Password" return, 7 p.m., CBS. Someone came up with the odd notion of putting the razor-sharp Aisha Tyler against the ... well, eccentric William Shatner. The result is an epic mismatch. That's modified by two factors: First, the contestants get to switch celebrities at the mid-point; second, host Regis Philbin is quick to point out any Shatner shortcomings. After tonight, "Password" moves to 7 p.m. Sundays. There's lots of flash and fuss, but at its core this remains a well-conceived game with skillfully chosen words, suitable for play-along fun.
OF NOTE
"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" (1971), 6 p.m., AMC. Even if you prefer Tim Burton's magical remake ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"), you'll like the original. It has wit, charm, music and Gene Wilder.
Dr. Seuss night, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m, ABC Family. Things start with cartoons based on Seuss' "The Cat in the Hat" (7 p.m.) and on his ecology masterpiece "The Lorax" (7:30). Then the live-action "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000) airs at 8 and 10:30 p.m., with Ron Howard directing Jim Carrey.
"Ugly Betty," 7 p.m., ABC. In a fairly good rerun, Betty is being lured to work for the scheming Wilhelmina.
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," 8 p.m., CBS. This reruns the episode that introduced Lauren Lee Smith as Riley Adams, the new staffer. Murder victims seem to be frozen into place, statue-style.
"Grey's Anatomy," 8 p.m., ABC, In this rerun, Derek peeks at the diary of Meredith's late mother, who was a brilliant and troubled surgeon.
"The Office," 8 and 9:30 p.m., NBC. The first rerun has Michael holding an auction, to pay for items that were stolen. The second finds Jim and Pam trying to cope with being in different cities; they have marathon phone talks.
"Soundstage: Faith Hill, Joy to the World," midnight, PBS. For much of the hour, this is simply an above-average TV concert; backed by an orchestra, Faith Hill sings beautifully. The defining moment, however, comes late in the special, when Hill sings "A Baby Changes Everything." Despite the annual cascade of so-so holiday songs, it's still possible to introduce a great one.