Tube Notes
By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service
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TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE
"Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words," 8 p.m., Bravo. This fresh, fun, sometimes hilarious special is built from a slim notion: In a nightclub, actors read passages from other celebrities' autobiographies. Occasionally, audience laughter is fueled by subsequent events — Kathie Lee Gifford proclaims that Frank would never cheat. Then there are juxtapositions. Burt Reynolds describes raw, lusty sex. Loni Anderson, however, describes their same night together as soft and tender. We hear Joan Lunden's account of the order she lays out her clothes, or Vanna White on the art of turning letters. Lots of stars — including Jay Mohr, Cheryl Hines and Kevin Nealon — read, but there are also great moments from unknowns. Jack Plotnick reads Tommy Lee, discussing sex — interchanged with Eugene Pack (the show's creator) as Sylvester Stallone, telling what's in his refrigerator. The combination is bizarrely wonderful.
OF NOTE
"The Santa Clause" (1994), 7 p.m., ABC. This fun film is worth rewatching. Tim Allen stars as an ordinary chap who suddenly must become Santa. David Krumholtz, now the "Numb3rs" star, plays a key elf.
"Joey," 7 p.m., NBC. This show is scheduled for a midseason rest, so it can afford to give us two episodes tonight. In the first, Michael is bummed by a break-up, so Joey and Zach take him on a Tijuana vacation. In the second, Joey's Christmas party brings assorted problems, including Bobbie's controlling boyfriend.
"Snow" (2004), 8 p.m., ABC Family. Last year's best new Christmas film returns. Tom Cavanagh plays Santa's son, desperately trying to retrieve his stolen reindeer three days before the holiday. He soon finds a charming zookeeper (Ashley Williams). The result mixes warmth with clever comedy.
"The Apprentice" finale, 8 p.m., NBC. Randal and Rebecca compete for the top prize, a job in the Trump firm.
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," 8 p.m., CBS. In this rerun, a woman died in a fall down a stairs. Was it murder?
"Without a Trace," 9 p.m., CBS. This rerun involves a search for a quiet, sensitive teen.
— Mike Hughes, Gannett News Service