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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, May 24, 2008

Tube Notes

By Mike Hughes
Gannett News Service

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Barry Livingston and Sunny Mabrey appear in "Final Approach," a semi-believable story about passengers on a hijacked plane.

Hallmark Channel

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TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE

"Final Approach," 5-8 p.m., Hallmark Channel. Hallmark is stuffing the weekend with action films. It debuts this one tonight and "Shark Swarm" Sunday, then reruns many films Monday. "Final Approach" is the best of the bunch. It has a taut and believable (well, semi-believable) story, with a strong cast and skilled director Armand Mastroianni. Passengers on a highjacked plane include a reporter (Tracey Gold), a first-day flight attendant (Sunny Mabrey), a senator and a former FBI agent (Dean Cain) whose wife (Lea Thompson) is an aviation official. Yes, there are coincidences and contrivances here. Still, credit "Final Approach" for avoiding most stereotypes and delivering a solid story.

TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE

"Last Comic Standing," 8:30-10 p.m., NBC. Here's a quick rerun of Thursday's opener, with comedians auditioning in New York in and Tempe, Ariz. The New York ones are especially good. Expect to laugh.

OF NOTE

"Phineas and Ferb," noon to 1 p.m., Disney Channel. Hours of this cartoon and the "Suite Live of Zack & Cody" situation comedy will alternate. These are reruns, except for a new "Phineas" — Grandma Betty Jo makes a Roller Derby comeback — wrapping it up at 8:30.

Basketball preview (2 p.m. ET) and game (2:30 p.m.), ABC. Here's the third game of a best-of-seven series with the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons. The series winner heads to the championship round.

"Vinegar Hill," 7-9 p.m., CBS. Mary-Louise Parker is a terrific actress, but this film will leave viewers perplexed and bitter. Her husband (Tim Guinee) has lost his job, so they retreat to his boyhood farm, where there are dark secrets and a crabby patriarch (Tom Skerritt). The film never makes it clear why they didn't just stay with her parents. It makes Skerritt's character hideously unbelievable, then releases a torrent of melodrama.

"Saturday Night Live," 10:29 p.m., NBC. This rerun has Ashton Kutcher hosting, with music by Gnarls Barkley.