'Nip/Tuck' offers interesting option

'Nip/ Tuck' offers interesting option

tv tonight

By Joel Brown

New York Times Syndicate

On cable it's a night for much-needed makeovers - no mere vanity here.

On "Nip/Tuck," on FX at 10, Leslie Bibb ("Popular") guests as a fashion model disfigured by an attacker. Sean offers to help her out, for free, but the job puts the practice into the local media glare, with unpredictable results.

But the real drama here may be the secret Ava reveals to Matt, rocking his world in a whole different way. This is one freaky show and one of the few worthwhile viewing options tonight for grown-ups.

Ironically this follows an 8 p.m. FX screening of "The Animal" (2001), in which Rob Schneider receives transplants of animal organs - and you can guess the rest.

Or, for some real-life oddity, tune in to "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" at 10 on Bravo. The night's designated makeover recipient is Al, who has been living in the same small Manhattan apartment since he was a boy.

Now it's full of decades' worth of junk, even though Al is an official with the New York City Department of Sanitation. Al wants to clean up his life for his new girlfriend, a flight attendant, and clean up his look in hopes of career advancement.

This follows a 9 p.m. episode of "Things I Hate About You" with a couple that has been together since they were 13. Will an hour be long enough?

Highlights

"Navy NCIS," CBS at 8: Gibbs must help a former superior who is on the run. Repeat.

"Trading Spouses," Fox at 8: Men from Georgia and men from the Big Apple trade homes and families temporarily and find themselves in completely different worlds.

"Big Brother 5," CBS at 9: The contestants' captivity drags on. Even the security cameras must be sick of these people by now.

"That '70s Show," Fox at 9: Repeat in which Kelso burns down the police academy. Nice going. Followed at 9:30 by a repeat of "Quintuplets."

"Last Comic Standing," NBC at 9: Viewers vote, with the results to be revealed Thursday night. A repeat from last week airs at 8.

"Real Olympics," KSPS at 8: With the games about to get under way in Athens, a look at how the original contests compare to today's. Part I.

"The Player," UPN at 9: Premiere. Yet another reality game with shallow hotties vying for the hand of a human prize. This time the hotties are male and the prize is a Miami model.

All together now: Yuck!

"NYPD 24/7," ABC at 10: Season finale for the documentary series that looks at the lives of New York's finest after Sept. 11, 2001.

"Amazing Race 5," CBS at 10: On to the Sphinx! It's a shame that this exciting global competition has to share a network and a number with the awful "Big Brother."

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," NBC at 10: A victim commits suicide. Repeat.

"P.O.V.," KSPS at 10: A look at a family that's providing its patriarch with a home funeral.

Family Fare

"Gilmore Girls," WB at 8: The passing of Great-Grandma takes a toll on Grandfather, and Lorelei steps in to make the arrangements. Repeat.

"Summerland," WB at 9: New episode heats up the Johnny-and-Ava story line.

Cable Cast

"Barbershop" (2002), Showtime at 9:15: Cedric the Entertainer is the best thing about this funny, occasionally controversial look at life on Chicago's South Side. With Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson and many more.

"MTV Reality Awards," MTV at 10: Near as we can make out, MTV is giving out its usual funny awards to its own reality shows, in categories such as "Best Prankster."

How they'll stretch this to an hour is anyone's guess. But never let it be said that MTV isn't inventive.

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