Helter Skelter
CBS, Citytv, 8 p.m. Jeremy Davies (the cowardly soldier in Saving Private Ryan) dons the guise of a totally different character in this TV-movie: psycho Charles Manson. The film covers the Manson gang's two-night murderous rampage in 1969, their most famous victims being actress Sharon Tate and coffee heiress Abigail Folger. Bruno Kirby plays prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, who wrote the book on which the movie is based.
Super Millionaire
ABC, NewVR, 9 p.m. Regis Philbin's February specials were a hit, so for this month's sweeps the man returns to give a new batch of contestants a shot at $10-million. Four more episodes will air, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and next Sunday, all at 10 p.m. Isn't this strangely late, though? This is one of the few primetime shows kids can watch to gain new (and not unwanted) knowledge, and it's on way past most bedtimes.
The Practice
ABC, CH, 10 p.m. The one-time hit legal drama finishes after a 168-episode run. Former series star Dylan McDermott ties up his guest-starring role that began on May 2, while Alan (James Spader) leaves the firm he has headed all season. This will set up the character for a fall spin-off, so, in effect, The Practice isn't really ending at all. Hey, if Sam Malone had opened a new bar, wouldn't it still be Cheers?
-- Ken Carriere
MOVIES
The Birdcage (1996)
Toronto1, 9 p.m. I know there are many gay men who are far from hypermasculine. But Hollywood's ongoing attempts to present us with queeny guys, and then pretend it's oh-so-liberal because it gives them scripts in which they are accepted -- yes, effeminate fags are people too -- is gross. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is the latest example: Cast five stereotypically gay guys against a stereotypically straight lunkhead, pivot the action on their differences, then get us to ooh and ahh that they're all human beings after all. The Birdcage is a particularly egregious example of this faux homophility. An embarrassingly gauche turn on the far lighter French farce La Cage aux Folles, it's got Nathan Lane and Robin Williams as a pair of fruity dudes whose straight son is coming to visit, accompanied by his fianc{Zcaron}e and her -- get this! -- right-wing father. Oh my God! This is going to be soooo campy and fraught! In case we missed the fact that gays are truly queer, Hank Azaria rounds out the cast as the lispy couple's swishy chef. -- Victor Dwyer
SPORTS
The Toronto Blue Jays play host to the Boston Red Sox on Sportsnet at 1 p.m. The Byron Nelson golf tournament concludes today (3 p.m., CBS, CH). And ABC will have the NBA playoff game between the Minnestoa Timberwolves and the Sacremeneto Kings at 3:30 p.m.
-- David Shoalts