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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Nickelodeon’s ‘Band’ charming

Mike Hughes Gannett News Service

Tonight’s might see

“The Naked Brothers Band: Polar Bears,” 8 p.m., Nickelodeon. With its goofy charm, “Band” can get away with anything. This expanded episode, set in New Orleans, provides proof.

There are clever moments, spoofing the Beatles’ “bigger than Jesus” controversy. And silly ones involving Alex’s ecology obsession, Nat’s soup-slurping and romantic mix-ups. Still, it all works. We have bright brothers, ages 13 and 10, who write their own songs and play themselves, with their mom directing. The result is light, slight and entertaining.

Tonight’s might-see II

“Meerkat Manor: The Next Generation” debut, 9 p.m., Animal Planet. Last season (a 12-hour rerun marathon starts at 9 a.m.) left tragedy, a power vacuum and two separate meerkat groups. Now the leaders, Maybelline and Rocket Dog, cling to power. Each needs to be pregnant.

Other choices include

“Ghost Whisperer,” 8 and 9 p.m., CBS. Both reruns put a sharper focus on Melinda’s husband, Jim. In the first, she’s away and he must deal with seeing a beautiful woman with Egyptian symbols. In the second, he may have forgotten the anniversary of the day they met. The date coincides with an inferno memory for Melinda.

“White Chicks” (2004), 8-10 p.m., Fox. Keenan Wayans directed his brothers (Shawn and Marlon) in a comedy about FBI agents going undercover in a sorority. We may have to stretch to remember that Keenan and Fox had satirical greatness with “In Living Color.”

“Monty Python,” 8 and 8:40 p.m., BBC America. Remember that this great series is being rerun on Fridays. You get a sense of the dry humor with the title to tonight’s first episode: “How to Recognize Different Types of Trees From Quite a Long Way Away.”

“Doctor Who,” 9 p.m., Sci Fi, rerunning at 11 p.m. More offbeat British-ness: The Doctor suddenly has a daughter, via some DNA work.

“Numb3rs,” 10 p.m., CBS. Don worries about a school that has contamination and a sinkhole. Charlie worries about a new boss (Kathy Najimy) who doesn’t like his FBI work.