Tonight, One TV May Not Be Enough
There’s quality and quantity in tonight’s extensive assortment of season finales. If you don’t own a second TV, this would be the evening to borrow one.
For our money, the big three to watch are “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Frasier” and “NYPD Blue.”
Written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon, which is always a good thing, the suspenseful and surprising 100th episode of “Buffy” (8 p.m. WB) completes this season’s titanic tussle between between Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Glory (Clare Kramer), who needs Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) to unleash Armageddon and destroy reality as we know it.
Come fall, “Buffy” will move to UPN but keep its current time slot.
“Frasier” (9 and 9:30 p.m. NBC) goes out with back-to-back episodes featuring Jean Smart. In the second, the self-absorbed shrink takes a Caribbean vacation with his new love Claire (Patricia Clarkson), but something bothers him about their budding relationship. Martin, Niles and Daphne tag along, natch.
And on “NYPD Blue” (10 p.m. ABC), the cops at the 15th Precinct anticipate the worst when Sorensen (Rick Schroder) is missing, while the stripper he was dating is found dead in his apartment. Hmmm. Sounds like a case for Diane Russell.
Surf Report
SERIES
“JAG” (8 p.m.) and “Judging Amy” (10 p.m. CBS) call it quits until fall.
“Angel” (9 p.m. WB) offers a season finale set in another dimension, where Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) discovers she must mate with a demon. Boy, it’s tough being a beautiful princess.
At 9 p.m. on ABC, the marriage of “Dharma & Greg” reaches a breaking point.
On Fox, lovebirds Donna and Eric are on shaky ground in “That ‘70s Show” (8 p.m.); a wedding goes awry on “Titus” (8:30 p.m.); and Max (Jessica Alba) leads an attack on Manticore in “Dark Angel” at 9 p.m.
Last and, yes, least, “3rd Rock From the Sun” (8 p.m. NBC) ends its six-season run with a one-hour swan song featuring guest star Elvis Costello.
MOVIES
Gail O’Grady (“NYPD Blue”) plays an FBI agent whose partner (Michael Bowen) is an embezzler in “Hostage Negotiator” (9 p.m. USA).
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