TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: “In Performance
at the White House,” 8 and 9:30 p.m., PBS (check local listings).
Here is sheer starpower, celebrating
Paul McCartney receiving the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
He'll perform, along with Stevie
Wonder, the Jonas Brothers and more. Others include Faith Hill, Elvis
Costello, Jack White, Herbie Hancock, Corinne Bailey Rae, Lang Lang
and Jerry Seinfeld.
TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE: “Plain Jane”
debut, 9 p.m., CW.
Each week, one woman gets a new look
and dating advice – then is set up with her secret crush.
The opener seems to have the perfect
person. She's cute, slender, bright (albeit a tad screechy) and
likable; she says she's never had a date, except for a prom in which
the guy ended the night with her only enemy. Now she makes an
impressive transformation.
TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: “The Choir,”
10 p.m., BBC America.
Back in 2006, Gareth Malone –
director of the London Symphony's community choir – arrived at a
working-class English school, to form a choir. He was slender,
boyish, well-spoken.
“We thought he was about 10,” one
student says here. “He looked so young.”
His success has been shown in a
documentary over the past three Wednesdays; now comes a film shot at
a reunion a year later. It repeats way too much footage from the
other weeks, but adds updates.
Some of the kids still listen to
classical music, some are in community or church choirs, many talk
emotionally about the experience. “This big part of your life is
over,” one says.
Other choices include:
– “So You Think You Can Dance,”
8-10 p.m., Fox. Last Thursday, the judges hit an impasse and sent no
one home. That makes this the key week, with two of the six dancers
ousted. Tonight, each will do a solo and will duet with an “all-star”
from a previous season. Also, each will be paired with another
finalist for a duet; that takes creative choreography, because only
one female remains.
– “Big Brother,” 8 p.m., CBS. So
far, two women have been dropped. Here's the “power of the veto”
round, leading into the third ouster, Thursday.
– “The Middle,” 8 and 8:30 p.m.,
ABC. In the first rerun, Axl seems to have an ideal girlfriend (Alexa
Vega). In the second, a consultant (Amy Sedaris) makes Frankie busy
and bitter at work; that means Mike must do more at home –
including getting a pool table so Axl will think it's a fun place.
– “Modern Family,” 9 p.m., ABC.
In a rerun, Phil thinks it's a great idea to connect with his former
girlfriend (Judy Greer) by Facebook and then invite her over. His
wife disagrees.
– “Cougar Town,” 9:30 p.m., ABC.
Sheryl Crow starts a three-episode stretch in this rerun, as a hot
wine-company representative who wants to snag Grayson.
– “America's Got Talent,” 9 p.m.,
NBC. Four of Wednesday's 12 acts will be nudged to the next round.
– “Law & Order: Special Victims
Unit,” 10 p.m., NBC. Ann-Margret and Jaclyn Smith star in this
rerun, in which a serial killer seems to be back after 30 years.