Mike Hughes on TV

TONIGHT'S MUST SEE: “The Big Bang
Theory,” 8 and 9 p.m., CBS.

It's an all-rerun night for CBS, but
the network is making it fun. It slides “Person of Interest” back
an hour, making room for more laughs, including two episodes of TV's
best comedy.

In the first, Sheldon is accused of
sexual harassment; he soon gets his friends in trouble. In the
second, he overhears that Penny might break up with Leonard; also,
Howard is mocked by fellow astronauts.

TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE: “Hannibal,”
10:01 p.m., NBC.

By this third episode, two things are
clear: “Hannibal” is a cable-quality show, beautifully written,
directed and acted. Second, it's serialized; unlike the opener,
tonight's hour lacks closure.

The serial killer is dead, but there
are suspicions that his daughter helped him. FBI consultant Will
Graham takes her back to her home in Minnesota, hoping for clues …
and finds new tragedies. He's joined by his colleague Hannibal Lecter
… who, viewers know, will also become a serial killer.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: “Which Way is
the Front Line From Here?” 8-9:30 p.m., HBO.

Early in 2011, Tim Hetherington and
Sebastian Junger were covered with well-deserved praise. Their
“Restrepo” – a vivid portrait of soldiers in Afghanistan –
had received raves and an Oscar nomination.

But Hetherington , 40, was restless.
Ever since graduating from Oxford, he had traveled the world, as a
visitor and then as a renowned photographer. On April 20, 2011, he
was killed in an explosion while shooting the Libyan rebellion. Now
Junger has retraced his friend's life with depth and quiet emotion.

Other choices include:

– “American Idol,” 8 p.m., Fox.
Now things get serious: The five women (all impressive) remain, the
five men (none impressive) are gone; barring a rule change, the
“save” is no longer available. First are performances by the
third-season champion (Fantasia) and second-season runner-up (Clay
Aiken).

– “The Office,” 8:30 p.m., NBC.
Nudged a half-hour earlier than usual, the show reruns its
season-opener. Andy vows revenge on Nellie; two new guys – dubbed
“new Jim” and “Andy Jr.” – arrive.

– “Two and a Half Men,” 8:31
p.m., CBS. A rerun catches Walden torn between Rose and Zoey.

– “2 Broke Girls,” 9 p.m., CBS.
This transplanted rerun finds Sophie becoming a silent partner in the
cupcake company, instantly clashing with Caroline.

– “Parks and Recreation,” 9 and
9:31 p.m., NBC. In the first episode, Leslie tries to dump outdated
town ordinances. In the second, she frets about the right retirement
gift for Jerry.

– “Glee,” 9 p.m., Fox. After
learning that this year's theme for regionals is “dreams,” the
glee club ponders what to sing. Meanwhile, Rachel auditions for a
“Funny Girl” revival on Broadway. Idina Menzel returns as her
birth mother Shelby; NeNe Leakes returns as Coach Roz.

– “Men at Work,” 10 p.m., TBS.
After a weak start, this episode get a big boost from Peri Gilpin –
Roz in “Frasier,” Payson's mom in “Make It or Break It,”
Russell's wife in “CSI” – as the new boss. The guys promptly
botch chances for a good first impression; that includes hilarious
elevator scenes.

– “Scandal,” 10:02 p.m., ABC.
This rerun finds Olivia in the rare position of fighting the White
House. Her client (Lisa Edelstein of “House”) is a CEO, accused
of an affair with the Supreme Court nominee.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: “How to Live With
Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life”), 9:31 p.m., ABC.

When she meets the hottest guy from her
college years, Polly decides to revise her life story. She won't tell
him she's a divorced coffee-shop worker, living with her parents and
her daughter; instead, she's a prosperous environmentalist who lets
her parents stay in her gorgeous home.

Then comes the chaos of an Oscar party
… and her daughter's first sleepover at the ex-husband's place.
Secrets and surprises pour out, alongside laughs and a fight over a
scale-model comedy club.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE II: “American
Idol,” 8-10 p.m., Fox.

Yes, there was a time when women won on
“Idol.” Viewers will remember that Thursday, when Fantasia (the
show's third winner) performs. They were reminded last Thursday by
Kelly Clarkson and a week earlier by Carrie Underwood – the first
and fourth winners. And by the voting results.

In five weeks, viewers have dumped all
five men, with judges refusing to use their save. All five female
finalists remain; next month, one will become the first woman to win
in six years.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: “Nature” and
“Nova,” 8 and 9 p.m., PBS (catch local listings).

First is a portrait of eels, viewed in
many ways. People catch them in Maine, breed them in China, devour
them in Japan, consider them vital to the native culture in New
Zealand. It's an interesting subject, semi-marred by flat narration.

Then comes the second of four hours on
Australia's natural history. Four billion years zipped by in the
first hour, so now it's time for creatures to try land. In a vast
desert, on the globe's driest planet, we see some of the earliest
fossils of sea creatures. The settings are as spectacular as the
story being told.

Other choices include:

– “Survivor,” 8 p.m., CBS. So
far, the “Fans vs. Favorites” concept has been a mismatch: Seven
of the 10 “favorites” remain; with Michael Snow's ouster last
week, only three “fans” remain. But CBS says revelations at
tonight's tribal council could disrupt things; also, an injury
endangers one contestant.

– “Suburgatory” season-finale, 8
and 8:30 p.m., ABC. Always interesting and sometimes funny,
“Suburgatory” is best when its plot is busy. That happens
tonight, as Tessa's dad struggles to tell her he's sold their house;
they'll be living with Dallas and with Tessa's enemy Dalia. That's
followed by a few laughs, some key plot shifts and a reminder that
Jeremy Sisto is a terrific drama actor.

– “Modern Family,” 9 p.m., ABC.
In a rerun, Cam is directing the school's “Phantom of the Opera.”
When the star is ill, Manny is desperate for the part, even if it
means nudging Luke aside.

– “Frost/Nixon” (2008), 9-11
p.m., Ion. When David Frost landed TV rights to interview Richard
Nixon, expectations were low. Frost was a witty comedian with a
playboy reputation, unlikely to match an ex-president. He floundered,
then got serious; it's a great story, beautifully told by writer
Peter Morgan. Like Morgan's “The Queen,” it drew Oscar
nominations for his script and for best picture. Others were for
director Ron Howard and Frank Langella, playing Nixon opposite
Michael Sheen.

– “Elementary,” 10 p.m., CBS. In
a transplanted rerun, a seemingly impenetrable vault has been beaten.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: “In Performance
at the White House,” 8 p.m., PBS (check local listings).

Memphis was once the center of the
blues and soul world. The Stax record label and its subsidiaries
triumphed with Otis Redding, Mavis Staples, Isaac Hayes, Carla Thomas
and more.

Now that music is celebrated by people
ranging from Sam Moore, 77, to “American Idol” alumnus Joshua
Ledet, 20. Booker T. Jones leads the band, backing many of the
originals—Staples, William Bell, guitarist Steve Cropper and
harmonica great Charlie Musselwhite. They're joined by Memphis native
Justin Timberlake, plus Alabama Shakes, Queen Latifah, Ben Harper and
Cyndi Lauper.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE II: “The Central
Park Five,” 9-11 p.m., PBS.

Fresh from the multi-racial joy of the
White House concert, we go in the opposite direction.

In 1989, crime and fear had soared in
New York City. Then a young corporate-finance officer was raped and
left for dead in Central Park. She was white, a Wellesley and Yale
alumna from a wealthy family; the five suspects were black and Latino
teens.

They were convicted amid noisy rage; 13
years later, they were exonerated amid quiet reactions. It's a
compelling story, superbly told by new filmmaker Sarah Burns, her
father Ken and David McMahon.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: “The '80s”
conclusion, 9-11 p.m., National Geographic.

Desperate to exit East Germany,
Hans-Peter Spitzner approached a stranger (visiting U.S.soldier Eric
Yaw) and asked if he could hide in the trunk with his 7-year-old
daughter. Yaw agreed; his hidden passengers were reportedly the last
escapees through Checkpoint Charlie.

Ten weeks later, in November of 1989,
the Berlin Wall came down, offering an appropriate finish to a decade
of change. Such stories wrap up this excellent, three-night series.
The previous night reruns at 7 p.m. and both nights rerun together,
from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. The full series will rerun Saturday.

Other choices include:

– “Awkward,” 10 a.m. to 11:03
p.m., MTV. Things start with the weirdly funny pilot film, when an
odd accident makes people think wallflower Jenna tried suicide. The
other reruns follow, leading to the third-season opener (10 p.m.);
Jenna ponders a wild summer, a death and a post-high-school future.

– “NCIS: Los Angeles,” 8 p.m.,
CBS. The two “NCIS” shows have switched spots for tonight's
reruns. This one wrap up a two-parter involving the search for a
ring of Russian super-agents.

– “NCIS,” 9 p.m., CBS. In a
rerun, a hacker may be the key to finding the most-wanted
cyber-terrorist.

– “DancingWith the Stars,” 9
p.m., ABC. By the end of the hour, we'll learn who is the fourth
person gone. First, however, there will be young singers – Selena
Gomez, The Band Perry and Kerli.

– “Who Gets the Last Laugh”
opener, 10 p.m., TBS. A temp worker is put in charge of an envelope
with $100,0000 … which disappears. A club-goer emerges to find her
car covered with goop; a driver is pulled over by eccentric cops.
Yes, we're in practical-joke turf. The jokesters are celebrities
(Bill Bellamy, Jeff Dye, Kunal Nayyar), the targets are not and the
stunts are only moderately clever.

– “Body of Proof,” 10:01 p.m.,
ABC. A Bernie Madoff-type financier has cheated clients out of a
billion dollars. As he emerges from court, he's kidnapped … and a
video claims he's been killed.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: “Defiance”
debut, 9-11 p.m., Syfy.

Some 33 years ago, aliens invaded and
chaos began. Now an ex-Marine travels and scavenges, joined by an
angry alien whom he rescued long ago and considers his daughter.

They reach Defiance (formerly St.
Louis), where races have found peace … almost. Two powerful
families – one alien, one Earthling – feud and tougher forces
invade. In its mid-section, “Defiance” is sort of a too-grimy
cowboy film. At the start and finish, however, it's great sci-fi.

TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE: “Hawaii Five-0,”
9 p.m., CBS.

Two stories of North Korean missions
entwine. One, a flashback, is a prequel to the show's pilot film; the
other is a current story involving the retrieval of a body.

We'll have to overlook the fact that
both missions strain plausibility and the second is relatively
pointless. In both, we get lots of slam-bang adventure, alongside
sturdy passion.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: “Top of the
Lake” conclusion, 9-11 p.m., Sundance.

At times, this five-week, seven-hour
mini-series has been as slow and quiet as its New Zealand setting. At
its core, however, is a darkly compelling story.

A 12-year-old won't say (or doesn't
know) how she got pregnant. Robin (Elisabeth Moss), a cop, suspects
the girl's father … who is also the father of Robin's lover.

After briefly visiting a women's
retreat, the girl is hiding on an island. Tonight, good and bad
forces rush to find her first. There are some gripping moments and then a
strong, surprise ending.

Other choices include:

– “The '80s,” 7-11 p.m., National
Geographic, re-running, 11 p.m. to 3 a.m.. First we get a rerun of
Sunday's well-crafted opener; which starts with the “miracle on
ice” hockey game. The mid-section of this three-night film starts
at 9, watching new ideas soar (cell phones) or crash (New Coke). It
follows the rise of Madonna, “Dynasty,” Wall Street and a
greed-is-good philosophy.

– “The Voice,” 8-10:01 p.m., NBC.
The auditions are finished now and “battle rounds” begin.

-- "Dancing With the Stars," 8-10:01 p.m., ABC. Last week, Lisa Vanderpump was the third person out. That leaves Victor Ortiz (who was in the bottom two), D.L. Hughley and Andy Dick among the survivors, despite some misadventures.

– “Bones,” 8 p.m., Fox. Alongside
an OK mystery (the victim doubled as stockbroker and stripper), Booth
meets the mom who abandoned him. That's mostly lame, but gets better
in the final minutes.

– “The Following,” 9 p.m., Fox.
Now Sheriff Nelson is brought into the search for Joe Carroll. That's
a problem, because Nelson is actually the underling Carroll calls
Roderick.

– “Dallas” season-finale, 9-11
p.m., TNT. John Ross is intent on learning who killed his dad, the
crafty J.R. Ewing. There's more to it, though; Bobby says his brother
J.R. had a scheme to stop his enemies. Can the feuding Ewings band
together to fulfill the plan and learn who killed J.R.?

– “Mike & Molly,” 9:30 p.m.,
CBS. For their birthdays, some people expect the impossible. Mike
wants his wife and his sarcastic mother to get along.

– “Independent Lens,” 10 p.m.,
PBS (check local listings). Created in 1941 (by a guy who also helped
invent the lie detector), Wonder Woman was as strong as the
comic-book guys; she was tied up a lot, but promptly broke free. The
character became weaker and blander for a time, then boomed back. Her
story is the backdrop of a richly illustrated view of what's now a
Xena-Buffy-Bionic Woman landscape.

-- "Revolution," 10:01 p.m., NBC. Rachel starts a daring attempt to restore power globally.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE: “The '80s”
opener, 8 p.m. Sunday, National Geographic; repeats at 10 p.m. and
midnight; two more parts, Monday and Tuesday.

Here's a surprisingly sharp, smart
documentary series, with people who were at the heart of changes.

Tonight, we meet the guy who solved
Rubik's cube …. The surgeons who saved President Reagan … The
hockey player who saw a gun-wielding KGB agent on the Russian team …
and many more.

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE II: “Call the
Midwife” and “Masterpiece Classic,” 8 and 9 p.m., PBS (check
local listings).

On a sleepy night for the other
broadcast networks, PBS continues its strong Sunday dramas.

First, Jenny is temporarily transferred
to a London hospital, where she finds an intimidating doctor and a
past acquaintance. At her old workplace, a case involves identical
twins, one of them pregnant.

Then Selfridge is fascinated by Isadora
Duncan, the dance great. In a strong episode, she becomes a new
symbol for his store, amid crises for his wife, his mistress and a
clerk who has a drunken dad.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE: MTV Movie
Awards, 9 p.m., MTV. \

This starts with a music mash-up from
the “Pitch Perfect” cas. Then Rebel Wilson, from the film, hosts.

There's more music, from Selena Gomez
and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. There are special awards – Jamie
Foxx, Will Ferrell and Emma Watson – and silly awards. Presenters
include Brad Pitt, Zac Efron, Chris Rock, Melissa McCarthy, Amanda
Seyfried and more.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE II:
Season-openers, 9-11 p.m., Showtime and HBO.

On this quiet broadcast night,
pay-cable swoops in. Showtime has a moving “Nurse Jackie” and an
epic “Borgias”; HBO follows “Game of Thrones” with a funny
“Veep.” We'll preview them separately.

Other choices include:

– “Once Upon a Time,” 8 p.m.,
ABC. With Sunday distractions from basketball and country music, it's
been difficult to keep up with this excellent show. This is a special
that looks at what has happened so far and previews the season's
final four episodes; ABC's other dramas tonight are reruns.

– “The Simpsons,” 8 p.m., Fox.
Marge is fed up with Homer (again). Also, Milhouse turns bad-boy.

– “The Good Wife,” 9 p.m., CBS.
Alicia represents a student who accuses her classmate of rape. The
case suddenly gets national attention, when a hacker group gets
involved.

– “Nurse Jackie” season-opener, 9
p.m., Showtime, rerunning at 9:30. A clean-and-sober Jackie, it turns
out, is just as interesting – and just as sad – as a
drug-addicted one.

– “The Mentalist,” 10 p.m., CBS.
The owner of a rundown Wild West tourist town has been killed.

– “The Borgias” season-opener, 10
p.m., Showtime. Last season ended with Pope Alexander (Jeremy Irons)
being poisoned, shortly after one son, Cesare, admitted killing
another. Now Cesare seethes with revenge on the poison-plotters,
while his sister Lucrezia turns to early-stages science. The
cardinals wait semi-patiently for the pope to die and power to shift.
It's a big hour, visually and emotionally.

– “Veep” season-opener, 10 p.m.,
HBO. For the vice-president (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the bad news is
that her party was crushed in the mid-term elections; the good is
that she's more popular than the others. That leads to some funny
moments as she stretches for new power.