VH1 explores link between music, soldiers
You’ve got the Olympics. You’ve got “Family Guy.” You’ve got “Rescue Me.” But the show of the night might be VH1’s 9 p.m. special, “Soundtrack to War.”
If you’ve seen Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” or read any of the frontline coverage of the fighting in Iraq — try the gripping book “Generation Kill” by Evan Wright — then you know that rock and rap are a big part of our soldiers’ days.
The music revs them up for combat and provides consolation afterward.
Australian documentarian George Gittoes provides compelling footage of young soldiers and the tunes that accompany them into combat. Members of the 1st Armored Division talk about their music and even sing songs they’ve written themselves. Some scenes were used in Moore’s movie.
Olympic Update
NBC’s prime-time festivities start at 8. Tonight’s events include men’s individual gymnastics, gold-medal swimming finals, cycling and track and field time trials. Bob Costas hosts.
There’s also hour upon hour of coverage of other events, including some big soccer matches, on NBC’s corporate siblings, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Bravo and Telemundo. Detailed schedules for all these stations are at nbcolympics.com.
One final note: “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” are both pre-empted for the next two weeks for late-night Olympic coverage.
Highlights
Sitcoms, ABC at 8: Back-to-back repeats of “My Wife and Kids” followed by back-to-back new episodes of the played-out “Drew Carey Show.”
“60 Minutes,” CBS at 8: Mike Wallace talks to Larry King, and Bob Simon looks at the matchmaking industry.
“Family Guy,” Fox at 8: Success on DVD has revived this exuberantly off-color, short-lived animated sitcom.
New episodes will turn up soon on Fox. But they’re reintroducing it tonight with four straight repeats from the show’s original run in 2001-02.
It’s about halfway between “The Simpsons” and “South Park.” Give it a shot.
“Amish in the City,” UPN at 8: Hormones come to the fore in a game of “Truth or Dare.” One can only imagine the producers high-fiving out in the TV truck.
“Smallville,” WB at 8: Back-to-back repeats, beginning with an e-mail that drives Clark and Lana to attack Chloe.
“King of Queens,” CBS at 9: Back-to-back repeats find Carrie and Arthur at odds and then Carrie and Doug at odds.
“The Reunion,” ABC at 10: An ABC News special. Former students from Shaker, Ohio, who experienced racial integration firsthand at the height of the civil rights struggle talk about the lasting effects integration had on them.
“48 Hours,” CBS at 10: A disgraced ex-police officer finds new evidence in the case of a missing teen.
Family Fare
“SpongeBob SquarePants,” Nick at 8: Plankton has a scheme. Repeat.
Cable Cast
“Rescue Me,” FX at 10: Best new show on TV? Yup. Tonight Charles Durning arrives as Tommy’s father, forcing him to face the reality of his family life. But keep your eye out for star Denis Leary’s real-life pal Lenny Clarke, a wry side of beef who’s going to join the cast as another member of the family one of these nights.
“Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica,” MTV at 10: Jessica’s concert tour kicks off in the third-season finale.
Late Night Talk
“Late Show with David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Sharon Stone and musical guests the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC at 12:05 a.m.: Paul Sorvino, Blanchard Ryan and Carole King.
“Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn,” CBS at 12:35: John Tesh, Angus T. Jones (the kid on “Two and a Half Men”) and musical guest Tommy Stinson.