Stars honored on ‘Kennedy Center’
Where else can you see Butch and Sundance together again, and a gush from Oprah, A “Knots Landing” reunion, and the president and first lady?
Why, on “The 28th Annual Kennedy Center Honors” (9 p.m., CBS). Past recipients, friends and esteemed colleagues welcome Tony Bennett, Suzanne Farrell, Robert Redford, Julie Harris and Tina Turner to the cultural pantheon established in 1978.
Quincy Jones (a 2001 honoree) kicks things off with a salute to Bennett. Trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis and singers Diana Krall, Vanessa Williams and k.d. lang perform some of Bennett’s signature hits.
Ballet dancer Farrell receives praise from her former New York City Ballet partner Jacques D’Amboise (1995) as well as dancer Maria Tallchief (1996).
Tom Brokaw has never been honored by the Kennedy Center, but he introduces his friend, neighbor and 2005 recipient Robert Redford. Paul Newman (1992) soon joins his co-star from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “The Sting.”
Willie Nelson (1998), Redford’s co-star in “Electric Horseman,” arrives to sing “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys,” but not before Glenn Close praises Redford, too.
Harris may not have a film festival named after her, but she certainly has earned the respect of her colleagues of stage and screen. Kevin Spacey, Helen Mirren, Alec Baldwin and Mary-Louise Parker praise Harris for her many memorable characters.
Baldwin fondly remembers when she played his mother on “Knots Landing,” and he says he considered every day working with Harris “a master class in acting.”
Oprah Winfrey introduces Turner and declares herself Turner’s “biggest groupie.” She salutes Turner’s ability to survive after a difficult period of abuse.
Turner’s repertoire brings out several generations of interpreters, including Queen Latifah (“What’s Love Got to Do with It?”); Melissa Etheridge (“Nutbush City Limits” and “River Deep Mountain High”); and Beyonce (“Proud Mary”).
As is customary, “Kennedy Center Honors” was taped earlier this month before an audience of Washington dignitaries, including President and Mrs. George W. Bush. Caroline Kennedy hosts for the third consecutive year.
“The Closer” (10 p.m., TNT), the summer’s standout cable drama, will repeat over the next three months. Star Kyra Sedgwick recently received a Golden Globe nomination.
Bill Kurtis hosts an update of “American Justice: What the Girl Saw” (8 p.m., A&E), an account of a man sentenced to life in prison for the horrible 1999 crime of raping and killing his mother-in-law and raping his 6-year-old niece. He and his family maintained his innocence, and a 2003 “American Justice” segment followed his story.
An outpouring of support followed and enabled his family to pay for the DNA testing that eventually exonerated him. He was freed on Dec. 15, 2005.
Other highlights
A nightclub nightmare on “Bones” (8 p.m., Fox).
Ice Cube stars in the 2002 heist drama “All About the Benjamins” (8 p.m., UPN).
Rory takes to the Daughters of the American Revolution set on “Gilmore Girls” (8 p.m., WB).
Ready for a recount on “My Name is Earl” (9 p.m., NBC).
A patient on death row has visions on “House” (9 p.m., Fox).
The trial of a black-widow killer (Heather Locklear) on a two-hour episode of “Boston Legal” (9 p.m., ABC).
A very unwanted pregnancy on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (10 p.m., NBC).
“REAL Sports with Bryant Gumbel” (10 p.m., HBO) revisits the top stories of 2005.
Cult choice
An angel (Bruno Ganz) falls in love with a mortal in director Wim Wenders’ 1987 fantasy “Wings of Desire” (6:30 p.m., TCM).
Series notes
Identity theft on “NCIS” (8 p.m., CBS) … Joe Rogan hosts “Fear Factor” (8 p.m., NBC) … A Wrigley Field education on “According to Jim” (8 p.m., ABC) … A lack of steeple skills on “Rodney” (8:30 p.m., ABC) … A flaming vision and a phantom hitchhiker on “Supernatural” (9 p.m., WB) … Losing nerve on “The Office” (9:30 p.m., NBC).