Usher in spotlight on ‘One Night’
Millions tune in three nights a week to guess who will win “American Idol.”
But America already has a dominant pop singer, and his name is Usher. The winner of multiple Billboard and Grammy Awards, Usher will perform songs from his recent multi-platinum album “Confessions” on the 90-minute musical special “One Night One Star” (9 p.m. tonight, Showtime) broadcast tape-delayed from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Non-Showtime subscribers need not worry; the premium cable outlet is offering a free preview of its weekend fare.
“Queer Eye” cutup Carson Kressley shows off his flair for things equestrian on “Celebrity Hobbies” (8 p.m. tonight, DIY). He’s a nationally ranked rider of American saddle-bred horses. Who knew?
“Hobbies” also celebrates another multifaceted star. When not on tour, NBA player-turned -musician Wayman Tisdale likes to kick back on his farm, where he raises chickens and horses.
When the going gets tough, the already beautiful really begin to look fabulous. That, in a nutshell, is the lesson I took away from the TV movie adaptation of “Their Eyes Were Watching God” (9 p.m. Sunday, ABC). Produced by Oprah Winfrey and based on a book by Zora Neale Hurston, “God” stars Halle Berry as Janie Crawford, a lovely woman from the turn-of-the-century segregated South who defies social conventions in her pursuit of personal and spiritual fulfillment.
The latest variation on the talent-contest reality show, “The Starlet” (8 p.m. Sunday, WB), pits 10 untrained actresses against each other in a chance for a big break. The winner will become a regular on the series “One Tree Hill.”
The cross-promotional opportunities don’t end there. In tonight’s debut, the 10 worthies are asked to perform a scene from the WB show “Smallville” with an actor from the WB show “7th Heaven.”
I was surprised they weren’t asked to kiss the WB frog.
Fans of “Arrested Development” (8:30 p.m. Sunday, Fox) should catch the last few episodes before it disappears. Fox recently shut down production of the critically acclaimed series.
On Sunday’s hourlong episode, Maggie (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) returns with something extra, Buster is about to be shipped out to Iraq, and Mom learns the power of prayer.