”Icons” looks at ”Star Wars” creatures
This “Star Wars” hype is getting out of hand. A few weeks back I was at a supermarket checkout when my cashier stopped what she was doing to have her picture taken with guys dressed as Imperial Storm Troopers and Darth Vader. I have expected to see Jar Jar Binks in the pet food aisle.
The “Star Wars” promotion will even invade the Animal Planet. The critter channel offers “Animal Icons: Star Wars Creatures” (6 and 9 p.m., Animal Planet). George Lucas discusses how he came up with the ideas for the menagerie of furry and scaly creatures that populate the six “Star Wars” features.
We hear from illustrators and producers who explain the “evolution” of the idea for Chewbacca. Apparently Lucas thought of Chewy as something like the loyal family dog – but a dog who could also fly a space craft at warp speed.
Technicians and actors including Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher discuss how Lucas would send production teams to zoos to study the movements and behavior of real animals as they were concocting the costumes and digital effects for nonhuman characters, including the polar bear-like Wampa, the camel-ish Tauntaun, the swamp-dwellers of Dagobah, forest Ewoks and winged Waddos. I’m still not convinced that Jabba the Hutt was inspired by any living creature unless you count 1940s actor Sidney Greenstreet.
And speaking of Greenstreet, much is made of the menagerie of interplanetary weirdoes found in the “Casablanca”-inspired cantina on the desert planet of Tatooine.
Season finales
Red gets a whiff of the gang’s basement shenanigans just as Eric prepares to leave for Africa on the hourlong season finale of “That ‘70s Show” (8 p.m., Fox.
Tyra Banks and her coven of beauty wizards pick a new winner of “America’s Next Top Model” (8 p.m., UPN).
Graduation looms on a 90-minute episode of “Smallville” (8 p.m., WB). There are movie tie-ins here, with an eight-minute trailer for the forthcoming big screen “Batman” feature.
The custody battle gets ugly on “Kevin Hill” (9 p.m., UPN).
A fatal train derailment results from a despondent man’s suicide bid on of “Law & Order” (10 p.m., NBC)
Other highlights
Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (8 p.m., CBS): popular loans that can result in interest rates of up to 400 percent; an interview with the cast and creator of HBO’s “The Sopranos. “
Murky prophecies proliferate as Michael and Jin prepare to launch their raft on “Lost” (8 p.m., ABC).
Grief and real estate on “King of Queens” (9 p.m., CBS).
The birth of the anti-Christ appears imminent on “Revelations” (9 p.m., NBC).
Three will become two as the votes are tallied on “American Idol” (9 p.m., Fox).
On consecutive episodes of “Alias” (ABC), Sophia’s secret revealed (9 p.m.), and Irina returns (10 p.m.).
Greg’s new job involves role-playing on “Yes, Dear” (9:30 p.m., CBS).
A coffee shop shootout puts Mac in a jam on “CSI: NY” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
Cult choice
A tycoon (Orson Welles) hires an investigator to find figures from his past, who soon turn up dead in the 1955 mystery “Mr. Arkadin” (6:45 p.m., TCM), directed by Welles.
Series notes
Stuart volunteers for a perilous mission on “Stacked” (9:30 p.m., Fox) … Riley’s parents drop in on “Living with Fran” (9:30 p.m., WB).
Late night
Chris Rock and Nicolette Sheridan appear on “Late Show with David Letterman” (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jay Leno hosts Julie Scardina and Juliette Lewis on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Michael Irvin and Audioslave appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (12:05 a.m., ABC).
Andy Richter, Matthew Fox and Nick DiPaolo are scheduled on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” (12:35 a.m., NBC) … Craig Ferguson hosts Michael Tucker and Acceptance on “The Late, Late Show” (12:37 a.m., CBS).