Nature film focuses on meerkats
The lines between documentary and traditional comedy and drama continue to blur. This hybrid genre has created some peculiar stars, including Ozzie and Sharon, Paris and Nicole and two sets of “Office” drones from both sides of the Atlantic.
But tonight we may see the first nonhuman celebrities to emerge from a TV docudrama – the stars of “Meerkat Manor” (5 and 9 p.m., Animal Planet).
For the uninitiated, the meerkat is the “it” mammal of the moment. It lives on the outskirts of Africa’s Kalahari Desert. Only 12 inches tall, the critters stand upright with the help of an 8-inch-long tail that serves as a kind of tripod. Meerkats also sport a raccoonlike mask that shields their large eyes from the harsh sun.
Narrated by Sean Astin (“Lord of the Rings”) and shot over a 10-year period by a film crew from Cambridge University, “Meerkat Manor” is a traditional nature film enhanced with a life-and-death story line, cute names and healthy helpings of violence, rivalry and family intrigue worthy of the Borgias.
Even romance blooms on “Meerkat Manor.” In one episode, a male from the rival Lazuli family woos one of Blossom’s daughters, stealing a meerkat page from “Romeo & Juliet.”
Danny’s plans for a relaxing summer take a back seat when a villain named Freakshow (the voice of Jon Cryer) hatches evil plans on a one-hour episode of “Danny Phantom” (8 p.m., Nickelodeon).
Tonight’s other highlights
Rob Schneider stars in the 2001 comedy “The Animal” (8 p.m., Fox).
A killer’s mother may be the key to his conviction on “Close to Home” (9 p.m., CBS).
A lottery ticket changes 20 lives on the repeat of the pilot episode of “Windfall” (9 p.m., NBC).
Rose questions her relationship with the Doctor on “Doctor Who” (9 p.m., Sci Fi).
Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn star in the 2003 comedy “Old School” (9 p.m., TBS).
Small-plane passengers cling to life while lost at sea on “I Shouldn’t Be Alive” (9 p.m., Discovery).
Environmental radicals are linked to murder on “Numb3rs” (10 p.m., CBS).
A murder of an activist may be linked to a new strain of AIDS on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (10 p.m., NBC).
Series notes
Tom Bergeron hosts “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (8 p.m., ABC) … A lover’s spat on “What I Like About You” (8 p.m., WB) … Tomboy blues on “Twins” (8:30 p.m., WB) … On two episodes of “Hope & Faith” (ABC), passion wilts (9 p.m.), and a revealing hobby (9:30 p.m.) … Love and dentistry on “Reba” (9 p.m., WB), … Defying age on “Living with Fran” (9:30 p.m., WB).