‘Idol’ whittles down its field
Four more contestants get the boot on tonight’s “American Idol” (8 p.m., Fox).
As of this early date, Elliot Yamin and Chris Daughtry appear to be the male singers to beat. Female teens Paris Bennett and Lisa Tucker have talent to spare, but Kellie Pickler’s incandescent smile and plucky resilience in the face of a difficult life story cannot be underestimated.
Young Kevin Corvais is surviving as the nonthreatening contestant, a strategy that helped John Stevens stick around for a long time and brought Clay Aiken to the finals.
Hey, Kevin, here’s a tip: When girls your age (or Paula Abdul’s age) pinch your cheeks and call you “adorable,” it’s not necessarily a good thing. There’s a fine line between flirtatious condescension and downright cruelty.
Speaking of Abdul, let’s hope she and her fellow talent scouts keep it together tonight. Let’s remember there are kids on that stage and in your home audience. And for kids there’s nothing sadder or more confusing than watching supposedly responsible adults dissolve into brain-addled incoherence.
A camera crew from a reality show follows Grissom’s team as they investigate the murder of a successful real estate agent in a posh apartment complex on “CSI” (9 p.m., CBS).
A buttoned-down white lawyer (Steve Martin) befriends a rambunctious black inmate (Queen Latifah) who needs help proving her innocence in the 2003 comedy “Bringing Down the House” (8 p.m., ABC).
“House” presents a predictable riff on racial and gender stereotypes that makes slender use of the talent on hand. Co-star Eugene Levy would go on to make “The Man” with Samuel L. Jackson, a 2005 comedy with similar themes that ran this minigenre into the ground, garnering some of the most brutal reviews of that or any year.
Other highlights
A woman discovers her philandering husband’s role in an illegal scheme in the 2006 made-for-TV film “Live Once, Die Twice” (7 p.m., Lifetime).
Jeff Probst hosts “Survivor Panama: Exile Island” (8 p.m., CBS).
Randy’s second chance at gridiron greatness on “My Name is Earl” (9 p.m., NBC).
A speed bump for Ryan and Marissa on “The O.C.” (9 p.m., Fox).
The grand prize is bestowed on “Beauty and the Geek” (9 p.m., WB).
An advice columnist and shut-in vanishes from the apartment she hadn’t left in two years on “Without a Trace” (10 p.m., CBS).
A new nurse (Kirsten Johnston) joins the staff on “ER” (10 p.m., NBC).
Scheduled on “Primetime” (10 p.m., ABC): the illegal trade in human body parts; a controversial rape sentence for a 17-year-old.