TV’s best bets: Next ‘Idol’ cut will miss top-10 tour
Tonight’s must-see
“American Idol,” 9 p.m., Fox. Here’s the first results show since the series reached its final 12. The person ousted tonight, and the one next week, will just miss making the top-10 tour around the country.
Fox nudges it back to 9 p.m., airing “Moment of Truth” at 8. Anything that cuts down the ratings of the despicable “Moment” is fine with us.
Tonight’s might-see
“Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil” debut, 10:30 p.m., Comedy Central. Unfair, unbalanced and simply mean, this show has one redeeming trait: It’s often quite funny.
In a court-type setting, two comedians represent opposite views on which person or group is truly evil. Lewis Black listens, does some interrogation (all of it apparently scripted) and offers his final verdict on which one is the root of all evil.
In the opener, Paul Tompkins pushes the notions that Oprah Winfrey is evil. Gil Giraldo pushes the Catholic Church, which gave him his boyhood nurturing and education.
Yes, this is wildly unfair, attacking two forces that have done great good. Still, “Root” continues the great American tradition of attacking the people on top. Besides, Black, Giraldo and Tompkins are enormously funny people; we may not be proud of it, but we’ll laugh a lot.
Other choices include
“Dave” (1993), 6:30 and 9 p.m., Oxygen. Kevin Kline plays an ordinary chap who looks just like the president and must fill in for him when he’s incapacitated. (This requires some tolerance on the part of the first lady, played by Sigourney Weaver.) The result strains credibility, but it’s clever and funny.
“America’s Next Top Model,” 8 p.m., CW. Jaslene Gonzalez, the show’s eighth winner, shows up as a guest judge - and quickly has sharp criticism for one contestant.
“MI-5,” 8 and 9 p.m., BBC America. This terrific series follows a British anti-terror unit, and sent several people on to international stardom. We catch them here at a crucial point. Tom (Matthew Macfayden, later of the “Pride & Prejudice” movie) must stop the assassination of a top British official.
“Criminal Minds,” 9 p.m., CBS. In this rerun, a serial killer in Milwaukee is pursued by the team, or what’s left of it. Gideon is missing and Prentiss has resigned.
“Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” 9 p.m., and “Law & Order,” 10 p.m., NBC. In the first hour, Logan and Falacci aren’t sure if the prime target was a couples therapist or her husband, a divorce judge. In the second, a murder suspect is the man who was divorcing the victim.
“In Treatment,” 9:30 p.m., HBO. Here’s a gentler time for a therapist. Sophie, the gymnast, does some genuine soul-searching.
“Men in Trees,” 10 p.m., ABC. Viewers have wanted Marin and Jack to live together. They’re ready to do that now, and almost everyone in town disapproves. Meanwhile, Buzz gives Patrick a flying lesson.
“High School Reunion,” 10 p.m., TV Land. Last week’s opener set up some interesting relationships involving Houston classmates from 20 years ago. There’s genuine warmth between the widowed ex-jock and a divorced mom who was overlooked during her days as a teen athlete. And between the class beauty (now four-times-divorced) and a former scrawny guy. Still, there’s fuming between a formerly married couple. They sort of face each other tonight. Also, a former bully meets one of his many victims.