REALLY BIG SHEW
Pioneers of Television
8 p.m., Channel 2The third episode of this four-part documentary series takes on the now-dormant variety-show genre. These days, awards shows seem to fill the variety-show gap (when there are no strikes in the way), but once upon a time TV was a playground for the likes of Ed Sullivan, Sid Caesar, Carol Burnett, and Flip Wilson.
American Idol
8 p.m., Channel 25Paula Abdul, love bucket.
Cashmere Mafia
10 p.m., Channel 5You know what to do, Lucy Liu.
To Die For
8 p.m., CinemaxNicole Kidman, when her face was mobile.
CH-CHECK IT OUT
The Feasty Boys Eat America
8 p.m., Travel ChannelWhy write about this show, you ask? The title, of course. It rocks. Tonight, the traveling chunky boys - chefs Jon Mayer and Jim Stump - will go to New Mexico for a crash course on chili peppers. They'll pick, sort, and roast the peppers. And eat them, too.
Supernanny
9 p.m., Channel 5Jo Frost: She dresses them up and down.
Gossip Girl
9 p.m., Channel 56Serena van der Woodsen: She dresses.
ON DEMAND
Fido
A drolly funny zombie farce set in the 1950s, when the undead have been turned into domestic servants. Little Timmy (K'Sun Ray) gets a zombie of his own, whom he names Fido (Scottish comedian Billy Connolly); soon Mom (Carrie-Anne Moss, above with Connolly) learns to love the big fella, too. Director Andrew Currie riffs on Commie paranoia films and social-repression melodramas, but at heart it's a tale of a boy and his (rotting) dog. (R; runs through Jan. 24) - Ty Burr
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
