THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING

Critic’s corner

By Matthew Gilbert
August 31, 2009

E-mail this article

Invalid email address
Invalid email address

Sending your article

Your article has been sent.

  • Email|
  • Print|
  • Reprints|
  • |
Text size +

CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock 8 p.m., Channel 5

The usual country gang’s all here, including Brooks and Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, and Taylor Swift (above). The special, expanding from two to three hours this year because there’s nothing else on in late August, toggles between onstage performances and footage of the stars in their daily lives. Catch Kellie Pickler shopping in Nashville. Yes, folks, The Pickler.

The Closer 8 p.m., TNT This is a repeat of last week’s summer finale, and I gotta say, it was a provocative episode in terms of the death penalty. “The Closer’’ is a crime procedural, and limited as such. But the scripts sometimes chew over justice issues in the manner of early-era “Law & Order,’’ and the criminal-of-the-week casting is consistently strong. Of all the series that have made this a lucrative summer for TNT and USA, this one is the best.

Clash of the Gods 10 p.m., History Channel Medusa versus Ken Paves.

Mad Men 10 p.m., AMC Peggy hits on Mary Jane.

The Crumbling of America 8 p.m., History Channel We’re cuckoo for coffee cake.

Good Eats 8 p.m., Food Network The life and times of cabbage.

Hoarders 10 p.m., A&E A renter faces eviction. Julie Chen, stay on call.

Latest Entertainment Twitters

Get breaking entertainment news, gossip, and the latest from Boston Globe critics and Boston.com A&E staff.