Fox, 8:00 p.m. ET
Last week the judges used their “save” – this show’s version of a death row inmate’s last-minute reprieve from the governor – to save singer Jessica Sanchez from elimination. But now that the save has been used, there will be no more impromptu group hugs after yet another against-the-odds, and against-the-viewer-voters, escape: the governor never rings twice. So from now on, at least, things are a little tougher on this series. So far this year, the only toughness – and, by and large, the only honest criticism – has come from Jimmy Iovine.
ABC, 9:00 p.m. ET
Cameron’s dad comes to visit – and he’s played by Barry Corbin, the Northern Exposure vet who already is playing the father of Kyra Sedgwick’s Brenda on The Closer. In this new role, you might expect some fraternal friction – but the real friction here is between dads, as Ed O’Neill’s Jay finds himself competing for attention, and everything else, with the new visitor.
PBS, 9:00 p.m. ET
(Check Local Listings) There are two recent news hooks to this hour – the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, and last year’s maritime accident with Italy’s Costa Concordia, which hit a reef and ran aground off the Tuscany coast. But rather than limit itself merely to those two high-profile events, this edition of Nova has a lot more ground to cover. Well, a lot more water.
Taking some inspiration from the Colorado outdoors, this new edition of South Park takes Cartman and the others on a trip to the mountains for a ride on a zip line. Which, at first, they find less than overwhelming…
NBC, 10:00 p.m. ET
Chloe Sevigny guest stars in this episode, playing a woman who is chatting with her husband in video mode on her laptop, filling him in on her day while standing in her kitchen, when she’s attacked from behind – and all the husband can do is watch. That’s a shocking beginning to this case – but it’s only the first, and by no means the last, surprise.