Wednesday, September 1

	GREAT PERFORMANCES: “A MUSICAL ODYSSEY IN ST. PETERSBURG” PBS, 8 p.m. ET; check local listings Renee Fleming is a familiar name, even outside of operatic circles. Dmitri Hvorostovsky, perhaps not so much. But tonight’s special, the complete title of which also includes Renee Fleming & Dmitri Hvorostovsky, puts them on equal footing, showcasing them both in concert – and, outside the Russian concert hall, showcasing that gorgeous city as well.
	THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS Fox Movie Channel, 8 p.m. ET In this well-written, impeccably performed story about sibling piano players, Jeff and Beau Bridges are a delight. And Michelle Pfeiffer, as the lounge singer who invigorates their act by climbing atop one of their pianos – well, delight doesn’t even BEGIN to cover it.
	PICNIC TCM, 8 p.m. ET This 1955 screen version of the Wiliam Inge play captures two young actors in top form: William Holden and Kim Novak, whose attraction at a holiday picnic sets off a complicated chain of events. And this showing is well-timed, because the holiday in question is Labor Day.
	A SURPRISE IN TEXAS PBS, 9:30 p.m. ET; check local listings Tonight’s other PBS special has a longer title, too. The rest of this one is The Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Competition, which begins to describe it quite nicely. For a more complete description, check out a summary, review and interview by one of our contributors, Tom Brinkmoeller, whose story can be found HERE.
	THE CHOIR BBC America, 10 p.m. ET Last week, Gareth Malone took his newly formed school choir all the way to Albert Hall. Then he left the school – and in tonight’s installment, he pays a return visit a year later, where we learn (at the same time he does) exactly how much he influenced those kids – including some of the most initially reluctant – during his year there.

Me-TV and Antenna TV Make It Possible to Relive CBS's Legendary 1973-74 Saturday Night Comedy Lineup Five Nights a Week

Ed Martin

It's only four years old, and isn't available everywhere -- at least not yet -- but the relatively new nostalgia network Me-TV already has done something remarkable. It has made it possible for anyone old enough to remember CBS's legendary 1973-74 Saturday night comedy lineup to relive three-quarters of that singularly sensational viewing experience Monday thru Friday from 7:30-9:30 p.m. ET . . . (more)

Don't Get Fooled Again? ABC's 'The River' Makes One Feel 'Lost' Anew

Ed Bark

Whatever the lessons of Lost, they seem lost on ABC. Because here comes another otherworldly, string-along drama series whose humans are at the mercy of mysterious unseen forces that include a demon spirit reminiscent of "The Smoke Monster" . . . (more)

Traveling the 'Downton Abbey' Road: Where It Came From, and Why Viewers Are Watching

Noel Holston

When you're alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go... Down-tonnnn! Okay, I've gotten that out of the way, my worst pun of the year. So far. But let's do talk about Downton Abbey, the most watched and talked-about series PBS has had since, oh, The Civil War . . . (more)

Win or Lose, New England Knows Both Very Well

Eric Gould

Make a casual check into the all-time most watched television broadcasts, and you'll quickly find that about half of them are Super Bowls. And the focus is, once again, on the Boys from Boston. This modern American spectacle has it all: brute force, high-flying athletic ability, luxury sports palaces, dolled-up cheerleaders and, this year, Madonna . . . (more)

TUBE-TIED: Nonstop 'Simpsons'!

Could you watch 500 episodes of The Simpsons in a row? As in 24/7 nonstop? That's what hardcore fans are doing in Hollywood, trying to beat the Guinness world record for TV viewing. The Simpsons Ultimate Fan Marathon Challenge started Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET with 100 contenders, and two nights later, just 29 diehards were still in the mix watching episodes from Season 7 . . . (more)

HOT SPOTS: Super Bowl Ads!

When it comes to the Super Bowl, the NFL's big clash sometimes seems less about pigskin than about advertising. Sponsors fight to stand out among the fusillade of spots coming at viewers on the most-watched program of the year. Here's some ratings perspective . . . (more)

AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT

Now on Blu-ray -- David Suchet's dapper Belgian detective in sets for Series 1 and Series 2, with Series 3 due on HD March 6.

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