Since their inception, the 'Housewives' reality shows have been rife for parody. All that fussing and fighting, pretending to be rich and classy, and the fact that most of them aren't even housewives --- they're comedy gold.

At this point, though, the shows are pretty much a parody of themselves. (There are divorced housewives, ex-wives, mob wives, starter wives, pastors' wives...) That would seem to make for rough going for "The Real Husbands of Hollywood," (10 tonight, BET), a fake reality show starring hot comic Kevin Hart. But this is Kevin Hart, and if you've ever seen him you know he's funny and he's got energy to spare. Like he did with the movie "Think Like A Man," Hart straps this show to his back and carries it over the goal line.

The show features Hart (who isn't a husband, by the way) along with comic JB Smoove, host/producer/comic Nick Cannon, actors Boris Kodjoe and Duane Martin and singer Robin Thicke. Rapper Nelly's around too. They all play versions of themselves; the show makes fun of Cannon's multiple jobs and the fact that he's married to the older and more well-known Mariah Carey; Kodjoe is mocked as a pretty boy, Martin is always hustling some crazy idea for the others to invest in.

Those characterizations can still be funny even if you don't know that they have a ring of truth, but that doesn't matter anyway because, again, it's Hart's show. In the first episode, Hart gets into a fight with an 11-year-old, gets into a fight with his attorney, gets into a fight with Robin Thicke. Even thing he says isn't hilarious, but his manic, cross-eyed way of saying things is.

It's clear "Real Husbands of Hollywood" will be a lot of fun and good for BET for striking the Hart iron while it's hot. Lord knows they've been bested, series-wise, by TV One at every turn. This time, it seems BET has scored.

BET gets a lot of flack for the programming it airs. Some folks think the network wastes its valuable airwaves with muck that demeans and distorts.

Well, "Vindicated" (10:30 p.m. tonight BET) has content about as serious and important as it comes. It's a outrage-inducing and heart-breaking docu-series about folks falsely imprisoned, and an examination of the injustices that don't receive nearly enough coverage.

Hosted/narrated (and executive produced) by actor Morris Chestnut, "Vindicated" follows the format of other stripped-from-the-headlines reality crime shows; using court records and news accounts, as well as first-person accounts from family, friends, legal types and journalists, it re-enacts the life of the 'vindicated' person and explains how he landed in prison, and then got out.

Viacom pulled their channels from DirecTV early this morning, after a long  dispute over how much the satellite company would pay for Viacom programming.

No Viacom means no MTV (Snooki!), no Comedy Central (Jon Stewart!), and no Nickelodeon (Spongebob!).

Other missing channels include BET, CMT, TV Land, Spike, and Logo. For now, Viacom has replaced the channels with channels offering similar content.

About 20 million households are affected by the blackout.

These feuds aren't unusual, but they are often worked out at the last minute. The New York Times story linked above says that Michael Nathanson, a media analyst for Nomura, has told investors that he and his colleagues wouldn't be surprised if the blackout lasted for one to four weeks. Yikes.

I've watched a lot of reality shows in service to Happiness and I'm not complaining. But sometimes I do get weary.

Watching "Empire Girls: Julissa & Adrienne" (9 tonight, Style) produced one of those wearying times. Really, it's not worthy of review, but I watched it and I've got to make that hour have some worth.

Julissa Bermudez & Adrienne Bailon are looking for their big breaks in entertainment. Julissa specializes in hosting; she was a host on BET's popular evening show "106 & Park"; Adrienne was in the group 3LW, which morphed into the Disney-centric girl group Cheetah Girls.

The funeral of Whitney Houston will be widely televised on Saturday, and also streamed online.

BET, Centric, CNN, E!, Headline News and MSNBC are among the networks planning to air the funeral live from the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J.

BET and Centric will have commentary from April Woodard and Lola Oguinake starting at 11:30 a.m.  CNN will have coverage from anchors Piers Morgan, Soledad O'Brien, and Don Lemon beginning at 11. CNN will also provide a digital stream for web and mobile devices from 11:30 to 2 p.m.

MSNBC and Headline News will begin coverage at 11 and E! will cover at 11:30.

Fox News Channel will also stream the funeral live on its website and they'll air updates from the service periodically between noon and 2 p.m. Anchors Uma Pemmaraju and Rick Folbaum will cover.

Also, a press release from TV One says they will air the funeral beginning at noon ET.

Note: As of Friday afternoon -- times and anchors could change.

Gossip Girl (8pm, CW) - Nate hosts a Valentine's Day party, which Georgina crashes, and Blair tries her hand at matchmaking.

The Voice (8pm, NBC) - Round three of blind auditions continue.

Slavery by Another Name (9pm, UNC-TV) - Laurence Fishburne narrates this look at forced labor in post-Civil War America, when blacks were often arrested on and convicted of spurious charges, then leased or sold as laborers to various entities -- a practice that lasted well into the 20th century. Adapted from Wall Street Journal writer Douglas Blackmon's Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name.

Alcatraz (9pm, Fox) - An inmate resurfaces and plants bombs throughout populated areas of San Francisco.

BET Honors 2012 (9pm, BET) - Gabrielle Union hosts the tribute to successful black luminaries, including Maya Angelou, Stevie Wonder, Spike Lee and the Tuskegee Airmen.

Smash (10pm, NBC) - Derek makes the audition process rigorous for Karen and Ivy. Also, Eileen looks for financial backing and Julia and Frank hit bureaucratic obstacles with their international adoption plans (this storyline is the weak link in this otherwise entertaining series).

Castle (10pm, ABC) - In part one of a two-part story, Castle and Beckett work with the CIA as they hunt a killer who's connected to an international conspiracy, and the case reuintes Castle with a female CIA agent with whom he shares a past.

Not in Our Town: Class Actions (10:30pm, UNC-TV) - A look at students and communities joining forces to confront hate and bullying. Included: efforts to stop University of Mississippi football fans from chanting "the South will rise again," and the development of an anti-bullying program in Lancaster, California, after several teen suicides in nearby communities.

In the promos, star Tracee Ellis Ross describes "Reed Between the Lines"(10 tonight, BET) as a 'new definition of what it means to be happily married.'

Nah. It's just "The Cosby Show," again; a sitcom about an educated, professional, in-love African-American couple with cute kids. And you know what? I'm OK with that. After all, "The Cosby Show," was groundbreaking and funny.
 

Joining BET, TV One and Centric is Bounce TV, a new television network aimed at African-American audiences that launches in the fall.

The venture is especially notable in two ways; it will be the first over-the-air televison network, employing the digital signals of local television stations. And the group putting the network together includes former Ambassador Andrew Young and Martin Luther King III.

According to Broadcasting & Cable, Bounce TV plans to broadcast a mix of theatrical movies, live sports, off-net series and original programmng aimed at adults 25-54. It will televise CIAA football and basketball games, including the CIAA Championship football game and some quarter and semi-final CIAA tournament basketball games.

Dancing with the Stars (8pm, ABC) - The new season begins and the cast includes Kirstie Alley and Sugar Ray Leonard. Read more about the new cast and new season. We'll post a recap of the show later tonight.

How I Met Your Mother (8pm, CBS) - Barney finally meets his dad, who is played by John Lithgow.

Chuck (8pm, NBC) - A whodunit case emerges when a spy is murdered in Team Bartowski's secret high-tech home base. Also, Morgan is challenged when the Buy More crew battles their nemesis, Large Mart. Robin Givens guest stars.

The Chicago Code (9pm, Fox) - Jarek investigates a powerful drug dealer, but the FBI gets involved and causes problems. Elsewhere, Liam puts his cover at risk when he sympathizes with grieving families in front of Gibbons.

Triangle: Remembering the Fire (9pm, HBO) - A documentary about the 1911 New York City fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory that killed 146 garment workers and changed workplace safety rules. Many of the people could not escape the fire because managers had locked doors to the exits and stairwells.

Being Human (9pm, Syfy) - Juxtaposed against the arrival of four troubling coffins at the funeral home, flashbacks from Bishop's past reveal his relationship with a human woman in 1955. I really hate to hear this is going to be a Bishop-centric episode. But in other news, Josh gets abducted.

Castle (10pm, ABC) - Castle's writing skills prove advantageous in the investigation into the murder of a popular soap opera's head writer. The serial's ambitious stars make for an interesting pool of suspects. Corbin Bernsen and Jane Seymour guest star.

Rip the Runway (10pm, BET) - Mehcad Brooks and Selita Ebanks host this high-energy fashion show featuring live performances from Wiz Khalifa, Keri Hilson, Fabolous, and New Boyz.

The Bachelor (8pm, ABC) - Brad visits the four remaining bachelorettes in their hometowns, which means he accompanies Emily Maynard (left) to Charlotte. Will she let him meet her daughter with late NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick? Will she make the cut and move on to the South Africa trip next week?

The Chicago Code (9pm, Fox) - Jarek and Caleb chase a bank robber and try to uncover details about him. Elsewhere, Teresa and Gibbons discuss a pivotal construction site.

It's Good to be President (9pm, History) - The life of the U.S. president is explored, focusing on daily tasks outside of the political arena, and the perks and dangers that go with the job.

BET Honors (9pm, BET) - Gabrielle Union hosts the awards show, which pays tribute to Linda Johnson Rice, Herbie Hancock, Jamie Foxx, Cicely Tyson, and Lonnie G. Bunch.

Amanda Knox: Murder Trial in Italy (9pm, Lifetime) - Hayden Panettiere plays the Seattle exchange student accused of murdering her British roommate in Italy. Read Adrienne's review.

Castle (10pm, ABC) - In part one of a two-part story, an investigation of a murdered cab driver reveals his involvement in a high stakes conspiracy. That leads to a federal agent (Adrian Pasdar) taking charge of the case.

President of the World: The Bill Clinton Phenomenon (10pm, MSNBC) - In another Presidents Day offering, this "Hardball" documentary examines the life and legacy of President Bill Clinton. Includes footage of Chris Matthews' weekend with Clinton attending the Clinton Global Initiative in New York and a visit to Ireland. Also includes interviews with Clinton's close friends and colleagues.

Lincoln's Secret Killer (10pm, National Geographic Channel) - The health of Abraham Lincoln in his final year of life is probed by experts, who perform a DNA analysis on a piece of fabric stained with his blood. Some believe Lincoln was dying from a rare form of cancer when he was assassinated.