Finding Your Roots (8pm, UNC-TV) - Henry Louis Gates, Jr. researches the family histories of Robert Downey Jr. and Maggie Gyllenhaal, which both feature European immigrant stories common to many Americans.

Firelight (9pm, ABC) - A Hallmark Hall of Fame movie about a counselor (Cuba Gooding Jr, left) at a Georgia correctional facility for young women who tries to help the inmates turn their lives around by forming a group of volunteers to battle forest fires, perform rescue missions and respond to natural disasters. Here's Adrienne's review.

The Killing (9pm, AMC) - Sarah receives a message from the dead that may shed light on the identity of Rosie's killer, and Mitch befriends a young runaway.

The Celebrity Apprentice (9pm, NBC) - The celebrities (including Clay Aiken, who is still going strong in the competition) must create an in-store display and a slogan for a new fragrance. But not without hitches, of course. Expect another big fight between Arsenio Hall and Aubrey O'Day. If you're behind on the show, you can catch up with our "Celebrity Apprentice" recaps.

Birdsong (9pm, UNC-TV) - Part 1 of a 2-part "Masterpiece Classic" presentation of an adaptation of the Sebastian Faulks novel about a British lieutenant in World War I whose memories of a prewar romance with a married French woman both sustain and haunt him.

Nurse Jackie (9pm, Showtime) - Jackie leaves rehab and finds that working at All Saints while sober is a little unsettling, and Zoey second-guesses her relationship with Lenny.

Veep (10pm, HBO) - In the premiere of a hilarious new comedy following the public and private lives of U.S. Vice President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, right) and her bumbling staff, the office goes into damage-control over a cornstarch gaffe (hard to explain). Check out my "Veep" review and a trailer from the show.

Mad Men (10pm, AMC) - Peggy  has a tough time during a particularly formidable pitch.

Oprah Presents Master Class (10pm, OWN) - In part 1 of a two-part interview, Sidney Poitier recalls how he made it to Hollywood from his childhood in the Bahamas, and how he overcame racial prejudice on his way up.

Girls (10:30pm, HBO) - Jessa doesn't show up for her appointment at a women's clinic, while Hannah is preoccupied by her own health issues. Later, Shoshanna reveals some surprising news.

On tonight's episode of "Oprah's Next Chapter," Oprah interviews family members of the late pop star Whitney Houston, including Whitney's daughter with Bobby Brown, Bobbi Kristina.

Oprah also talks to Whitney’s brother, Gary, and sister-in-law, Patricia. Check out the preview below.

The show airs tonight at 9 p.m. on OWN.

Project Runway (9pm, Lifetime) - Season 9 of the fashion-themed reality competition series returns. Here's a list of the new cast and where they're from. There's a special at 8 p.m. that follows the casting process.

Derek Jeter 3K (9pm, HBO) - A documentary going behind the scenes with the Yankee shortstop during the 2011 season as he approached 3000 career hits. Includes interviews with family, friends, teammates, and Yankees executives. Also, highlights from his career and footage from on and off the field.

Serving Life (9pm, OWN) - A documentary following inmate hospice volunteers at Louisiana's maximum security Angola prison as they care for dying fellow inmates. Narrated by Forest Whitaker. It beings as four volunteers are screened and trained for the daunting job.

Black Tide: Voices from the Gulf (9pm, Animal Planet) - A documentary examining how the 2010 BP oil spill affected the lives, businesses and animals of Louisiana's Gulf region, and how they are trying to rebuild. We have more about it here.

Rookie Blue (10pm, ABC) - An informant's murder is investigated, and Gail's mother, Superintendant Peck (Lauren Holly), arrives to ratchet up the pressure to solve the case. Gail is assigned to protect the only known witness to the crime.

Suits (10pm, USA) - The guys defend a woman falsely accused of insider trading. Elsewhere, Mike helps Rachel study for the LSAT and realizes she's close to discovering his secret.

Green Room with Paul Provenza (11pm, Showtime) - In this season's third episode, Richard Belzer competes in an impromptu "Jagger-off" and a kinda hostile Doug Stanhope goes after Jeneane Garofalo. Things get tense. It's totally uncensored and often pretty vulgar, but really interesting and funny as uh, heck. 

Smallville (8pm, CW) - Everyone loses their memory after drinking spiked champagne, courtesy of Zatanna, at Clark and Lois's bachelor and bachelorette parties.

Who Do You Think You Are (8pm, NBC) - Kim Cattrall digs into her family roots, centering her investigation on the mysteries surrounding her grandfather. She uncovers an uncomfortable truth and forges new connections with the women in her family.

Fringe (9pm, Fox) - There's a lot of buzz about this episode, which will be heavy on flashbacks. Apparently, Walter (right) recounts the crucial period of time in the 1980s following his initial visit to the alternate universe and the ongoing Cortexiphan tests he was conducting on young children. "Fringe" fans should not miss it.

Your OWN Star (9pm, OWN) - Oprah's search for the next TV star comes to an end tonight. The two finalists must create pilots for their own shows, with Mark Burnett as their mentor, and Oprah crowns a winner.

DC Cupcakes (10pm, TLC) - In the Season 2 premiere, a 9-foot cupcake sculpture of a glow-in-the-dark guitar is constructed for a sweet 16 party. A second episode airs at 10:30.

Bar Karma (10pm, Current TV) - Sonja Sohn (Kima from "The Wire") guest-stars as “Lucy,” a famous actress who is summoned to Bar Karma in the middle of a surgical procedure. Will she make it out of the operating room alive? The star of "Bar Karma" is from Chapel Hill.

Portlandia (10:30pm, IFC) - The first season finale of the hilariously bizarre send-up of a couple of pretentious hipsters in Portland features Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein holding tryouts for a new Portland baseball team. Here's a sneak peek.

Fairly early in the interview between Piers Morgan and Oprah Winfrey there was a moment that illustrated how things were going to go. Piers brought up Oprah's interview with Barbara Walters, and the moment when talk of her BFF Gayle King brought O to tears.

Oprah said that she knew where Barbara was going, that Babs wanted to talk about the gay rumors, but that when Barbara shaped the question by asking what 'that friendship has meant to you', Oprah decided to just focus on that and thinking about that is what made her weepy. "I knew what she wanted but I was going to make her ask me," Oprah said.

And that says it all. Because despite the pre-show hype about Piers Morgan CNN premiere in Larry King's old slot, and his big catch in interviewing Oprah (Oprah said it was the toughest interview she's had in 20 years, but think about it, how many times has she been interviewed?), and how good an interviewer Piers is said to be, Oprah is a formidable interview.

Medium (8pm, CBS) - Allison's dreams cause to suspiciously scrutinize the newfound success of her brother, played by her real life brother David Arquette. Also, Devalos' new campaign manager becomes interested in Bridgette's abilities.

Your OWN Show: Oprah's Search for the Next TV Star (9pm, OWN) - Ten hopefuls vie for a chance at their own talk show in this new reality competition show. In tonight's first episode, the finalists (selected by online voting) are introduced to Oprah and must produce talk show segments under the watchful eye of Dr. Phil. Carson Kressley and Nancy O'Dell are the hosts, and Mark Burnett ("Survivor" "Apprentice") is the executive producer. Someone will be eliminated each week till Oprah has a new employee.

Unlikely Animal Friends 2 (9pm, National Geographic Channel) - A look at surprising animal friendships between rival species. Included: a lion, a tiger and a bear live together in perfect harmony at a wildlife rehabilitation center near Atlanta.

Merlin (10pm, Syfy) - In the first part of a two-part Season 3 premiere, Arthur and Merlin discover the long-missing Morgana and return her to Camelot. Shortly after her return, Uther's mind begins to fray and Merlin suspects  it's due to someone's magic and puts himself in danger investigating the source.

It was rainy and grey outside, my back ached from standing and waiting for the acorn to drop. Perfect excuse to stay in, lounge on the couch, and watch OWN, Oprah Winfrey's new cable channel.

I started at noon, with the Oprah-hosted guide -- that white on white outfit was not flattering, O, not even a little -- and stayed tuned until my eyes started to hurt and my family got belligerent. My impressions:

Kidnapped by the Kids: It's a show about how parents work so much their kids have to kidnap them to get their attention, so you know it's sappy, even without the treacly music they add with every poignant moment. Don't know how many times they can tell this story in fresh way. And by the way, why don't we deal with the real issue -- the bosses who demand more and more work for less pay!!

CSI Miami (8pm, CBS) - A millionaire is murdered and the investigation leads to an elite dating service. Ryan goes undercover and poses as a rich businessman to expose the truth behind the business. Because crime scene technicians do things like that. Sigh.

Desperate Housewives (9pm, ABC) - Susan's life hangs by a thread after being trampled in that truly bizarre Wisteria Lane riot. Also, we check in on Paul Young (last seen all shot up in the middle of the street), Keith moves in with Bree, Gaby tries to fix her damaged relationship with Juanita, and Renee considers telling Lynnette about her fling with Tom (bad bad bad idea).

What Chilli Wants (9pm, VH1) - In the second season premiere, Chilli visits a doctor and gets surprising news. Also, Floyd Mayweather takes Chilli on a date.

Oprah Presents Master Class (10pm, OWN) - This episode profiles ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer, who looks back over her life and career. Here's how you can find the OWN channel.

Brothers & Sisters (10pm, ABC) - Nora's otherwise harmless date night somehow turns into a scandal for the other Walkers.

Oprah Winfrey's OWN channel debuts tomorrow, January 1, replacing the Discovery Health Channel.

For Time Warner Cable customers, that means channel 259. For DirecTV, channel 279, and on Dish Network, 189. If you have AT&T U-Verse, it'll be on 256.

The network will debut at noon with a show called "Oprah's Guide to OWN," a one-hour special in which Oprah tells you about some of her favorite programs on the network (from midnight tonight until noon tomorrow you can watch something called "Countdown to OWN," featuring previews of shows).

Throughout the rest of the day there will be sneak peeks of some of those shows, such as "Enough Already with Peter Walsh," a show about organizing and reducing clutter (Walsh used to host "Clean Sweep" on TLC). There will also be a preview of a show called "Searching for..." featuring an investigative geanealogist, and "In the Bedroom with Laura Berman," hosted by sex therapist Laura Berman . We'll also get to see the first episode of "Oprah Presents Master Class," which will profile Jay-Z.

Adrienne is going to watch some of these shows and let us know if they're any good. Look for that report here next week!

Here's the full schedule for the OWN network.

NC State student Kornelius Bascombe has a really nice audition up for the Oprah Winfrey talk show contest.

22-year-old Kornelius is a senior majoring in criminology with a minor in communications, and as of right this minute (4:42pm Friday June 18), he has the fifth highest number of votes. The top five vote-getters are considered finalists for the job. Go Korn!

Watch his video and vote here.