There’s a pill that reduces your risk of diabetes, high-blood pressure and some cancers. It lowers your risk of being anxious or depressed. It is inexpensive (virtually free in some cases) and widely available. It is the wonder drug of all wonder drugs.
OK – it’s not a pill. It’s exercise.
Starting Sunday, our series, “Exercise: The Real Wonder Drug,” will show how exercise helps you and how you can get moving. The series starts on the front page, moves to the Connect section Monday and continues Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in Life, etc.
We will show you how gadgets can help tailor your exercise routines. We will offer tips for getting out there and getting it done (find a buddy, start slowly). We will tell you what and when the average exerciser should eat. We will show how you might look with a new wardrobe, once you lose weight.
Getting started can be the hardest part. There is an exercise routine for everyone; you just have to find yours. Any movement is good.

--John Drescher

Academy of Country Music Awards (8pm, CBS) - Reba McEntire hosts from Las Vegas. Performers include Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, and more. Plus, you'll see the last performance of Brooks & Dunn. Lady Antebellum (left) leads nominations with seven.

Life (8pm, Discovery) - The final installments of the the Discovery documentary series are about plants (8pm) and primates (9pm). There's a "making of" special airing at 10pm.

The Emeril Lagasse Show (8pm, Ion) - Emeril debuts his billionth television show, and this one is described as more of a variety show, featuring music and celebrity guests as well as food segments. We'll see... First guest is Martha Stewart.

There's much more, so click below to keep reading...

Life (8pm, Discovery) - This week at 8pm, an episode called "Hunters" looks at predators and prey (can't watch that), and at 9pm, "Insects" (equally disturbing).

Celebrity Apprentice (9pm, NBC) - The teams have to create deodorant commercials starring former NBA stars Clyde Drexler and Scottie Pippen. Problems arise when one player tries to change the creative direction.

Brothers & Sisters (9pm, ABC) - Tonight's special two-hour episode centers around the Walkers' efforts to thwart devious Dennis York's plan to take over Ojai.

Treme (10pm, HBO) - The much-anticipated premiere of David Simon's new series set in New Orleans three months after Hurricane Katrina, focusing primarily on musicians trying to get their world back in order. Simon is best known for his critically-acclaimed HBO series, "The Wire," and "Treme" has two major actors from "The Wire": Wendell Pierce (Bunk Moreland) and Clarke Peters (Lestor Freeman). It also stars John Goodman, Steve Zahn, and Khandi Alexander. 

Tudors (9pm, Showtime) - In the season 4 premiere, Henry takes his fifth wife, Katherine Howard (Tamzin Merchant). 

Kirstie Alley's Big Life (10pm, A&E) - In an episode called "They Tried To Make Me Go To Twee-hab," the gang has a social networking intervention for Kirstie, and propose that she try to go one week without Twitter.  

Army Wives (10pm, Lifetime) - As season 4 begins, Frank and Denise cope with the aftermath of the shooting incident, and Roland receives upsetting news about Joan's health.

Life (8pm, Discovery) - This week we look at birds (8pm) and creatures of the deep (9pm). 

The Pacific (9pm, HBO) - In part four, the 1st Marine Division fight the Japanese at Cape Gloucester on the island of New Britain in December 1943. In May 1944, the Marines recuperate at Pavuvu and Leckie is sent to a hospital for psychiatric observation.

Undercover Boss (9pm, CBS) - Roto-Rooter president Rick Arquilla goes undercover at his company.

Celebrity Apprentice (9pm, NBC) - The teams have to create a display for a new amusement park attraction called "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter." Personal attacks create divisions on the women's team. Sounds like they are still picking on poor Cyndi Lauper.

Breaking Bad (10pm, AMC) - Skylar has kicked Walt out but he ignores her and moves back in, forcing her hand to get the authorities involved. Dodgy lawyer Saul (Bob Odenkirk) asks Jesse to persuade Walt to get back to cooking. 

NCAA Basketball Tournament (2pm, CBS) - The regional final games from St. Louis and Houston. Full schedule here.

Life (8pm, Discovery) - Mammals are the focus of tonight's 8pm episode of this Oprah Winfrey-narrated series of nature documentaries. Special attention is paid to how mammals care for their young, so Cute Baby Animal Alert. The fish episode airs at 9pm. 

Amazing Race (8pm, CBS) - All I know is Jordan and Jeff are gone, so this show makes me sad now.

Undercover Boss (8pm, CBS) - The CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment (think Dollywood) goes undercover tonight to see how his company really works. 

Breaking Bad (10pm, AMC) - In the second episode of the season, Walt tries hard to reunite with his family, and Jesse, just out of rehab, makes a big purchase. Also, there's an anxiety-inducing sequence involving those scary Mexican killers. If you've got nails, bite 'em. 

Kirstie Alley's Big Life (10pm, A&E) - I like this show a lot more than I expected to. In tonight's back-to-back episodes, Kirstie celebrates a birthday and then tempers flare when the ladies go to a spa. You can catch repeats of last week's two premiere episodes at 5pm today, or following these episodes at 11pm.

The Pacific (9pm, HBO) - The third installment has the 1st Marine Division arriving in Melbourne in January of 1943. Basilone receives The Medal of Honor but is reluctant to embark on his next assignment of selling war bonds back in the U.S. 

NCAA Basketball (WRAL) - It's going on pretty much all day again, folks. Grab your bracket
and tune in. Duke plays California at 5:20pm.

Life (8pm, Discovery) - In the opener of this new 11-part nature series, you'll get extreme stories of survival involving cheetahs, monkeys, and ... flies? A second episode at 9pm features reptils and amphibians. Narrated by Oprah Winfrey. Watch in high def.

Celebrity Apprentice (9pm, NBC) - Tonight's challenge involves building a storefront to relaunch the "Kodak Moments" campaign. One star falls ill and another star falls diva.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (10pm, ABC) - British chef Jamie Oliver is on a quest to slim down America's kids and he starts in Huntington, West Virginia --a place considered the unhealthiest place in America.

Breaking Bad (10pm, AMC) - In the third season opener, Walt deals with the aftermath of last season's plane crash and tries to win back his angry wife. Read more about the new season.

Kirstie Alley's Big Life (10pm, A&E) - Kirstie Alley launches her new reality series in which she once again tries to lose weight while raising her two teens. A second episode follows at 10:30pm.

Kudos to Wayne of Wake Forest!

He correctly identified Rashida Jones of "Community" and "The Office," as the daughter of Peggy Lipton from "The Mod Squad" and was plucked from the random drawing as the winner.

We've got 3 more DVDs to giveaway.

Today, a wonderful canceled-too-soon-by-sorry-NBC-show, "Life."

It's the second season of the show, all 21 episodes that feature Damian Lewis as Charlie Crews, the Zen detective with the fruit fetish who is back on the force after being wrongfully imprisoned. As he solves cases with his partner Dani Reese (Sarah Shahi), he also tries to find whomever was behind his imprisonment.

Bonus features include deleted scenes, a gag reel and audio commentary with the cast and crew.

Just email me (adrienne.johnson@newsobserver.com) with the name of the HBO mini-series in which Lewis starred in the subject line. In the body, give your name and contact information. Entries with the correct answer will be put in a random drawing to choose a winner.

We'll take emails until midnight. Tuesday, Dec. 22) Check back tomorrow for the winner and a new chance to win.

A softer spirit for spring

With so many styles to choose, you're sure to find the shoe that fits

Cary woman fulfills her bridal dreams in her parents' homeland