Super Bowl XLVI (6pm, NBC) - As if you didn't know: New England Patriots vs. the New York Giants in Indianapolis. Madonna performs at halftime. Someone convince me to pull for their team and I will. If football isn't your thing, and you've already seen all the great commercials leaked online, there's always the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet.

60 Minutes Presents: Three Remarkable Women (8pm, CBS) - Morley Safer profiles Meryl Streep, Anna Wintour, and Dolly Parton.

Downton Abbey (9pm, UNC-TV) - In episode 5, the household prepares for the war's end and the family looks forward to having a private home again -- unless cousin Isobel (Penelope Wilton pictured with Elizabeth McGovern) has her way. Also, in a remarkably "soapy" twist, a wounded officer makes a startling claim that could alter the Downton succession plan.

Luck (9pm, HBO) - In the second episode of the series (which has already been renewed for another season by HBO), Ace (Dustin Hoffman) meets with his parole officer and starts to line up potential investors as a public face for his next big venture. Also, Walter finds a seasoned jockey for his prized thoroughbred, much to Rosie's dismay.

Shameless (9pm, Showtime) - When Eddie Jackson's body turns up, Frank thinks he should be in line to claim his pension and insurance benefits.

The Voice (10:30pm-ish, NBC) - Season 2 debuts after all the Super Bowl hoopla, so the 10:30pm start time is fluid. Tonight is the first night of blind auditions, during which coaches Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton begin choosing 12 vocalists for their respective teams.

Andrew Roman, one of our talented web producers on newsobserver.com, says to me, I have an idea. Out of one ear I heard the words "Jolene," "Irene," "audio slide show."  

I said something like, sure, whatever. I was distracted. 

Next thing I know, there's this great thing on our web site, lyrics by Andrew, vocals by staff editor Stacy Chandler, guitar by staff writer Tommy Goldsmith. Andrew put together the slideshow. Tommy produced the audio. I knew Tommy is an extremely talented musician but I did not know that Stacy could sing. 

Andrew says he's waiting to hear from Dolly Parton's lawyers, but I think it's covered under the fair use doctrine and she's cool anyway.

It's a struggle being creative in a weather crisis, speaking as an old newsy, because you're so focused on just covering the bases. So it's astonishing that people like Andrew, Tommy and Stacy could cook this up on short notice. 

Doom 'n' gloom is very much the norm these days, and it's easy to see why. In Dolly Parton's world, however, there is cause for hope no matter how dire things seem. On-record as well as in conversation, the woman somehow still exudes an optimism that is as refreshing as it is unusual. Trust me, you could use a dose of it. So check out the interview, previewing her upcoming show in Durham.

Mississippi River Quest (7pm, National Geographic) - In this three-part series of shows, all airing tonight (7pm through 11pm), a filmmaker, a group of scientists, and a professional fisherman team up to boat the entire length of the Mississippi River. They battle flood waters, vessel trouble, and a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico while trying to complete their mission.

Dolly Celebrates 25 Years of Dollywood (8pm, Hallmark) - Dolly Parton's Pigeon Forge amusement park has been around 25 years and she's gathered a bunch of her friends to celebrate: Kenny Rogers, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley and Kenny Chesney. Dolly sings a duet of "Jolene" with Miley.

Three Rivers (8pm, CBS) - The series finale of this transplant drama has Andy putting his patient at the top of the heart list, but the operation is in jeopardy when the police threaten to seize the funds raised for the surgery.

The Forgotten (9pm, ABC) - ABC is burning off two previously unaired episodes of this canceled Christian Slater drama. In the first episode, the team tries to figure out if a Jane Doe gunshot victim was the shooter's intended target. In the second episode, a young man awakens from a coma induced by a violent attack, and asks the team's help in determining his identity.

When one is granted an interview with an icon of Dolly Parton's stature, what usually happens is an assistant calls, puts you on hold for an indeterminate period of time and then connects you to the interviewee. So when the phone rang at the appointed hour for my chat with Parton, I was surprised to hear Parton herself already on the line, gamely struggling to pronounce my last name and laughing at herself; still makes me giggle every time I hear it.

Yes, of course I recorded the conversation -- wouldn't you? Take a listen to a sample here, then read the print interview here. There's also a brief chat with local author Lee Smith about what it's like to actually meet Ms. Parton in-person.

For the rest of us lesser mortals, she plays Wednesday at Raleigh's RBC Center.

New to Pollstar's concert listings today -- star of stage, screen and countless demented fantasies, the great country-pop icon Dolly Parton, at Raleigh's RBC Center on Nov. 5 (almost exactly four years since her last RBC show, oddly enough).

An on-sale date will be announced on Friday.

(Thanks, Al.)