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What to Watch on Friday: Another NC case on Animal Planet hoarding show

Who Do You Think You Are (8pm, NBC) - Marisa Tomei (left) explores her roots and focuses on a possible family murder. Her quest takes her to Italy to uncover the truth about the alleged slaying of her great-grandfather.

Shark Tank (8pm, ABC) - A new guest shark tonight: QVC personality and inventor Lori Greiner, who holds over 110 patents. Before the panel tonight: a towel designed for modesty while changing out of a bathing suit, a cake mix for dogs, and an update on a class-notes sharing site for college students.

Nikita (8pm, CW) - Nikita tries to save her mentor from being killed by Percy in his attempt to take control of Division. Meanwhile, Amanda tells Alex it is time for her to take back Zetrov.

Grimm (9pm, NBC) - A trail of homicides puts Nick and Hank in pursuit of a deadly heartbreaker.

Blue Bloods (10pm, CBS) - A wealthy woman dies of an apparent heart attack, but her eccentric daughter claims she received a message from God that the death was actually a murder.

Confessions: Animal Hoarding (10pm, Animal Planet) - Featured tonight, a North Carolina woman with 30+ cats and a recidivist hoarder (not from North Carolina!) who secretly keeps dogs in a junkyard. Read more about the North Carolina case, in which the Wake County SPCA assisted in the removal and placement of the animals involved. Cats Winslow and Winny from this show still need a home!

Michael Feinstein's American Songbook: Lost and Found (10pm, UNC-TV) - Feinstein sets out to authenticate a previously unknown song by one of the giants of American popular music. He also convinces Broadway composer Jerry Herman to share one of his previously unknown tunes. Tony Award-winner Christine Ebersole also appears.

Scotty gets another nomination and another gold record

Scotty McCreery, the reigning "American Idol" from Garner, has received a double dose of good news: he now has a second gold single and he's up for a second country music award.

"The Trouble With Girls," the second single from Scotty's album, "Clear As Day," was just certified as a gold record, meaning more than 500,000 copies shipped. Scotty's first single, "I Love You This Big," also went gold. The CD has reached both gold and platinum status. A platinum album has sold at least 1 million copies.

Scotty also learned that he is a nominee for New Artist of the Year at the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

What to Watch on Thursday: Strange romance on a one-hour '30 Rock'

The Vampire Diaries (8pm, CW) - Elena attends a formal ball at Klaus' newly renovated mansion and learns of a horrifying plan that could lead to numerous deaths.

30 Rock (8pm, NBC) - In a one-hour dose of "30 Rock," Liz and Criss (James Marsden, left) decide to celebrate Valentine's Day but must first purchase a new dining table. Also, Jack spends time with his mother-in-law, Jenna anticipates her first live performance on "America's Kidz Got Singing," and Lutz seeks a special person to share the holiday with.

Grey's Anatomy (9pm, ABC) - It's also Valentine's Day over on "Grey's," where Lexie and Mark are babysitting for both Meredith and Derek and Callie and Arizona. Also, the ER fills with sick and/or broken romantics.

The Finder (9pm, Fox) - Walter helps an amateur magician look for his assistant, who vanished after a disappearing act, but the trail also leads to a counterfeit operation.

The Mentalist (10pm, CBS) - Jane hurries to prove a murder suspect is not guilty while the case is deliberated by a jury. Also, Cho realizes his informant may have crossed a line while trying to assist him.

What to Watch on Wednesday: Go deep inside 'Raccoon Nation'

Nature: Raccoon Nation (8pm, UNC-TV) - A look at urban raccoons, which are commonplace in big cities like Toronto, New York and Chicago. Night-vision cameras and radio collars provide a glimpse of the raccoon lifestyle, and there's also a look at the damage the critters have done in Japan, where they were imported as pets during the 1970s. Includes comments from a biologist who believes city life is making raccoons even smarter (they will rule us one day!). I know they can be destructive, but man, how adorable are they???

Person to Person (8pm, CBS) - In this revival of CBS's iconic primetime interview show, Charlie Rose and Lara Logan, both of the new "CBS This Morning" (which is very good, by the way), interview newsmakers in their homes and workplaces. Tonight's interviews are with George Clooney, Warren Buffett, and Jon Bon Jovi.

American Idol (8pm, Fox) - The Hollywood Round begins. Finally.

Modern Family (9pm, ABC) - Phil's preoccupation with a business opportunity blinds him to his new partner's inappropriate behavior around Claire.

Duke at North Carolina (9pm, WRAL) - You may not have heard anything about this, but it's happening. If you miss your normal CBS shows, WRAL will air "Criminal Minds" at 2 a.m. and "CSI: NY" at 3 a.m., which is a little different from their normal rebroadcast schedule. 

Revenge (10pm, ABC) - Birdies tell me some pivotal stuff goes down tonight, so pay attention. It may have something to do with the visit from Conrad's father, played by William Devane. Or it may not.

L&O: SVU (10pm, NBC) - Harry Connick Jr. is back. That is all.

'Bachelor' Brief: Chapel Hill in, Charlotte out

Confession: I didn't even watch "The Bachelor" last night (too many DVR conflicts now that "The Voice" is back!) but I did monitor the situation in Panama so that I could report to other slackers that Blakeley Shea, the Charlotte/Rutherfordton contestant, was eliminated in last night's show.

Blakeley (left) ended up as one-half of the dreaded two-on-one date last night, which means two women leave for the date and only one woman returns. Reports indicate the date included Latin dancing and a weird "scrapbook of feelings" (made by a weepy Blakeley). Let's face it. Even a "VIP Waitress" from holy Charlotte cannot pull off a stalkery move like that, and Blakeley was dismissed. Blakeley was livid and stormed out in tears without speaking to bachelor Ben Flajnik.

In other local developments, Emily O'Brien, the Duke grad and UNC-Ch PhD student . . .

What to Watch on Tuesday: A creepy 'River' and an 'Unforgettable' Jane Curtin

NCIS (8pm, CBS) - In the show's 200th episode, Gibbs (Mark Harmon) questions choices he's made when he stares down the barrel of a gun at a local diner.

The River (9pm, ABC) - In this two-hour series premiere, a TV explorer goes missing in the Amazon and his wife, who believes he's still alive, sets out with her son (Joe Anderson, right) and a documentary film crew to find him. It has a creepy "Paranormal Activity" vibe. Read my full review of "The River" premiere.

New Girl (9pm, Fox) - Jess goes against Nick's wishes when she makes it her mission to befriend the loft's landlord, who is notoriously cranky. But in doing so, Jess inadvertently jeopardizes their living situation.

Raising Hope (9:30pm, Fox) - Burt, stressed out during tax season, blurts out a hurtful insult about Virginia's career, so she starts a new business as a tarot-card reader.

Unforgettable (10pm, CBS) - A serial killer with knowledge of Carrie's memory skills taunts her and the police department as his list of victims grows. Emmy Award-winning actress Jane Curtin ("Saturday Night Live," "3rd Rock from the Sun") joins the cast tonight as a high-level inspector in the NYPD who until recently was running the Medical Examiner's office in Manhattan.

Parenthood (10pm, NBC) - Mark and Sarah consider having a baby, and Amber lands a promotion she worries she's not qualified for (do not trust that politician, Amber!!!).

Southland (10pm, TNT) - Sammy cares for a dog after accidentally shooting it and Lydia and Ruben investigate the murder of a good Samaritan. Also, Ben and Lydia both brave monumental life changes.

Justified (10pm, FX) - A daring prison escape puts Raylan on the trail of two old foes, while Boyd confronts a traitor in his inner circle.

There's even more good stuff than normal happening at 10 p.m. now, so don't forget the DVR time-shifting strategies we discussed before.

'The River' on ABC is one spooky trip

ABC has gone pretty darn creepy with their newest drama offering.

"The River," which has a two-hour debut tonight at 9, follows a group of fools (I believe that's the technical term) as they search the Amazon for a celebrity naturalist who, along with his entire crew, has been missing in the jungle for six months.

The search for Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood), the popular star of the "Undiscovered Country" series, quickly turns into a creepy, supernatural nightmare for everyone involved.

NBC needs tonight's new debut to be a 'Smash' hit

Can "Smash" save NBC? Well, it certainly can't hurt. And the Peacock needs this one. Bad.

Here's the nutshell version of tonight's big series debut (10 p.m.), in case you've missed the nine million promotional spots NBC has been pushing for weeks (but considering how few people actually watch NBC, maybe the pilot isn't as overexposed as many believe?):

"Smash" is a musical drama about a group of Broadway producers attempting to stage an original show about the life of Marilyn Monroe. It has a great cast (Debra Messing, Angelica Huston, Katharine McPhee), great original music, and lavish choreography.

Even for the most casual theater fans, "Smash" is an intoxicating insider's look at putting on a Broadway show, from the first spark of an idea through financing and casting, all the way to opening night.

Duke student competes for $100,000 in 'Jeopardy!' College Championship

Duke senior Greer Mackebee, 22, will compete for the $100,000 grand prize in the “Jeopardy!” College Championship tonight. Mackebee, pictured here with "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek, is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee. "Jeopardy!" airs locally at 7 p.m. on WTVD.

Photo courtesy of Jeopardy Productions, Inc.

What to Watch on Monday: Is this NBC's comeback night?

The Voice (8pm, NBC) - 'The Voice' follows their post-Super Bowl debut with a two-hour episode containing more blind auditions. Coaches Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton at left.

House (8pm, Fox) - Following a violent incident involving a patient, House and the team are placed under review by the neurology chief.

The Bachelor (8pm, ABC) - The remaining women (both North Carolina women are still in the mix, but something tells me that changes tonight!) visit Panama, and hopefully, Emily from Chapel Hill can stop talking about Courtney for five seconds.

Alcatraz (9pm, Fox) - We've only seen prisoners up to now, but tonight an old guard resurfaces and encounters an old acquaintance.

Hart of Dixie (9pm, CW) - Tonight's Valentine's dance episode features a performance by Raleigh native Tift Merritt.

Smash (10pm, NBC) - This much-hyped debut of NBC's (much better!) answer to "Glee" follows a group of professional adult people staging a Broadway show. In tonight's debut, a writing duo come up with the idea to base a musical on Marilyn Monroe, and an experienced chorus girl competes against a promising newcomer. It has a great cast, which includes Debra Messing, Angelica Huston and Katharine McPhee. Here's my full review.

Lost Girl (10pm, Syfy) - Bo protects a human woman after a fury tries to hire Bo to kill her husband's mistress.

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About this blog

We have DVRs. We have cable. We have armchairs. That makes us highly qualified to talk about television. Join us as we explore what's good, what's bad, what's too bad to miss, and anything else TV has to offer. Contributors are Brooke Cain, Adrienne Johnson Martin, Thad Ogburn and Lorenzo Perez .

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