(ALL TIMES ET)

8PM | NBC
Chuck – Last week’s episode was so sweet and awesome, in a season two or three kinda way, that it almost redeemed this disappointing final season of Chuck. Here’s hoping tonight’s episode continues that vibe, as Casey meets up with Vebanski (guest star Carrie-Anne Moss) again, and the newly not-baked Jeff starts to make some connections about the odd happenings at the Buy More.

8PM | FOX
2012 Cotton Bowl – Arkansas vs. Kansas State battle each other (for the first time since 1967) in Arlington, Texas.

8PM | ABC
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition – This two-hour tear jerker sees the team build a new home for a legally blind widow raising six kids in an Iowa farmhouse.

8PM | CBS
A Gifted Man – The doctor becomes the patient as Michael’s colleagues have to perform emergency surgery on him.

8PM | THE CW
Nikita – Nikita runs into Alex when she tries to steal Semak’s black box, while Michael tries to scope out Percy’s secret plot and Alex returns to her childhood home.

9PM | CBS
CSI: NY – Is a stalker the culprit when a cage fighter is murdered? The CSIs are on the case.

9PM | THE CW
Supernatural – Dean dukes it out with Dick Roman, while Sam tries to help a teenage girl find her MIA papa, who’s also a supernatural hunter.

10PM | CBS
Blue Bloods – When Erin’s informant is murdered, she teams up with Danny to find the killer.

10PM | IFC – 2ND SEASON PREMIERE
Portlandia – Andy Samberg guests in the opener, as a mixologist who catches the eye of Carrie.

10:30PM | IFC – 2ND SEASON PREMIERE
The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret – The title of the season premiere says it all: “Todd’s Terrible Day Ends and His Next Terrible Day Begins.”

Worth flipping to during commercials:
– New America’s Most Wanted on Lifetime (9PM);
– On Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys (9PM, Sundance), Brent’s behavior leads Olivia to a major decision, while Peter has a talk with his daughter about whether or not she’s being bullied at school;
– Infested! (9PM, Animal Planet) … totally must-watch-TV, but totally skeevy at the same time with all the creepy-crawlies;
– Deadly Women (10PM, ID) is also about vengeance-motivated murders;
– It’s the fourth season premiere of Merlin (10PM, Syfy).

And the late-night line-up:
– The Late Show with David Letterman (11:35PM, CBS): Kristen Bell;
– The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35PM, NBC): Glenn Close;
– Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05AM, ABC): Don Cheadle, Boyz II Men and David Cross;
– Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35AM, NBC): Judah Friedlander and David Duchovny;
– The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:37AM, CBS): Michael Clarke Duncan;
– Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35AM, NBC): Michelle Monaghan (REPEAT).

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• Filed in Blue Bloods, Chuck, Late Night, Sports, TV Picks
• Tags: Blue Bloods, Chuck, Cotton Bowl, Portlandia season 2, Supernatural

(ALL TIMES ET)

10PM | CBS
Blue Bloods – Danny shoots a fellow cop, accidentally, when the cop fails to identify himself, which leads to an Internal Affairs investigation into Danny’s state of mind the day of the shooting and desk duty while the investigation is carried out.

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR TIME AND CHANNEL | PBS
Hugh Laurie: Let Them Talk … A Celebration of New Orleans Blues – Nope, he’s not only an actor. This PBS Great Performances special finds Dr. House getting funky with his bad self – and guests like Tom Jones and Allen Toussaint – as he takes a tour through New Orleans and showcases his musical skills and the city’s rich musical history.

8PM | CBS
A Gifted Man – Michael’s got a lot on his plate: He’s trying to help his pregnant friend, who has a brain tumor, while also helping a young boy at Anna’s clinic who has sickle cell anemia.

8PM | FOX
Kitchen Nightmares – It’s Gordo vs. the proprietors of Leone’s in Montclair, New Jersey.

8PM | THE CW
Nikita – Michael and Nikita meet up with Owen, who’s looking for Dr. Mars and an antidote to the drug Mars created.

9PM | CBS
CSI: NY – Aly Michalka guests as a punk rocker whose overzealous teenage fan winds up dead.

9PM | FOX
Fringe – The two Fringe teams have to work together to thwart a serial killer in the alt world.

9PM | THE CW
Supernatural – Castiel’s not having such a fun time with his newfound power, but it’s Sam who’s really suffering, as the broken wall in his head is causing hallucinations.

10PM | SUNDANCE – 1ST SEASON FINALE
Quirky – Tonight’s inventions include a BBQ tray that allows you to multitask and a toilet plunger that’s also a toilet snake.

Worth flipping to during commercials:
– Seth MacFarlane and Salman Rushdie are among the guests on Real Time with Bill Maher (10PM, HBO).

And the late-night line-up:
– The Late Show with David Letterman (11:35PM, CBS): Samuel L. Jackson;
– The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35PM, NBC): Hugh Laurie;
– Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05AM, ABC): Simon Cowell (REPEAT);
– Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35AM, NBC): Pearl Jam and Claire Danes;
– The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:37AM, CBS): Seth Rogen;
– Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35AM, NBC): Miranda July.

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• Filed in Blue Bloods, Late Night, TV Picks
• Tags: A Gifted Man, Blue Bloods, CSI: NY, Fringe, Hugh Laurie New Orleans blues, Kitchen Nightmares, Nikita, Quirky Sundance, Supernatural

(ALL TIMES ET)

9PM | FOX – 3RD SEASON FINALE
Fringe – Real world and the alt world collide in this game-changing season ender, which includes the death of a team member and, according to producers, several scenes fans are going to be rewatching again and again while anxiously awaiting season four (and yes, the show has already been renewed for a fourth season).

8PM | NBC
Friday Night Lights – Buddy finds out just how much work Buddy Jr. is going to require, and Luke gets an offer from TMU.

8PM | FOX
Kitchen Nightmares – Gordo tries to work his makeover magic on Capri, an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles.

8PM | DIY
Man Caves – An extreme sports fan’s garage is turned into an adventure cave.

8PM | ABC
Shark Tank – Things get extra crazy in the Shark Tank tonight, as Mark Cuban tells all the entrepreneurs – including the maker of a male-aimed candle and someone claiming to have an innovative wedding product – that they shouldn’t negotiate with the other Sharks if they want to have any hope of wheeling and dealing with him.

8PM | THE CW
Smallville – Only one week ’til the series finale. In this penultimate episode, Jor-el gives Lois Clark’s superpowers as a wedding present, so she’ll understand what it’s like to be Clark for one day.

9PM | CBS
CSI: NY – Peter Fonda guest stars as Mac’s former partner, who, along with Mac, is on the receiving end of gunfire sparked by a grudge that’s been stewing for decades.

9PM | THE CW
Supernatural – Castiel tells Sam, Dean and Bobby about the war in heaven, and how he and Raphael became enemies, but Bobby believes his story is missing a lot of important details.

10PM | CBS
Blue Bloods – When friends of the Reagans are murdered, the family’s drug addict son is the main suspect. Meanwhile, Jamie’s gun is stolen, leading him to worry that he’s being set up for investigating the Blue Templars.

Worth flipping to during commercials:
– It’s the fourth season premiere of Flashpoint (8PM, CBS);
– Everyone graduates and the ship is sold on the series finale of Suite Life on Deck (8PM, Disney);
– Back-to-back new eps of Say Yes to the Dress (9PM, TLC);
– A retro candy machine and a safe without a combination are on tap on American Restoration (10PM, History);
– National security journalist Peter Bergen is the guest on Real Time With Bill Maher (10PM, HBO);
– IFC has a new Whitest Kids U’Know (10:30PM).

And the late-night line-up:
– The Late Show with David Letterman (11:35PM, CBS): Bill Murray;
– The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35PM, NBC): Steven Tyler and the Civil Wars;
– Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05AM, ABC): (REPEAT);
– Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35AM, NBC): Edie Falco and Carmelo Anthony;
– The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:37AM, CBS): Will Ferrell;
– Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35AM, NBC): Paul Feig.

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• Filed in Blue Bloods, Late Night, TV Picks
• Tags: Blue Bloods, CSI: NY, Friday Night Lights, Fringe season 3 finale, Kitchen Nightmares, Man Caves, Shark Tank, Smallville, Supernatural

(ALL TIMES ET)

8PM | ABC
Shark Tank – My favorite Friday night show has a packed line-up of entrepreneurs tonight, including the creator of Hot Mama Gowns, a line of chic maternity dresses, and the guy behind the cleverly named Caddyswag, a beverage cooler that fits inside a golf bag. The Sharks – tonight’s panel includes Barbara Corcoran, Kevin Harrington, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John and Kevin O’Leary – get particularly excited, and competitive, over the SweepEasy, a cleaning product invented by a stay-at-home dad.

8PM | NBC
Friday Night Lights – Coach Eric and his team are forced to face the fact that, despite an impressive win last week, they still can’t get any respect in high school football land.

8PM | THE CW
Smallville – With just three episodes left before the series finale, Lois is advising Clark how to distinguish himself from the Blur. But when Booster Gold (Eric Martsolf, Days of Our Lives and Passions), a superhero from the future, comes to town and starts stealing the spotlight for himself, Lois decides her best bet is to support The Blur. The devil you know, and all that.

9PM | TEENNICK – 10TH SEASON FINALE
Degrassi – Season 11 will premiere this summer, but for now, the season 10 finale is making me have Craig meltdown flashbacks, as Eli promises to give Clare a little room to breathe, but finds it very difficult to keep his promise.

9PM | FOX
Fringe – Walternate has vengeance on his mind, which causes problems in alt-world.

9PM | CBS
Girls Night Out: Superstar Women of Country – Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire and Martina McBride are among the performers honored in this salute to the women of country music, though Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatts also perform.

9PM | THE CW
Supernatural – In “Frontierland,” Sam and Dean travel back in time to the Old West, which, yes, means you should expect plenty of Back to the Future references.

9PM | HBO
Talking Funny – Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Ricky Gervais and Louis C.K. talk about the process of creating their comedy material, recycling jokes and their favorite routines in this Gervais-produced special.

10PM | ABC
20/20 – Elton John chats with Babs Walters about his new baby boy, Zachary, who was born last Christmas.

Worth flipping to during commercials:
– Back-to-back new episodes of Royal Weddings of a Lifetime (9PM, Lifetime) revolve around Prince William and Kate Middleton’s love story and predictions about their life together after next week’s big royal wedding;
– History has back-to-back new episodes of American Restoration (10PM);
– On Outrageous Food (10PM, Food Network), Tom travels to Philly to try a challenge that includes scarfing a 2-foot Philly cheesesteak sandwich and 12 Tastykakes;
– Magnus returns to Sanctuary (10PM, Syfy) and finds out that Bigfoot is missing and Henry has been battered, he claims, by Will;
– It’s a new Whitest Kids U’Know (10:30PM, IFC), with skits about a squirrel flying into a car’s sunroof and bad food ordering on a first date.

And the late-night line-up:
– The Late Show with David Letterman (11:35PM, CBS): Danny McBride and Jack Hanna (REPEAT);
– The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35PM, NBC): Kim and Kourtney Kardashian (REPEAT);
– Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05AM, ABC): Vin Diesel (REPEAT);
– Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35AM, NBC): The Lonely Island, Magic Johnson and Stephen Colbert (REPEAT);
– The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:37AM, CBS): Diane Lane;
– Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35AM, NBC): Cee Lo Green and Josh Radnor (REPEAT).

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• Filed in Late Night, TV Picks
• Tags: Degrassi season 10 finale, Friday Night Lights, Fringe, Shark Tank, Smallville, Supernatural

(ALL TIMES ET)

8PM | NBC – 5TH SEASON PREMIERE
Friday Night Lights – Yeah, yeah, those fans with DirecTV have already seen the final – sniffle – season unfold, and, true, it’s already out on DVD, but there’s still nothing like tuning in to watch FNL, one of the all-time great TV dramas, unfold live on a Friday night. Enjoy.

8PM | FOX
Kitchen Nightmares – Can you get good Caribbean food at a cafe in Pasadena? Not the one Gordo makes a visit to tonight, apparently.

8PM | ABC
Shark Tank – Keychains, a lighted sticker and smelly (in a good way) lip gloss are among the projects pitched to the Sharks.

8PM | THE CW
Smallville – The good news is that Papa Kent (John Schneider) is back, but it’s in al-universe, where Clark isn’t Clark Kent, but Clark Luthor.

9PM | TEENNICK
Degrassi – Any guesses as to what Eli’s issue is going to turn out to be when he starts getting all creepy and clingy with Clair?

9PM | FOX
Fringe – The episode: “Lysergic Acid Diethylamide.” The plot: The team has precious little time to get William Bell’s consciousness out of Olivia’s body before Olivia is no more.

9PM | THE CW
Supernatural – Fate is ticked off at everyone, namely Balthazar for saving the Titanic. She’s also pretty upset with Sam and Dean, and Castiel tells the bros they’re gonna have to kill her to get any peace.  

10PM | SYFY
Sanctuary – The team’s punishment for trespassing in Praxis: death!

10:30PM | IFC – 5TH SEASON PREMIERE
The Whitest Kids U’ Know – Season premiere skits include a sex phone operator’s obsession with baked beans and “Little Hitler,” which presents a funny hypothesis about the source of the villain’s villainy.

Worth flipping to during commercials:
– It’s Glee meets The Breakfast Club when five high schoolers in detention bond and form a band in the TV flick Lemonade Mouth (8PM, Disney);
– Doctors and scientists try to find, and stop, the source of deadly pathogens like anthrax in the new series Killer Outbreaks (9PM, Animal Planet);
– It’s the second season finale of The Ricky Gervais Show on HBO (9PM);
– Back-to-back episodes of Say Yes to the Dress on TLC (9PM);
– Doug E. Doug guests on Bar Karma (10PM, Current);
– On Outrageous Food (10PM, Food Network), Tom samples turducken burgers.

And the late-night line-up:
– The Late Show with David Letterman (11:35PM, CBS): Tina Fey and Chris Cornell;
– The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35PM, NBC): John Travolta;
– Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05AM, ABC): Norm McDonald (REPEAT);
– Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (12:35AM, NBC): Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper (REPEAT);
– The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:37AM, CBS): Robin Wright;
– Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35AM, NBC): Bill Hader (REPEAT).

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• Filed in Late Night, TV Picks
• Tags: Degrassi, Friday Night Lights season 5, Fringe, Kitchen Nightmares, Sanctuary, Shark Tank, Smallville, Supernatural, The Whitest Kids U' Know