What's On Tonight: Football Creeps In

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There's no getting away from the gravitational pull of Super Bowl Weekend, with football themes emerging in new episodes of a couple of shows.

On "Monk" (USA, 9 p.m.), the fussy detective scores tickets to the big playoff game but has to solve an attempted murder in the parking lot first (guest star: Bob Costas).

On "Psych" (USA, 10 p.m.), Shawn and Gus sign up for a football training after a foot of a professional kicker is found.

Elsewhere, there is the 2007 spoof of sports movies, "The Comebacks" (Cinemax, 8:30 p.m.) with David Koechner as a struggling football coach. Football is of course "The Game" (The CW, 8:30 p.m.) of which the title of the comedy speaks. And let's not forget about a new episode of "Friday Night Lights" in which Katie McCoy volunteers to host the annual players' cookout.

But football is by no means the only sport on TV tonight. Rock climbing is the sport on "Numb3rs" (CBS, 10 p.m.); paintball on "Wife Swap" (ABC, 8 p.m.). "Happy Gilmore" (Bravo, 9 p.m.) is about golf.. "Smokey and the Bandit II" (CMT 9 p.m.) is about cross country racing (isn't it?). And there is whatever it is they do on "Friday Night SmackDown!" (MyNetwork TV, 8 p.m.).

After the American drone bombing of Pakistan, the policy is questioned on "Bill Moyers Journal" (CPTV, 9 p.m.). The stimulus plan stimulates the panel on "Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal" (CPTV, 8 p.m.).

The nationalizing of banks pops up on "NOW" (WGBY, Channel 57, 8:30 p.m.; CPTV, 10 p.m.).

The reality series "13: Fear is Real" (The CW, 9 p.m.) has been moved to Friday nights.

"Wolverine and the X-men" (Nicktoons, 8 p.m.) did a bang-up job in its premiere last week as "the network's highest rated original series premiere ever with kids and boys," Nicktoons said. Doesn't hurt that there's a new Wolverine movie coming out.


Southern Gothic is the theme on Turner Classic Movies, with screenings of "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" (8 p.m.), "Sweet Bird of Youth" (10:30 p.m.) and "The Night of the Nunter" (12:45 a.m.). Later, a pair of rock stories from the 1980s: "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains" (TCM, 2:30 a.m.) with Diane Lane leading an all girl band, and "Eddie and the Cruisers" (TCM, 4 a.m.).

NBA action includes Celtics at Pistons (CSN, ESPN), Nets at Hawks (YES, 7:30 p.m.) and Warriors at Hornets (ESPN, 9:30 p.m.

Daytime Talk
Regis and Kelly: George Hirsch, Mary-Louise Parker, Ted McGinley. The View: Julianne Moore, Whitney Port, Peter Cincotti. Bonnie Hunt: Chris Matthews. Ellen DeGeneres: Alyson Hannigan. Mike and Juliet: Demi Lovato, Geraldo Rivera, Jeannine Pirro.

Late Talk
David Letterman: Mary Hicks, the Gaslight Anthem. Jay Leno: Elizabeth Banks, Dev Patel, James Morrison. Conan O'Brien: Greg Kinnear, J.J. Abrams, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (rerun). Jimmy Kimmel: Christina Applegate, Carlos Bernard, Benji Hughes. Craig Ferguson: Michael Sheen, Russell Peters, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. Carson Daly: Jerry Rice, Anhony Green (rerun).