Daily picks

It's down to the wire in this innovative singing competition, in which a panel of music industry insiders chose the contestants they wanted to mentor based strictly on how they sang, not how they looked. Tonight, one of those contestants is crowned the winner of the competition and receives a $100,000 cash prize and a record deal. Carson Daly hosts the season finale.

Back tonight with new episodes, this "Hardcore Pawn" spinoff is set in the Royal Pawn Shop, one of the oldest and largest such establishments in the Windy City. The owners are brothers Randy and Wayne Cohen, who don't agree on much ... except when it comes to what constitutes a good deal. And if there is a good deal involved, they're not shy about doing business with anyone.

Disney hoped this 2012 adventure would launch a movie series based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' "John Carter of Mars" novels. No such luck. Taylor Kitsch ("Friday Night Lights") shows off his physical trainer's work as the title hero, a Civil War veteran spirited to the red planet to help the native inhabitants win a war. Lynn Collins plays the princess who entices him; Willem Dafoe gives a motion-capture performance in a cast that also includes Samantha Morton.

Director and co-writer Roland Emmerich ("The Day After Tomorrow") calls upon an ancient prophecy to lay waste to much of the planet in this visually spectacular thriller that is woefully deficient, however, in any kind of character development. It's disaster porn, as a mind-numbing array of catastrophes assails the eye even as the mind and heart remain disengaged. John Cusack plays a writer struggling to save his ex-wife (Amanda Peet) and children from cataclysms that result from trouble at Earth's core.

A death aboard a Navy ship is originally thought to have been caused by a massive storm, but as Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and the team investigate, it starts to look like a murder -- with a long list of suspects. McGee (Sean Murray) learns that his own estranged father, an admiral (Jamey Sheridan), was on board at the time of the incident in "Squall." Michael Weatherly also stars.

The latest attack by "A" has potentially devastating consequences for Emily (Shay Mitchell) in this new episode. Alison's mom (Andrea Parker) gives Hanna (Ashley Benson) the DeLaurentis family parrot, who has some surprising things to say about Alison's last days. Aria (Lucy Hale) starts studying self-defense with an attractive instructor. Toby (Keegan Allen) shares a secret with Spencer (Troian Bellisario) in "Turn of the Shoe."

Through gripping real-life stories, new technology and cutting-edge computer graphics, this new special explores sex like never before, journeying from first times to playing the field, all the way to humankind's ultimate goal -- procreation.

And the dance goes on. In the new episode "Meet the Top 20," host Cat Deeley will announce the names of the 10 male and 10 female finalists, who will then show their stuff in performance. Judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy will just watch this time; this is just an opportunity for viewers to get to know the finalists.

The team's investigation of a former terrorist group with one surviving member leads Kensi and Deeks (Daniela Ruah, Eric Christian Olsen) into the woods in "History." Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J and Linda Hunt also star.

In the new episode "Wheatgrass Roots," the chefs' first challenge is to see what they can do with a very earthy first basket, including chia seeds and dandelion greens. Then in the entree round, tempeh is the tempting center of every plate. And the two finalists get a local sweetener and a fresh berry from which to make delicious desserts.

Marci throws an extravagant costume party for Halloween in this new episode. When Meredith has trouble keeping up with the other women, Nicole N. and Emily take her under their wing and discover a shocking secret about her past in "Meredith's Makeover Madness."

Get ready for the final 13 episodes of Matt Groening's ("The Simpsons") animated comedy as the final season starts with tonight's hourlong premiere. Futurama first ran on Fox from 1999 to 2003 and was resurrected by Comedy Central in 2010. Among their adventures in the farewell season, Fry (voice of Billy West), Leela (voice of Katey Sagal) and Bender (voice of John DiMaggio) take up drag racing and bring a dead robot back to life.

To usher in its new season, the gang is coming at you with a live episode, where we're guessing somebody is going to come close to breaking out in laughter. Not Betty White, though -- that woman is a pro. Look for one of the gals to get embroiled in a scandal this season, and later on look for on-screen reunions of stars from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Carol Burnett Show."

Virtually all of the original "American Pie" cast is back in a 2012 sequel that's pretty successful in recapturing the first film's spirit -- which means you're free to skip it if you never developed a taste for "Pie." Jim (Jason Biggs) is adjusting to parenthood with wife Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) and debating what to do about a younger woman's apparent advances. Seann William Scott comes close to stealing the show again as Stifler.

Just go without it unless you're a big fan of Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston or romantic comedies in general. Sandler plays a plastic surgeon who learns how problematic a lie can become. A tall tale he tells his new love interest (Brooklyn Decker) escalates, and he has to produce a soon-to-be-ex-wife; he enlists an office assistant (Aniston) to fill the role. Nicole Kidman has a surprising comedic turn.

Meet the new boss, same as ... the landlady from "Melrose Place." Heather Locklear joins the cast this season as Rachel King, a tough new lawyer brought in by Stanton (Malcolm McDowell) to help run the firm. Peter and Jared (Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Breckin Meyer) represent a well-known magician in the season premiere, "Coffee and Cream." Reed Diamond also stars.

Hank (Mark Feuerstein) treats a policeman (Brad Beyer) whose health problems may be related to the behavior of his rebellious teenage daughter (Alexandra Socha). While settling into their new home, Evan and Paige (Paulo Costanzo, Brooke D'Orsay) try to settle a feud in the neighborhood. Divya (Reshma Shetty) finds her new life harder to adjust to than she'd expected in the new episode "Blythe Spirits."

Elaine's (Elizabeth Perkins) self-esteem takes a hit at her own birthday lunch when Polly (Sarah Chalke) steals the spotlight. To give her mother's ego a boost, Polly arranges a movie audition for her, but she realizes she's falling into an old pattern of putting Mom's dreams first in the new episode "How to Help the Needy." Rachel Eggleston and Brad Garrett also star.

This reality series brings together 32 of the best welterweight fighters in the world to compete for a spot in the Bellator MMA Tournament and a $100,000 prize. Fighters from around the globe live and train together in New Orleans, coached by such legends of the sport as Randy Couture, Greg Jackson, Frank Shamrock and Joe Warren. Contestants battle though qualifying and elimination bouts in the hopes of reaching and winning the final match.

Dani (Callie Thorne) treats a former child star whose growing pains are threatening her career. With a big endorsement deal on the line, Connor (John Stamos) tries to give T.K. (Mehcad Brooks) an image makeover. Nico (Scott Cohen) butts heads with Dani in the new episode "Gimme Some Lovin'." Johanna Braddy ("Greek") guest stars.

As the third season gets under way, Phil (Donald Faison) is enjoying an ever-expanding client list, while Stuart (David Alan Basche) finally starts dating again. Wayne Knight and Kristen Johnston also star in "Toy Story."

New this season will be a two-minute set at the end of each episode of star Cedric the Entertainer -- who plays an R&B superstar-turned-minister who now heads his hometown church in St. Louis -- doing stand-up relating to that week's storylines.

Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) summons Sam and Jesse (Bruce Campbell, Coby Bell) to help him with a high-stakes trade involving an international bomber. Back home, Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) steps in when Madeline (Sharon Gless) becomes the target of a bookie with extortion on his mind in the new episode "Down Range."

The off-kilter comedy returns for its third season as Ryan (Elijah Wood) tries to pick up the pieces from his last relationship, which ended with his girlfriend being taken away by the authorities. But as always his best pal, Wilfred (Jason Gann), is there for Ryan, even if everyone else actually just sees Wilfred as a dog. In "Uncertainty," the first of two new episodes airing tonight, man and dog search for Wilfred's original owner.

In the new episode "Crushed," Gunny and the SPT team have been contracted to design and build the prestigious U.S. Open course in Vail, Colo. They find themselves pressured by time, uneven terrain and lack of snow as they attempt to build a one-of-a-kind re-entry setup.

Watch this 1957 exploitation-fest only if you're prepared to give it the "Mystery Science Theater 3000" treatment. Mamie Van Doren and Lori Nelson star as sisters hitchhiking to Los Angeles. They stop in a small town where they're arrested, convicted and sentenced to a work gang for the heinous crime of -- gasp! -- skinny dipping. Rocker Eddie Cochran makes a brief appearance.

The frustrated CEO of True Home Value, a home remodeling operation based in St. Louis, gives his staff a chance to try fixing the troubled company. The employees take a hard look at what's causing the problems in the workplace -- and if that "what" turns out to be a "who," they have a tough call to make in the new episode "THV, Part 1 of 2."

Corey has hurt his hand and his ankle, but he shows up at work anyway in this new episode, which finds Rick looking over an oil painting by John Daly, an artist known for his images of classic Americana. Another customer brings in a Harley-Davidson rat bike that was custom built from random parts in "King of Pain."

Charlie (Charlie Sheen) is on a trip with the group when Kate (Selma Blair) sends him some interesting news. Back at his house, a porn shoot is under way -- without Charlie's knowledge, of course -- in the new episode "Charlie and the Airport Sext."

The staff at Nadia's Family Salon in New Jersey used to be one big, happy ... well, family. Now it's a big, unhappy dysfunctional one. The owner, Kevin, lost his passion for the business and developed a gambling problem. He's seldom at the salon, but when he is, his anger and poor communication skills make things worse. It's up to Tabatha to help him get back in control of himself and his business in the new episode "Nadia's Family Salon."

Briggs (Daniel Sunjata) asks the house to give Lauren (Scottie Thompson) some help with her case against the Russian mob in this new episode. Charlie's (Vanessa Ferlito) informant proves unreliable during a risky drug deal, landing her in trouble. Aaron Tveit also stars in "Heat Run."

When Will (Hugh Dancy) returns from Minnesota without Abigail, Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen) turns him in. Jack (Laurence Fishburne) and the BAU investigate and come to suspect that not only did Will kill Abigail but that he might be behind all the Copy Cat Killer's crimes. Will is arrested but escapes, fleeing to Minnesota with Hannibal in tow to clear his name, in the new episode "Savoureux." Caroline Dhavernas also stars.

Clearly Ving Rhames is down with the dead: This 2011 direct-to-TV release is his third zombie project, following "Dawn of the Dead" (2004) and "Day of the Dead" (2008). The story line follows a plucky band of survivors trying to get to a rumored sanctuary on California's Catalina Island in the aftermath of a mass outbreak of walking death. It's low-budget quickie, but the often awesome Taryn Manning ("Hustle & Flow") also stars, so there's that.

In "NY Export: Opus Jazz," a "Dance in America" production, an adaptation of Jerome Robbins' 1958 "ballet in sneakers" is taken off the stage and placed in the landscapes that inspired it, filmed on location all over the five boroughs of New York. The 16 emblematic characters are updated for modern times, but the story still embodies the same theme of being young in the Big Apple.

Beer doesn't grow on trees, but there's at least one where you can buy it. In this new episode, an Ohio family commissions Pete to build a "brewery in the sky." He obliges with a barn-themed tavern equipped with a fully functional brewing setup and containing a bar made from old wine barrels. Members of the local Amish community help the crew get the job done in "Treetop Taphouse."

Last year, "Access 360" went around the globe to document efforts to preserve and protect some of UNESCO's greatest World Heritage sites. This new special highlights the best, the worst and the most hopeful encounters from the past year.

A publisher and his wife (Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz) discover that their beautiful new home was once the scene of the gruesome murders of a woman and her children in this tepid and confusing 2011 knockoff of "The Shining" from usually reliable director Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot"). With Naomi Watts joining Craig and Weisz in the cast, the most haunting thing about this film is the question of how and when it totally jumped the track from something that probably started out as a far better, and scarier, movie.

Director Brian Helgeland's 1999 thriller about a double-crossed thief seeking revenge would be so much better with an actor other than Mel Gibson. Helgeland wants his film to recapture the gritty tone of a 1970s thriller, and he succeeds in many respects, but Gibson is simply too determined to be loved by his audience that he never fully commits to the darker, more repellent aspects of his character. These days, Gibson might play it differently, but here, it's just a promising movie sandbagged by a star ego.

The discovery of two bodies -- a cancer patient and the woman guiding her through her grieving process -- prompts Brennan and Booth (Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz) to discuss their own end-of-life plans and decisions. Daisy (Carla Gallo) returns to work her first case since splitting with Sweets (John Francis Daley) in "The Twist in the Plot."

Kampgrounds of America -- its friends call it KOA -- is a chain of almost 500 family-friendly camping facilities, some company-owned and some franchised. In this episode, Jim Rogers, the chain's chairman and CEO, visits several KOA campgrounds incognito and takes a series of rank-and-file jobs to see what life is like for the front-line workers. At the end, he'll have some pleasant surprises for some of those workers.

It's All-Pro weekend in Hawaii, and Danny (Scott Caan) is obsessed with the game. That may not be a bad thing, as it's one of the players who helps Five-0 crack its latest case: the murder of a tech executive. Arian Foster of the Houston Texans guest stars, along with Pat Monahan of the band Train, in "Pa' ani" -- Hawaiian for "the game." Alex O'Loughlin and Grace Park also star.

As Ike (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) sets his plan to get Ben (Danny Huston) out of the Miramar Playa in motion, Ben is pursuing the go-ahead to get rid of him ... permanently. Stevie and Lily (Steven Strait, Jessica Marais) go on a real date. Vera (Olga Kurylenko) is threatened by Meg (Kelly Lynch). Ben hosts a Seder like no other in the new episode "Angels of Death."

Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) finds himself investigating a community of voodoo practitioners on Halloween after a costumed man is stabbed by an assailant dressed as the Spirit of Death. Garrett Moore (Gregory Jbara) shares a secret with Frank (Tom Selleck). Erin and Nicky (Bridget Moynahan, Sami Gayle) take Sean and Jack (Andrew and Tony Terraciano) trick-or-treating in "Nightmares."

Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler adapted this 1944 film noir masterpiece from James M. Cain's novel about an insurance man who helps a bored but beautiful wife plan the "perfect murder" of her husband in a gambit to split a hefty insurance policy. Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray star.

In this new episode, Jackson works with Pink, whose vicious behavior is keeping her owner, Katy, from taking her relationship with partner Aimee to the next level. Not only are they worried about how Pink will treat Aimee's cat, but Katy herself is afraid of her. Viewers will also meet newlyweds Jon and Michelle, who are at odds over their aggressive cat, Zoey, in "My Cat Ruined My Wedding."

A diplomatic service van transporting a package from the State Department is hijacked, and the NCIS team must figure out not only who did the deed but what's in the package. An undercover assignment puts Callen and Sam's (Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J) partnership to the test as they celebrate its fifth anniversary. Linda Hunt and Barrett Foa also star in "Partners."

One of the country's most picturesque racetracks is front and center today for the Nationwide Series' Johnsonville Sausage 200. The 14-turn, 4.048-mile permanent road course of Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., will challenge a field including Sam Hornish Jr., Elliott Sadler, Regan Smith, Justin Allgaier and Brian Vickers with its elevation changes, long front stretch and the tricky kink in its backstretch. Nelson Piquet Jr. won this race in 2012.

You can probably guess that a winning ticket sets this comedy in motion, with Bow Wow playing the lucky fellow ... lucky, that is, until others become aware of his sudden windfall and want what they believe is their share. Since the win happens on a weekend, the winner is in for a long haul as he tries to deal with complete strangers and would-be criminals, as well as people he already knows. It's a tossup as to who behaves the worst.

Eight years before "The Nutty Professor," Eddie Murphy flexed his multitasking muscles in this 1988 romantic comedy. He and co-star Arsenio Hall have three roles each in addition to their main ones: an African prince and his pal visiting New York to find a suitable bride for His Highness. Shari Headley plays the lady he favors, whom he meets in -- where else? -- Queens. Don't miss the brief shout-out to another Murphy hit, "Trading Places."

It's an evening of R&B in the 2011 episode "Raphael Saadiq & Black Joe Lewis." Tony! Toni! Tone! alumnus Saadiq performs music from his album "Stone Rollin'," while Austin-based Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears play selections from their release "Scandalous."

More than a big-screen "Glee," this 2012 comedy with a big dose of music has an engaging energy all its own. Anna Kendrick plays an unlikely new member of a college singing group who proves to be the spark it needs in a competition. Rebel Wilson ("Bridesmaids") is the picture's scene stealer as another member, Co-stars also include Anna Camp ("The Mindy Project"), Brittany Snow ("Hairspray") and Elizabeth Banks, a producer of the picture as well.

Hank (Anthony Edwards) confronts his parents (Dan Ziskie, Beth Dixon) about his birth and early years. They reluctantly open up, but he senses they're not telling the whole truth. The search for Laila (Jacinda Barrett) and the next clock brings Beck, Paige, Arron and Rachel (Carmen Ejogo, Grace Gummer, Scott Michael Foster, Addison Timlin) to Istanbul. Hank makes a connection with a man who holds a critical key in the new episode "Weight."

Gavin and Olivia (Terry O'Quinn, Vanessa Williams) are excited to have Sasha (Tessa Thompson) back in this new episode. Also in a celebratory mood are Louise (Mercedes Masohn), who's been given an opportunity to work for a top magazine, and Brian (Robert Buckley), who's close to making a deal for his play. Jane (Rachael Taylor), on the other hand, continues to be disturbed by her dreams fusing with reality in "The Comfort of Death."

Woody Allen has had success using foreign locales, and he takes that approach again with this enjoyable comedy that sets several stories in Italy. Writer-director Allen plays an opera director who unexpectedly starts a new chapter, while Jesse Eisenberg portrays a young man who falls for his girlfriend's friend (Ellen Page) as an architect (Alec Baldwin) advises him. Penelope Cruz, who was helped to an Oscar by Allen in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," also stars.