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On the anniversary of the EF-5 tornado that wiped out an entire town, public TV stations throughout Kansas will air “Greensburg,” from Kansas native Brian Schodorf, whose cameras were there right after the twister struck.
The hourlong film also documents the year since, as Greensburg attempts to rebuild and become an eco-building model town. It airs at 7 p.m. on KTWU; on the Missouri side, KCPT will air it at a later date.
“This American Life” returns for a second season at 9 tonight on Showtime, and, I am happy to report, it is even less like radio than ever. Ira Glass’ intention all along was to create a “TAL” that was as distinctive visually as “TAL” on radio (10 a.m. Sundays, KCUR-FM) is aurally.
That’s evident from the first five minutes, in which there is almost no narration through a short story about kids in urban Philadelphia who ride horses through the streets for relaxation.
MONDAY
You’ve heard of crossover episodes where cast members of “Ally McBeal” wind up on “The Practice.” You’ve seen crossover characters like Richard Belzer’s Munch leave “Homicide” and wind up on “SVU” (not to mention “The Wire” and “The X-Files”).
Now a new subgenre: the crossover writer episodes this week on CBS. First, Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar, showrunners of “CSI,” wrote the episode of “Two and a Half Men” airing 8 p.m. Monday on KCTV-5.
Then, Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn, who co-created “Men,” wrote a “CSI” that’s airing 8 p.m. Thursday on CBS. I’m guessing Charlie Sheen’s bimbo-of-the-week will be smarter than usual, while Wally Langham’s “CSI” character will be funnier than usual.
WEDNESDAY
“American Masters” presents the life of Marvin Gaye, whose music, as scholar Michael Eric Dyson notes, serves as a “catalog of the full range of human emotion.” It airs at 9 p.m. on KCPT, 8 p.m. on KTWU.
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