It's a big deal when a network can talk its affiliates into giving up a half-hour of their normal programming at 7:30. Typically, that's reserved for a news event of major import, or the Olympics or a similar massive sporting event. Yes, it's heady company American Idol finds itself in these days.

Yes, tonight (Fox, 7:30) is the second annual Idol Gives Back charity extravaganza, featuring Idols past and present along with non-Idol dignitaries such as Bono, Reese Witherspoon, Brad Pitt, Celine Dion, Kiefer Sutherland, Peyton Manning, and all three people who want to be your next president. Yeah, it's all for a good cause, but it's always a danger sign when television shows begin taking themselves this seriously. Hopefully, the producers won't forget that it's cheese we tune in for every week. They won't be pulling the "nobody gets eliminated!" stunt again this year; the elimination show is tomorrow and someone, most likely, Syesha Mercado, will be leaving.

America's Next Top Model (CW, 8 PM): It's the midseason "never before seen footage" episode. Never a favorite, but ANTM Gives Back just wouldn't fly.

Big Brother 9 (CBS, 8 PM): Is this the end of James? It's not looking good. If he's heading to the sequester house, I do hope they've Scotchgarded all the furniture in preparation.

American Masters (PBS, 9 PM): Jump at the Sun is the story of Zora Neale Hurston, the Harlem Renaissance figure best known for the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Chefography (Food Network, 9 PM): The Food Network's biography program profiles the network itself, as various talking heads recall the early days of struggle. Why, times were so tight that Rachael Ray's olive oil was only virgin, and not "extra virgin."

Criminal Minds (CBS, 9 PM): The BAU suspects that a series of suicides in a Pittsburgh neighborhood may actually be the sign of a serial killer at work.

Ghost Hunters (SciFi, 9 PM): The investigators head to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, which has a surprising amount of ghost activity for a fairly new establishment.

Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious (CW, 9 PM): The contenders film a music video on board a boat on choppy seas; one of the girls is less interested in pretending to be cooperative.

Supernanny (ABC, 9 PM): Jo helps a family with four children, none older than seven, where the parents have realized too late that they have tolerated lack of discipline for too long.

CSI: NY (CBS, 10 PM): Stella battles to help save residents when a fire breaks out in her apartment building; her colleagues determine that the fire was deliberately set.

Destination Truth (SciFi, 10 PM): The season finale means that the strange beasts of the earth will get to ply their dastardly trades unpunished, until Josh returns to the field. Tonight, a hunt for the giant anaconda of Brazil, which must be even more giant than the ones that we already knew about.

High School Reunion (TV Land, 10 PM): The season finale ends with a prom, and several couples taking stock of where they might be now; a surprise guest livens up the prom.

House Hunters (HGTV, 10 PM): Trading a house for a condo might usually be considered downsizing, but not when the condo is in the "Pearl District" of Portland.

If I Were King (MTV, 10 PM): So it's not enough that MTV has already devoted several seasons to Making the Band; it now has to run a 90-minute film about Diddy's life as a fashion mogul?

Inside Straight Edge (National Geographic, 10 PM): A look at the anti-drug and alcohol movement popular in certain circles of young people, which brings the general look and attitude of punk to the clean lifestyle.

Primetime (ABC, 10 PM): The Last Lecture: A Love Story For Your Life is a profile of Randy Pausch, the computer science professor who, upon being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, became an Internet sensation with his a filmed lecture on achieving your dreams.

Smash Lab (Discovery, 10 PM): The team takes a material called Blastwrap, which is meant to line the insides of public trash cans to protect them from bombs (this is a real crisis?), and considers using it to protect a jetliner.

South Park (Comedy Central, 10 PM): Cartman gets to be a substitute teacher. Will his author-i-tah be respected?

Tyler Perry's House of Payne (TBS, 10 PM and 10:30 PM): At 10:00, a day spent cleaning Claretha's home leads to a mishap, while Calvin decides to move in with his girlfriend. At 10:30, Liz moves into the Payne house after a fight with her husband, upsetting Curtis.

Top Chef (Bravo, 10 PM): Ming Tsai helps conduct a taste test; the elimination challenge calls on the chefs to cater a major charity event.

UFO Hunters (History, 10 PM): The hunters examine something that just happened: some unusual lights seen around Stephenville, Texas at the beginning of the year. Clearly, it was an attempt to stop this series from ever airing. BUT IT FAILED!!

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