TV: Five shows worth watching tonight: Jan. 25
A select viewing guide for Wednesday, Jan. 25
DOCUMENTARY Nature PBS, 8 p.m. Welcome to bear country. Tonight's episode of this revered documentary series was filmed entirely at Admiralty Island in southeast Alaska, which serves as the home of the largest concentration of grizzly bears anywhere on the planet. Since time began the bears have dined on the salmon run that begins each August, but weather changes in recent years have denied the great lumbering beasts their annual fish buffet. As a result, the entire circle of life is out of whack, since the trees in the region depend on the bears to spread the nitrogen-rich bodies of salmon throughout the forest. Watch and see how scientists are working to revert the ecosystem to normal.
COMEDY Are You There, Chelsea? NBC, 8:30 p.m. Launched a few weeks back, this midseason sitcom is loosely based on Chelsea Handler's book about her misspent youth before she became a TV talk show host. In this version, the younger Chelsea is played by Laura Prepon, ex of That ‘70s Show, and she's one raunchy customer. Tonight, Chelsea finds herself inexplicably drawn to the young lead singer of a Christian rock band. Watch for the real Handler in a recurring support role as Chelsea's priggish older sister.
DRAMA Criminal Minds CBS, CTV, 9 p.m. Still riding comfortably in Wednesday-night ratings, this sturdy crime procedural series reaches the 150th-episode plateau tonight with yet another disturbing tale. BAU agent David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) takes his team to Houston to conduct a massive search for a serial offender known as “The Piano Man,” who has recently resurfaced and is reassaulting his victims. TV veteran Penny Peyser guest-stars as a psychotherapist working the case.
DRAMA CSI CBS, CTV, 10 p.m. Arrivederci, Marg Helgenberger. The winsome flame-haired actress makes her final appearance tonight in the role of CSI investigator Catherine Willows after 11 seasons. In the storyline, Willows makes the decision to resign from her post following her investigation of a professional hit that occurred at a law firm she recommended to a close friend. Are the rumours true that former CSI boss Gil Grissom (William Petersen) will show up for the long goodbye? Watch and find out.
MOVIE Death on the Nile TCM, 11:30 p.m. In the mood for a whodunit? Using an Agatha Christie novel as source material, this 1978 film takes place aboard a luxury cruise liner slowly winding its way down the Nile River. The sudden murder of a haughty heiress (Lois Chiles) is brought to the attention of the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, played by Peter Ustinov, who then has to find out who killed the dear lady. The list of suspects are portrayed in broad character turns by the likes of Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, Maggie Smith and a half-dozen others. Hint: The butler didn't do it.