Postseason baseball begins today and will try to be as dramatic as that frenzied final day of the season Wednesday. It’s American League wild card winners Tampa Bay at Texas (TBS, 5 p.m.) followed by division winners Detroit at the Yankees (TBS, 8:30 p.m.), with their aces facing off: Justin Verlander, left and C.C. Sabathia. And let me just say: Go Tigers.
He may not be the strongest vocalist on the stage (especially with Irma Thomas and Tom Jones stepping in), but TV’s Hugh Laurie can hold his own on piano amid a talented New Orleans pickup band led by no less than Allen Toussaint. The odyssey to the South (that he calls a pilgramage) by the man better known as “House” is a good excuse to enjoy the musical gumbo of that city as “Hugh Laurie: Let Them Talk – A Celebration of New Orleans Blues” shows on “Great Performances” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings.
Freed from “Hellcats,” Aly Michalka goes back to portraying a musician in tonight’s “CSI: New York” (CBS, 9 p.m.).
In the tradition of Disney Channel sitcoms, another supporting role becomes a lead as Debby Ryan of “The Suite Like on Deck” plays a nanny on the new “Jessie” (Disney, 9 p.m.).
Olivia and her doppelganger work together on a new “Fringe” (Fox, 9 p.m.).
Before “American Horror Story” gets here, let’s review one of the chief inspirations: “The Shining” (BBC America, 9 p.m.).
Miss some of the new shows this week? Let’s get some same-week replay of “Modern Family” (ABC, 8 p.m.), “Up All Night” (NBC, 8 p.m.), “The Middle” (ABC, 8:30 p.m.), “Whitney” (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) (which was just on last night), and “Pan Am” (ABC, 9 p.m.).
I’m thinking the Michael Jackson trial has to find its way onto either “Dateline” (NBC, 9 p.m.) or “20/20” (ABC, 10 p.m.).
Dana Priest, Van Jones, former Gov. Jennifer Grnholm, Seth Macfarlane and Salman Rushdie are among the scheduled guests on a new “Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO, 10 p.m.).
When Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny accidentally shoots another cop, his dad the chief (Tom Selleck) has to order an internal investigation on “Blue Bloods” (CBS, 10 p.m.).
Leone’s Restaurant in Springfield, Mass., falters when the matriarch is unable to run the eaterie and her son is reluctant to take over on a new “Kitchen Nightmares” (Fox, 8 p.m.).
A week too late to take advantage of the space junk scare is the 1998 movie “Deep Impact” (TNT, 9 p.m.), about a comet about to hit earth.
Two new prime time series start Oct. 10 on Oprah Winfrey’s network and there’s an hour preview with “OWN Behind the Scenes: Rosie Show & Lifeclass” (OWN, 8 p.m.).
Three Angie Dickinson movies show on Turner Classic Movies tonight: “Point Blank” (8 p.m.), “Tension at Table Rock” (10 p.m.) and “The Sins of Rachel Cade” (11:45 p.m.).
Then, also from the 1960s, are a couple of odd films from Serbian director Dusan Makavejev, starring Eva Ras: “Love Affair, or the Case of the Mising Switchboard Operator” (TCM, 2 a.m.) and “A Man is Not a Bird” (TCM, 3:15 a.m.).
Daytime Talk
Regis and Kelly: Brooke Shields, Rob Mariano, Mark Consuelos. The View: Goldie Hawn, Jimmie “J.J.” Walker, Bern Nadette Stanis. The Talk: John Leguizamo, Cheryl Ladd, Kris Jenner, Aisha Tyler, Sheryl Underwood. Ellen DeGeneres: David Spade, Bethenny Frankel. Wendy Williams: Elizabeth Hurley, Ben Lyons, Jason Derulo.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Samuel L. Jackson, Karen Rontowski, Anne-Sophie Mutter. Jay Leno: Hugh Laurie, Herman Cain, the Airborne Toxic Event. Jimmy Kimmel: Simon Cowell, Ron Artest, Gavin DeGraw (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Claire Danes, Rev. Al Sharpton, Jeff Musial, Pearl Jam. Craig Ferguson: Seth Rogen, Judy Greer. Tavis Smiley: Tony Bennett. Carson Daly: Miranda July, Jeff Jensen, the Horrors. Chelsea Handler: Rachel Bilson, Bobby Lee, Arden Myrin, Dov Davidoff (rerun).