That’s the only way Rush got inducted this year. The Canadian trio has fans, but it’s hardly the influential or groundbreaking group that warrants a place alongside the Beatles or Stones or even Metallica.

Still, their induction is what likely packed the oversized Nokia Theatre for this year’s induction event last month. The band’s appearance late in the edited 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (HBO, 9 p.m.) show they are the culmination of the 28th annual event.

But before they get there, there are some great moments before they get there — an opening of inductee Randy Newman doing “I Love L.A.,” trading verses with Tom Petty, Jackson Browne and John Fogerty; a fitting tribute to Donna Summer that came months after her death; John Mayer giving a clinic on the electric blues by way of inducting his hero Albert King; Carole King singing a simple “So Far Away” as part of a salute to producer Lou Adler.

Plus there’s more entertainment: Usher doing the “Rock with You” that one of his team had sung last week on “The Voice” (in tribute to producer Quincy Jones); Harry Belafonte inducting Public Enemy, putting them in the pantheon of music of struggle; topped by the the sweetness and kick of Heart performing.

There’s also a worthy jam at the end of “Crossroads” may make it worth to sit through Rush’s music and one of the worst acceptance speeches in event history. But not quite.

The season finales of “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 11:30 p.m.) has started to resemble graduation ceremonies with the departure of longtime cast members. Last year it was all about Kristin Wiig; this year, it’s Bill Hader, the rangy and versatile  comic actor, whose best loved character may have been the hyperventilating Stefon, dishing out unusual and unusable tourist information during “Weekend Update.”

Expect a lot of time for him on tonight’s show as he bids farewell, but there is also some punch expected from host Ben Affleck, who joins the five timers club as host, and Kanye West, who may well interrupt him as he does. Season finales also attract a bunch of cameo stars, as does another induction into the five timer’s club.

Earlier, last week’s Kristin Wiig episode gets a repeat at 10 p.m.

The sweet and inventive “Moonrise Kingdom” (HBO, 7:15 p.m.) makes its cable debut.

Candace Cemeron Bure stars in the made for TV romance “Finding Normal” (GMC, 7, 9 and 11 p.m.), in which a particularly off-putting city doctor is stopped in the small town of Normal N.C., and forced to community service for speeding and unpaid tickets, she gets to now the townspeople and the way of life Lou Beatty Jr. and Andrew Bongiorno also star int he film that has just a touch of religion in it as well.

It’s already time for a season finale on “Doctor Who” (BBC America, 8 p.m.), accompanied by a new chapter on “Orphan Black” (BBC America, 9 p.m.).

May sweeps aren’t over until Wednesday, but you’d be hard pressed to find new programming on the broadcast networks. Aside, of course, from “Bet On Your Baby” (ABC, 8 p.m.).

“20/20″ (ABC, 9 p.m.) looks at musicians likely to figure in Sunday night’s Billboard Music Awards as well as interviews with past honorees, from Cher and Madonna to Beyonce and Lady Gaga, and a few guys too.

The surge of young death and gun violence in the Windy City is examined on a special “48 Hours: The War in Chicago” (CBS, 10 p.m.).

At the time, I thought it was a better than usual episode of “Lost.” But how does “Hot Tub Time Machine” (Comedy Central, 9 p.m.) hold up? “Brave” (Starz, 8 p.m.) and “Cars 2″ (Starz, 9:30 p.m.) play back to back.

Elsa Lanchester is the featured star on Turner Classic movies tonight with “Bride of Frankenstein” (8 p.m.), “The Private Life of Henry VIII” (9:30 p.m.), “Murder By Death” (11:15 p.m.) and “Passport to Destiny” (1:15 a.m.).

Later comes a couple of 30 year old films on female wrestling,  ”Below the Belt” (TCM, 2:30 a.m.) and “…All the Marbles” (TCM, 4:15 a.m.).

“Mean Girls 2″ (E!, 8 p.m.) runs opposite “Legally Blonde 2″ (FLix, 8 p.m.).

Movies with numbers in the title tonight include “300″ (AMC, 8 p.m.), “100 Girls” (Flix, 9:35 p.m.) and “27 Dresses” (Fox Movie Channel, 8 p.m.).

In the Stanley Cup playoffs, it’s Detroit at Chicago (NBC, 1 p.m.) and Los Angeles at San Jose (NBC Sports Network, 9 p.m.). In the NBA playoffs, it’s New York at Indiana (ESPN, 8 p.m.).

In the next stop for the triple crown is the Preakness Stakes (NBC, 4:30 p.m.). from Pimlico in Baltimore. Does Kentucky Derby winner Orb has a chance?

Arcade Fire plays a replay of “Austin City Limits” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings).

The post Saturday TV: Rush Inducted, Stefon’s Farewell appeared first on ROGER CATLIN.

The international cast features Polis tenor Piotr Beczala, Serian baritone Zeljko Lucic, German soprano Diana Damrau, Slovakian bass Stefan Kocan and Belarusian mezzo-soprano Oksana Volkova in her Met debut.

“Nikita” (The CW, 8 p.m.) reaches its third season finale. It’ll be back next year with a six-episode final episode.

Two new episodes of “Shark Tank” (ABC, 8 and 9 p.m.) spell the end of another season. Which has nothing to do with “Tanked” (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.).

A two hour edition of “Dateline” (NBC, 8 p.m.) goes the “Catfish” route, investigating a tenager posing as a 25-year-old single mother in search of an older man and other internet scams.

It’s Leonardo Da Vinci vs. Vlad the Impaler on tonight’s “Da Vinci’s Demons” (Starz, 9 p.m.).

A lot of shows have completed their seasons, but “20/20″ (ABC, 10 p.m.) and “Oh Sit!” (The CW, 9 p.m.) both have new episodes.

A new “Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO, 10 p.m.) features scheduled guests Michael Moore, Zach Galifianakis, Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass, journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, and commentator S.E. Cupp.

Lots of kids smoke in Indonesia, “Vice” (HBO, 11 p.m.) finds.

“Undercover Boss” (CBS, 8 p.m.) closes its fourth season with a look back at past shows.

Illeana Douglas’ selections of films needing second looks continues with “Ace in the Hole” (8 p.m.), “Top Banana” (10 p.m.), “It’s Always Fair Weather” (midnight) and  “Our Man in Havana” (2 a.m.).

Your Elvis movie of the night is “Kissin’ Cousins” (Encore, 8 p.m.).

The one playoff game tonight is Ottawa at Pittsburgh (NBC Sports, 7:30 p.m.) in the Stanley Cup.

Daytime Talk

Kelly & Michael: Connie Britton. The View: Arsenio Hall, Roger Daltrey, Jackie Hance, Wayne Brady. The Talk: Vanessa Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr., Guy Fieri. Ellen DeGeneres: Rob Lowe, Alex O’Loughlin.

Late Talk

David Letterman: Will Arnett, Trevor Noah, Kurt Vile. Jay Leno: Mitt Romney, Candice Glover. Jimmy Kimmel: Adam Levine, Alice Eve, Bad Rabbits. Jimmy Fallon: Zoe Saldana, Cris O’Dowd, De La Soul. Craig Ferguson: William Shatner, Natalie Dormer. Carson Daly: Buzz Aldrin, Big Black Delta. Tavis Smiley: Talib Kweli, Dan Fagin. Chelsea  Handler: Edie Falco, Bobby Lee, Loni Love, Mo Mandel (rerun).

The post Friday TV: Rigoletto in Vegas appeared first on ROGER CATLIN.

At the time, there was’t much hope that the Americanization of Ricky Gervais’ British hit would actually work, Wilson said. But he remembers one particular lunch and “this really intense conversation.

“We were like, ‘Could you imagine if the show got picked up, how cool that would be?’ And then someone else was like, ‘What if it went for, like, a season?’  ‘Yeah, what if we actually did a full run of this show?’

“And we were all like, ‘You know, it would change our lives, and it would be incredible and these would be the roles that we would be known for for the rest of our lives.’

“And it’s so weird,” he said at a big press day on set earlier this year, “now nine years later, like, that lunch coming true.”

“I remember when we shot the pilot,” Jenna Fischer says, “because I was a huge fan of the British show, and when we got hired to do the pilot, Ricky came in, and he sat down, and he talked to us for an afternoon, and we had lunch and got to ask him any questions we wanted, and I remember going home and thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh. If nothing else happens except that I got to have lunch with Ricky Gervais, this is amazing.’ And now look. It’s 10 years later and we made, like, a whole show.”

Steve Carell is the big character who has gone off to do other things. His character Michael Scott was a hit in the U.S. because unlike the U.K.’s “Office” manager David Brent, writer Greg Daniels says they change the approach to him.

“With Steve’s character,” Daniels said, “we kind of made him more three‑dimensional after Season 1 and put him into more of a tradition of American character comedy where you are rooting for him as opposed to judging him.”

Others in the cast could have left the show for bigger things, such as John Krasinski who has been tapped for several motion pictures. But he says he has resisted leaving the show.

“I think that it’s really simple,” Krasinski says. “I think that this show and this job is a gift, and we all knew it from the beginning, and we feel so lucky. It sounds cliche, but it’s totally true. This is one of those jobs that you don’t wait until your time’s over.

“You beg every single year to come back, and you hold onto the cuff of people’s pants until they bring you back. And so it’s more exciting than anything else to come back to this show and to be a part of this, and it’s just not something you give up on because it feels like you’re all in it together.

I don’t think I ever felt a moment of anybody feeling like it was an opportunity for bigger things, that if bigger things came, great, and we would all fully support it,” Krasinski says. “But to come back was the real treat and the real goal, and I’ve felt more honored to be a part of this show than anything else I’ve done.”

Daniels said it was important for him to return to the show for its final season, though his attention had been taken for a couple of years on “Parks and Recreation.”

“I hadn’t been full‑time on the show for a few years, and, you know, I just have a very strong connection to everybody. I feel responsible for everybody, and I couldn’t imagine a scenario where I wouldn’t be directing what was happening for the last thing. It happened to me on ‘King of the Hill; where I’d left it before the end and didn’t really participate in the ending, and I always felt a little bit like I wanted to try a different version of that story, and this was more emotional to me, this show, than any other experience I’ve had.

“So, you know, I’m in it now. And I’ll tell you, there’s some good things about it. It is very emotional. I am so happy I got a last turn at playing this game. When I took the show over, I said to Ricky and Stephen [Merchant], it’s like I feel like you’ve thrown away a toy that has enormous amounts of play left in it and I’m going to play with it.”

“People have asked me,” Wilson says, “‘What are you going to miss most?’ Well, it’s really clear to me, like, this is my other family. This is where I’ve been coming for nine years, and I love all these people. We’ve grown up together. We’ve had children. We’ve gotten married. We’ve gotten divorced. We’ve cried together. We’ve fought a little bit, and ‑‑ not like ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’

“And that’s really what I’m gonna miss the most.”

The post As ‘The Office’ Closes appeared first on ROGER CATLIN.

Earlier, the show will be feted in an hour-long retrospective at 8 p.m. Both will be followed by “Hannibal” (NBC, 10 p.m.) whose second season fate has yet to be announced.

It’s not quite the cultural moment it used to be, but the finale of “American Idol” (Fox, 8 p.m.) still ought to be quite good because its two finalists are so strong. The show runs an extra seven minutes.

It’s graduation day on the fourth season finale of “The Vampire Diaries” (The CW, 8 p.m.) and wouldn’t you know that the class colors for the robes in Mystic Falls are red — so the biters can hid any blood stains.

“The Big Bang Theory” (CBS, 8 p.m.) is one show that hasn’t depended on season-ending cliffhangers.

On the other hand, there’s always a big disaster to end the season on “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC, 9 p.m.), and this year’s involves a super storm.

They are making a big deal about the twists on the end of “Scandal” (ABC, 10 p.m.). “Elementary” (CBS, 9 p.m.) stages a two hour finale. Also ending its first season is “Beauty & the Beast” (The CW, 9 p.m.).

Let us now talk of the life of saints in such films as “The Big Fisherman” (TCM, 8 p.m.), “Francis of Assisi” (TCM, 11:15 p.m.), “Joan of Arc” (TCM, 1:15 a.m.) and “A Man for All Seasons” (3:45 a.m.).

In the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, it’s Rangers at Boston (NBC Sports Network, 7:30 p.m.) in Game 1 and San Jose at Los Angeles (NBC Sports Network, 10 p.m.) in Game 2.

In the NBA playoffs, it’s Indiana at New York (TNT, 8 p.m.) and San Antonio at Golden State (ESPN, 10:30 p.m.).

Daytime Talk

Kelly & Michael: Zoe Saldana, Ingo Rademacher & Kym Johnson. The View: Jessica Capshaw, Olympia Snowe, Jewel. The Talk: LL Cool J, Andy Cohen, A.J. Hammer. Ellen DeGeneres: Chris Pine, Robin Thicke.

Late Talk

David Letterman: Barbara Walters, Jesse Eisenberg, MS MR. Jay Leno: Adam Sandler, Phil Jackson, Family of the Year. Jimmy Kimmel: Chris Pine, Connie Britton, Dawes. Jimmy Fallon: Mindy Kaling, Tim McGraw. Craig Ferguson: Phil Reiser, Yujin Kim. Carson Daly: Greta Gerwig, Molly Crabapple, Pierce the Veil. Tavis Smiley: Dr. Susan Love, Khaled Hosseini. Jon Stewart: George Packer. Stephen Colbert: Dr. Daniel Lieberman. Conan O’Brien: Zachary Quinto, Heather Graham, Jen Kirkman. Chelsea Handler: Kate Bosworth, Chris Franjola, Natasha Leggero, Dov Davidoff.

The post Thursday TV: Finales and a Fond Farewell appeared first on ROGER CATLIN.

It’s the first all female finale in nine years. Both women are very good and either would be a deserving winner. Finally, the show originated from the Nokia Theatre, before 7,000 fans, the biggest live audience of the season.

Still, there’s a certain lack of competition between the finalists. They act more like sisters than foes. Which would normally be sweet, but also robs the final battle of its urgency.

Indeed, the whole point of a winner on “Idol” seems by now moot — one has as good a chance as the other to be a successful recording artist and performer regardless of the outcome.

Candice Glover the stirring soul voice from St. Helena Island, S.C., and the country soul of Kree Harrison of the rodeo world of Woodville, Texas, will both be around for a while.

(Just as they’ve both been around for a while already, with a clip shown of Kree on Rosie O’Donnell’s show when she was 10, and snippets of Candice’s two previous “Idol” tries).

But the final performance performance show Wednesday was still pretty much a dud, because of producer song choices, a heavy reliance on ballads and a bit of nerves.

Judges, who had never been less powerful on the show, didn’t even comment on all of the final three performances.

They didn’t even comment on who they thought did better on the final night of votes (or at least they didn’t before my DVR snapped off during the song recap precisely at 10).

They did vote with their feet, though, with Candice getting two unanimous standing ovations from them and Kree getting one.

The first round of songs chosen by show producer Simon Fuller were predictable and ill-chosen; if this is the guy calling the shots on Idol, no wonder it’s taken a dive in ratings.

Kree did Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” not quite as well as the original (though the knee-jerk reaction remained constant: you suddenly had the urge to donate to animal rescue).

Candice didn’t bring the full power of Adele’s “Chasing Pavements,” though she did add a little originality to it, softening it in parts and rounding out its edges.

“Both were a little sleepy if I’m being honest,” said Randy Jackson, one of only two judges to speak after both women had finished singing.

That may have been because of timing — it was the first hour long performance night of the whole season. But they still had time for the Coca-Cola sponsored Carly Rae Jepsen performance that “you’ve been creating all season long,” Ryan Seacrest said.

We have?

Apparently there had been online polls governing aspects of the long awaited performance. When it finally came, though, i wonder who had voted on her wearing hot pants? Who voted for her to lip synch?

OK, off to round two: the traditionally awful “first singles” that they’d do if they win. Thankfully it wasn’t the same bad song twice but two separate ones. “All Cried Out,” by Kree, accompanied by field of those dumb waving hands in the audience, was yet another ballad that grew. Some but not all judges stood to applaud.

The same structure was built into Candice’s song, titled “I Am Beautiful.” She seemed to do a little more with what she had, and all the judges stood to applaud the effort.

It was only the songs each singer chose for herself — a favorite one they’d done earlier in the season — that the show really heated up to the proper temperature.

Kree’s revival of Patty Griffin’s “Up to the The Mountain (MLK Song)” with a choir was so strong, it erased any perceived lapses earlier in the night, and the judges stood to applaud.

Not many could top that, but Candice is one of the few. She brought back the Ben E. King “I Who Have Nothing” that has been a showstopper for many a performer, including her back on Top 10 week. Here, battling theatrical smoke that completely obscured her for a moment, she even built on her last performance, starting acappella before the band kicked in and drove her to her killer climax.

Judges stood and couldn’t really talk after that. “That song was like a planet exploding,” Keith Urban marveled.

Which is why Candice probably has an edge to win Thursday night, in a two hour show with the usual surprise guest stars and return of the Top 10 and various awful auditioners. There will also likely be room to say goodbye at least to Randy Jackson, the only one of the four judges to admit he wasn’t coming back for Season 13.

If Kree wins, she’ll be just as deserving. But if she doesn’t, she can always go back to dazzling afternoon talk show hosts.

The post A Mostly Dull Finale for ‘American Idol’ appeared first on ROGER CATLIN.

But it will be a funnier schedule overall with five of its eight new series comedies, and just three as dramas. Likewise just five of the titles premiere in the fall, the rest at midseason.

Otherwise there is some tinkering and switching of nights for the 20 returning shows like “Person of Interest” moving to Tuesdays and “Hawaii Five-0″ going to Fridays, the network said.

Here’s the rundown of new CBS shows for the fall:

WE ARE MEN (Mondays, 8:30 p.m.) Four single men live in a short-term apartment bonding over their mistakes in romance. Tony Shalhoub, Kal Penn, Jerry O’Connell and Chris Smith are the four.

MOM (Mondays, 9:30 p.m.) Anna Faris stars as a newly sober single mom; Alison Janney is her critical mother. The new comedy from Chuck Lorre (“Two and a Half Men,” “Big Bang Theory,” “Mike & Molly”) also stars Nate Cordry and French Stewart.

HOSTAGES (Monday, 10 p.m.) Jerry Bruckheimer thriller about a family held captive, forcing a surgeon to murder the President. Toni Collette, Dylan McDermott, James Naughton and Tate Donovan star.

THE MILLERS (Thursday, 9 p.m.) Will Arnett plays a recently divorced reporter who goes to live with his even mow newly divorced mother, played by Margo Martindale. Beau Bridges is his father. JB Smoove and Eve Moon are also in the comedy from creator Greg Garcia (“Raising Hope” and “My Name is Earl”).

THE CRAZY ONES (Thursdays, 9 p.m.) Robin Williams first series since “Mork & Mindy” has him as an ad man; his daughter, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, works alongside him. David E. Kelley (“Ally McBeal,” “The Practice” s developing the half hour comedy.

Midseason

INTELLIGENCE (Mondays, 10 p.m.) Another thriller: Josh Holloway as a computer enhanced intelligence agent, leading a cast that includes Marg Helgenberger, John Billingsley and Meghan Ory.

RECKLESS Anna Wood plays a Chicago attorney transplanted to the South, fighting coatroom battles with a cast that includes Shawn Hatosy, Adam Rodriguezand Kim Wayans.

FRIENDS WITH BETTER LIVES Comedy about six friends at different stages in their romantic lives, with James Van Der Beek, Kevin Connolly, Majandra Delfino and Rick Donald, among others.

Returning shows include “How I Met Your Mother,” “2 Broke Girls,” “NCIS,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,”  “Person of Interest,” “Survivor,” “Criminal Minds,” CSI,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Undercover Boss,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Blue Bloods,” “The BIg Bang Theory,” “Elementary,” “The Amazing Race,” The Good Wife,” “The Mentalist” and “48 Hours.”

“Mike & Molly” won’t return until mid season.

Shows not returning to CBS are “Golden Boy,” “CSI: NY,” “The Job,” “Vegas,” and “Rules of Engagement.”

Already canceled earlier in the season were “Made in Jersey” and “Partners.”

The post CBS Upfront: More Comedy, Fewer New Shows appeared first on ROGER CATLIN.

According to the “Great Zebra Exodus” episode on “Nature” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings), thousands of them travel nomadically, with thunderstorms breaking out behind them occasionally, as if things aren’t already picturesque.

And do the words zebra foal mean anything to you? Then how about a limping zebra foal? Other animals in the Makgadikgadi Pans are featured as well, so let me just say one word: Meerkats.

OK, back to the finales. Big doings are planned for both “The Arrow” (The CW, 8 p.m.) and “Supernatural” (The CW, 9 p.m.), both of which will be back next season.

All kinds of major things happen in the season two finale of “Scandal” (ABC, 10 p.m.), undoubtedly the kinds of things that have made the show preposterous all along.

And Black Sabbath performs a new song on the 13th season finale of “CSI” (CBS, 10 p.m.). Not to say it’s a crime scene every time they perform.

First time director Daniel Gillies chronicled his efforts to raise $1 million to make his first film, “Kingdom Come” (Showtime, 7 p.m.). He gets advice along the way from Mark Ruffalo, Illeana Douglas, Don Cheadle, Kevin Smith, Edward Burns, Tim Roth, Morgan Spurlock and Selma Blair, among others.

Weird that the big finale of “American Idol” (Fox, 8 p.m.) finally gets here and for the first time all season, the performance is an hour. It sort of makes sense since there are only two singers left: Candice Glover and Kree Harrison. Tonight’s the last time you can make your vote.

It makes way for another round of auditions on “So You Think You Can Dance” (Fox, 9 p.m.).

See “How to Live With Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)” (ABC, 9:30 pm.) while you can. The network canceled it. Just as it did “Family Tools” (ABC, 8:30 p.m.).

Everything else on that network’s Thursday night lineup is coming back, “The Middle” (ABC, 8 p.m.), “Modern Family” (ABC, 9 p.m.) and “Nashville” (ABC, 10 p.m.), all of which also have new shows tonight.

On cable, Sean and Gus go undercover as a DJ team on “Psych” (USA, 10 p.m.).

Super storm Sandy affects the elites on “Million Dollar Listing New York” (Bravo, 10 p.m.).

Smarter than usual films are on Turner Classic Movies with “Forbidden Planet” (8 p.m.), “Spellbound” (10 p.m.), “Rome, Open City” (midnight), “Pennies from Heaven” (2 a.m.), “The Projectionist” (4 a.m.) and “Born Yesterday” (5:30 p.m.).

Tonight’s Elvis movie is “Paradise, Hawaiian Style” (Encore, 8 p.m.), followed, perversely, by “Elf” (Encore, 9:30 p.m.).

NBA playoff games tonight are Indiana at New York (TNT, 8 p.m.) and San Antonio at Golden State (ESPN, 10:30 p.m.). In the Stanley Cup playoffs it’s game one of Detroit at Chicago (NBC Sports Network, 8 p.m.).

In baseball, Boston at Tampa Bay (ESPN, 7 p.m.) gets a national audience.

Daytime Talk

Kelly & Michael: Jesse Tyler Ferguson. The View: Brad Paisley, Eden Sher. The Talk: Lucy Liu, Gayle King, Norah O’Donnell. Ellen DeGeneres: B-Girl Terra & B-Girl Eddie.

Late Talk

David Letterman: Ed Helms, Hoda Kotb, Brad Paisley. Jay Leno: Usher, Nick Offerman, Pyramids. Jimmy Kimmel: Jason & Jarron Collins, J.J. Abrams, Huey Lewis & the News. Jimmy Fallon: Julie Bowen, Demi Lovato, the Flaming Lips, Treach. Craig Ferguson: Ice-T, Paula Poundstone. Carson Daly: Michael Fitzpatrick, Sarah Polley, A Silent Film. Tavis Smiley: Cortlan Wickliff, Patty Griffin. Jon Stewart: Olympia Snowe. Stephen Colbert: Cyndi Lauper. Conan O’Brien: Zach Galifianakis, Jim Gaffigan, Beware of the Darkness. Chelsea Handler: Zachary Quinto, Brad Wollack, Morgan Murphy, Greg Fitzsimmons.

The post Wednesday TV: Zebras and Finales appeared first on ROGER CATLIN.

They’ll include a totally remade Tuesday night with four new shows, a second “Once Upon a Time” franchise, this one about Alice in Wonderland, and one less night of “Dancing with the Stars.”

The results show will be scrapped in the new schedule, to be folded into a single two hour show on Mondays.

Here are the new titles coming from ABC, starting with the network return of Joss Whedon:

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF SHIELD (Tuesdays, 8 p.m.) Clark Gregg reprises his role as Agent Phil Coulson from Marvel feature films, assembling agents with special skills just short of superheroes. From Joss Whedon, it also stars Brett Dalton, Ming-Na Wen and Elizabeth Henstridge.

THE GOLDBERGS (Tuesdays, 9 p.m.) A nostalgic family comedy set in the 1980s with Jeff Garlin and Wendi McLendon-Covey as parents of two teens and a young kid who shoots everything with a video camera, which is how creator Adam F. Goldberg (“Beaking In”) got his ideas.

TROPHY WIFE (Tuesdays, 9:30 p.m.) Malin Akerman (“Suburgatory”) has to adjust to being the third wife of Bradley Whitford dealing with his kids and her two ex-wives played by Marcia Gay Harden and Michaela Watkins. Co-executive produced by a couple of writers from “The Office.”

LUCKY 7 (Tuesdays, 10 p.m.) About seven gas station employees whose life change when their lottery pool comes in. Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, it was written by writers from “ER” and “Detroit 1-8-7″), starring Isah Whitlock Jr. of “The Wire,” Matt Long and Stephen Louis Grush.

BACK IN THE GAME (Wednesdays, 8:30 p.m.) After a divorce, Maggie Lawson returns home and coaches her son’s sad sack baseball team; James Caan plays her grizzled dad. The comedy comes from Mark and Robb Cullen, whose previous shows include “Lucky” and “Las Vegas.”

SUPER FUN NIGHT (Wednesdays, 9:30 p.m.) Rebel Wilson of “Bridesmaids” and “Pitch Perfect” writes, produces and stars in her own comedy about a womankind her friends who decide to start going out on Fridays. With Lauren Ash and Liza Lipira and executive produced in part by Conan O’Brien.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND (Thursdays, 8 p.m.) From the team of “Once Upon a Time” comes a story about Alice, played by Sophie Lowe, in Victorian Ingland who goes down the rabbit hole and falls in love with a genie, played by Peter Gadiot. John Lithgow provides the voice of the White Rabbit.

BETRAYAL (Sundays, 10 p.m.) A fling turns complicated when the woman’s husband is the prosecutor of a murder case her lover is defending. Hannah Ware, Stuart Townsend, James Cromwell and Henry Thomas star. From writers on “ER,” “The Killing” and “Red Widow.”

Midterm Shows Still to Be Scheduled 

KILLER WOMEN Tricia Helfer stars as a Texas Rangers tougher than anyone else. With Mark Blucas, Marta Milans and Alex Fernandez. Executive produced by Sofia Vergara, of all people, it’s written by Shakespeare, Hannah Shakespeare.

MIND GAMES Steve Zahn and Christian Slater solve client problems with psychological manipulation on a series from Kyle Killen.

RESURRECTION Dead people in a small Missouri town begin returning to life, but not as zombies. The mystery starts when Omar Epps leads a little boy, played by Landon Gimenez, back to his parents, Kurtwood Smith and Frances Fisher. Matt Craven and Samaire Armstrong are part of the cast. It’s written by Aaron Zelman of “Damages” and “The Killing.”

MIXOLOGY Ten single people in one bar one night, played over a whole season. From the makers of “The Hangover” and Ryan Seacrest as co-executive producer, it’s directed by Larry Charles (“Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Borat”) and sars Blake Lee, Andrew Santino (credit: “Punk’d”), and generally new faces.

THE QUEST The only reality show announced, from the makers of “The Amazing Race” and producers of “Lord of the Rings” joining together to make a fantasy world where 12 contestants compete.

In addition to the reduced “Dancing with the Stars,” returning shows include “The Bachelor,” “Castle,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Last Man Standing,” “The Middle,” “Modern Family,” “Nashville,” “The Neighbors,” “Once Upon a Time,” “Revenge,” “Scandal,” “Shark Tank,” “Suburgatory,” “The Taste,” “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and “20/20.”

Canceled shows include “Body of Proof,” “Don’t Trust the B— in Apt. 23,” “The Family Tools,” “Happy Endings,” “How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life),” “Malibu Country” and “Red Widow” Canceled earlier were “666 Park Avenue,” “Last Resort” and “Zero Hour.” “Private Practice” had a series finale.

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I finally watched all the cast names during the Game of Thrones last night and found “Oona Chaplin” too resonant to resist checking out on IMDb.(She plays Talisa Maegyr, who was the nekked queen revealed to be preggers last night.) And Oona is exactly who one expects: Geraldine’s daughter, Charlie’s granddaughter, Eugene O’Neill’s great-granddaughter. Eugene had a daughter also named Oona, whom Charlie married.

Yes, incredible lineage, that girl. I first noticed her when she played Dominic West’s elegant and unhappy wife in “The Hour” which played two seasons on BBC America. She was also Watson’s girlfriend on an episode of the BBC version of “Sherlock” which has been playing on PBS’ “Masterpiece Mystery.”

The other odd connection in that storied family is Spencer Dryden, drummer for Jefferson Airplane, who also played in New Riders of the Purple Sage. Dryden’s father was half-brother of Charlie Chaplin and first moved to Hollywood to work as assistant director for Chaplin.

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Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and a series of guest judges that now also include former winner Twitch travel to the first audition city to pick dancers to advance to Los Angeles. Cat Deeley returns to host.

That other dance show, of course, is winding up. Another dancer is bounced from “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC, 9 p.m.) to prepare for next week’s finale.

At this time of year, amid the hubbub of upfront, it’s all about finales on TV, so some bigger than usual things send off “New Girl” (Fox, 9 p.m.) and “The Mindy Project” (Fox, 9:30 p.m.) after genial seasons, roaring into their next. Cece has her wedding in the former, where Taylor Swift shows up; Mindy decides to go to Haiti with Casey on the latter.

The first season finale of “Golden Boy” (CBS, 10 p.m.) will also be its series finale; the network didn’t pick it up this week. But both “NCIS” (CBS, 8 p.m.) and “NCIS: Los Angeles” (CBS, 9 p.m.), also with season finales, will both be back int he fall.

“Frontline” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings) looks at the political machinations regarding the fiscal cliff.

The latest episode of “Constitution USA with Peter Segal” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings) centers on the Bill of Rights.

It worked for cable. So zombies are now taking over Portland on “Grimm” (NBC, 10 p.m.).

The Top 12 becomes 10 tonight as two are cut from “The Voice” (NBC, 9 p.m.) amid performances from Lady Antebellum, Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and T.I. Maybe one of them can win.

It’s preceded by an hour version of last night’s show.

Three small business owners compete to win $50,000 on the new reality competition “Crowd Rules” (CNBC, 9 p.m.) with the winner determined by 100 people selected randomly.

Once, he would have been on an “Inside the Music.” But now the singer is profiled on “The Untold Story: Jason Derulo” (E!, 10 p.m.).

It’s Halloween on “Awkward” (MTV, 10 p.m.).

The season finale of “Tosh 2.0″ (Comedy Central, 10 p.m.) is accompanied by a new episode of “Inside Amy Schumer” (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.).

The monthlong Tuesday night showcase on tough guys continues on Turner Classic Movies with “The Kiss of Death” (8 p.m.), “Where the Sidewalk Ends” (10 p.m.), “Point Blank” (11:45 p.m.), “The Killing” (1:30 a.m.) and “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” (3:15 a.m.).

NBA playoff games include New York at Indiana (TNT, 7 p.m.) and Golden State at San Antonio (TNT, 9:30 p.m.).

And in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the next round begins with Ottawa at Pittsburgh (NBC Sports Network, 7:30 p.m.) and San Jose at Los Angeles (NBC Sports Network, 10 p.m.), both on Game one.

Daytime Talk

Kelly & Michael: Mark Harmon, Huey Lewis & the News. The View: Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Guillermo Diaz, Katie Lowes, Joshua Malina, Jeff Perry, Columbus Short, Darby Stanchfield, Tony Goldwyn, Guillermo Diaz, Katie Lowes, Joshua Malina, Jeff Perry, Columbus Short, Darby Stanchfield, Bellamy Young, Tom Jones, Judy Spith. The Talk: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Pauley Perrette, Brian Dietzen, Chi-Lan Lieu. Ellen DeGeneres: Kaley Cuoco, Natalie Maines.

Late Talk

David Letterman: Tom Hanks, cast of “Pippin.” Jay Leno: Wanda Sykes, Martha Stewart, Drop City Yacht Club. Zoe Saldana, Bill Simmons, Fitz & the Tantrums (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Matt Lauer, Ken Jeong, Phoenix, Bilal. Craig Ferguson: Ray Liotta, DeAnne Smith, Pistol Annies. Carson Daly: Davey Havok, Kitten. Tavis Smiley: Jeremy Scahill. Jon Stewart: Nathan Lane. Stephen Colbert: Dan Brown. Conan O’Brien: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Justin Bartha, the Slide Brothers with Shemekia Copeland. Chelsea Handler: Peter Facinelli, Dan Levy, Sarah Tiana, Ross Mathew.

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