Fridays on public television once were a time to unwind with the week’s issues, dissected. Now “Washington Week with Gwen Ifilll” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings) and “Need to Know” (PBS, 8:30 p.m., check local listings) have been squeezed into a single hour to make way for a supposed fall arts festival, which is pretty much a grabbag of performing arts originating from different cities.
It begins in Minneapolis with Gilbert and Sullivan and “The Guthrie Theater Presents H.M.S. Pinafore” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings). Joe Dowling directs and Rainn Wilson hosts.
Diane Sawyer travels to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota to report on poverty in the heartland. “Diane Sawyer Investigates: A Hidden America – Children of the Plains” on tonight’s “20/20” (ABC, 10 p.m.).
A hot tub murder in South Florida takes up two hours on “Dateline NBC” (NBC, 9 p.m.).
Walt peeks outside the lab in tonight’s “Fringe” (Fox, 9 p.m.), a show that has been enjoyably weird this season.
Dean’s on trial on a new “Supernatural” (The CW, 9 p.m.).
ABC loads up the same week reruns, from a double dose of “Last Man Standing” (ABC, 8 p.m.) to the pretty good episodes of “Modern Family” (ABC, 9 p.m.) and “Suburgatory” (ABC, 9:30 p.m.). There are also replays of “Up All Night” (NBC, 8 p.m.) and “Whitney” (NBC, 8:30 p.m.).
The accident-prone couple on “Man, Woman, Wild” (Discovery, 9 p.m.) end their first season with a trip to Glacier National Park, where Ruth falls in icy water and Mykel fends off a black bear.
New Kids on the Block abound on network TV, with Joey McIntyre on a new “CSI: New York” (CBS, 9 p.m.) that also features Dean Norris of “Breaking Bad.” And on “Blue Bloods” (CBS, 10 p.m.), of course, is Donnie Wahlberg on an episode in which Erin annoys her dad by reopening a case he was involved in years earlier.
The world’s shortest dance competition begins tonight on “Make Your Mark: Ultimate Dance Off: ‘Shake It Up’ Edition” (Disney, 8:30 p.m.). The prize is to appear on the show “Shake It Up.” The finale is the second episode Sunday.
It falls between new episodes of “The Wizards of Waverly Place” (Disney, 8 p.m.) and “Jessie” (Disney, 9:30 p.m.).
“The BET Hip Hop Awards ‘11” (BET, 9 p.m.) gets a same week replay.
“The Secret Recipe” (CMT, 9 p.m.), the show that tries to crack the secrets behind popular fast food, tonight tries to replicate the Cinnabon.
In honor of the newest version, due out next week, here’s three previous versions: Richard Lester’s 1974 “The Three Musketeers” (TCM, 8 p.m.), with Michael York, Raquel Welch and Richard Chamberlain; the 1948 “Three Musketeers” (TCM, 10 p.m.) with Lana Turner and Gene Kelly; and the 1935 version of “Three Musketeers” (TCM, 12:15 a.m.) with Walter Abel and Paul Lukas.
Then it’s a couple of 30 year old metal movies: “Stunt Rock” (TCM, 2 a.m.) and the animated “Heavy Metal” (TCM, 3:45 a.m.).
It’s Brewers at Cardinals (TBS, 8 p.m.) in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series.
In college football, it’s Hawaii at San Jose State (ESPN, 9 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Regis and Kelly: David Boreanaz, Zachary Quinto, Mark Feuerstein. The View: Gayle King, Lisa Ling. The Talk: David Arquette, Duff Goldman. Ellen DeGeneres: Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Wendy Williams: Al Roker, Anthony Makcie, Katrina Szish.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Artie Lange, Eddie Brill, Beirut. Jay Leno: Terry Bradshaw, Rowan Atkinson, Game. Jimmy Kimmel: Antonio Banderas, “Science Bob” Pflugelder, Jane’s Addiction (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Matthew Broderick, Mike “the Situation” Sorrentino, Bryan & Michael Voltaggio, Lalah Hathaway. Craig Ferguson: Tavis Smiley: Jim Wallis. Carson Daly: Cory Booker, Foster the People. Chelsea Handler: Jane Lynch, Jen Kirkman, Josh Wolf, Bill Bellamy (rerun).