For the second season finale of one of TV’s funniest shows, “Portlandia” (IFC, 10 p.m.) tells one continuous story – about the most popular brunch in town at Fisherman’s Porch and the drama that develops on line.
It brings guest stars Tim Robbins as the Brunch Village Warlord, pictured left, as well as Kyle MacLachlan, Ed Begley Jr. and Steve Jones to the episode.
It’s preceded by a four hour marathon of the rest of the season, starting at 6 p.m.
As an adjunct to his documentary “Into the Abyss,” the very busy filmmaker Werner Herzog provides an intense, four-episode series “On Death Row” (Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.) in which men sentenced to death talk for a long time about their crimes, their lives and their thinking on their fate. As the public is their executioner by proxy, we have the responsibility to listen.
Michael Steele, Andy Stern, Catherine Crier, Jon Hamm and Ambassador Michael Oren are the scheduled guests on a new “Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO, 10 p.m.).
Restaurants in New Jersey need twice as much help apparently, so “Kitchen Nightmares” (Fox, 8 p.m.) goes two hours, fixing places in Montclair and Plainfield.
Would you invest in a “rent-a-grandma” business? The people on “Shark Tank” (ABC, 8 p.m.) are asked that very thing.
The CEO at Oriental Traditing Company has to work incongnito on “Undercover Boss” (CBS, 8 p.m.). I hope he can pack those little cocktail umbrellas and send them out.
Steven Sebring’s 2008 documentary “Dream of Life” about Patti Smith gets a replay on a special Friday night “P.O.V.” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings).
Erin and Danny face one another in court on a new “Blue Bloods” (CBS, 10 p.m.).
Jerome Bettis looks into his Kentucky roots on a new “Who Do You Think You Are?” (NBC, 8 p.m.).
As the remake is being rolled out, catch Christian Bale in the 1992 version of the musical “Newsies” (Flix, 8 p.m.).
Darth Maul pops up on the first of a two-part season finale for “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (Cartoon Network, 8 p.m.).
An ornery spirit is unleashed on a new “Merlin” (Syfy, 10 p.m.).
Locales for movies tonight range from “Lake Placid” (AMC, 8 p.m.) to “Mystery, Alaska” (Fox Movie Channel, 8 p.m.) to “Dante’s Peak” (TV Guide Network, 10 p.m.).
It’s a Yves Montand triple feature on Turner Classic Movies with “Goodbye Again” (8 p.m.), “Let’s Make Love” (10:15 p.m.) and “The Devil by the Tail” (12:30 a.m.).
After a hiatus, the Underground series returns to TCM with the horror double feature “The Legend of Hell House” (2:15 a.m.) and “The Haunting” (4 a.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly Ripa: Kathy Bates, Lisa Lee Freeman, Big Time Rush, Martin Short. The View: Vera Wang, Bone Hampton. The Talk: Rick Springfield, Jewel, Chi-Lan Lieu, Tabatha Coffey. Ellen DeGeneres: David Arquette, Robin Thicke.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Jack hanna, Jesse Tyler Ferguson (rerun). Jay Leno: Denzel Washington, Octavia Spencer, Estelle (rerun). Jimmy Kimmel: Steven Tyler, Harvey Weinstein, Melanie Fiona (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Paul Rudd, Gabrielle Union, cast of “Sister Act” (rerun). Craig Ferguson: Kristin Davis, Chris O’Dowd. Tavis Smiley: Lilly Ledbetter. Carson Daly: Rich Eisen, Alison Klayman, Horrors (rerun). Chelsea Handler: Jake Owen, Joe Matarese, Fortune Feimster, Chris Franjola (rerun).