There’s plenty of pressure on London’s Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games (NBC, 7:30 p.m.) to live up to the big event in China four years ago.
While the vastness of that event is unlikely to be duplicated, director Danny Boyle of “Slumdog Millionaire” will be a lively event that will boast such sons of Britain as Paul McCartney singing “Hey Jude” and Daniel Craig as James Bond and the theme to “Doctor Who.”
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh will open the event.
Boyle has said the event will include mosh pits to a rural English cricket game, plus 70 sheep, 10 chickens, 12 horses and one big cauldron to light.
And if we’re counting, there will be 10,000 athletes in the parade of nations. Pace yourself – the tape-delayed event runs until midnight, giving you plenty of time to adjust to the NBC reporting team led by Bob Costas.
Elsewhere, the square jawed detective of comic page fame gets a salute tonight on Turner Classic Movies with Warren Beatty’s 1990 “Dick Tracy” (8 p.m.), followed by its 1945 predecessor “Dick Tracy” ( 10:30 p.m.) and its sequels, “Dick Tracy vs. Cueball” (11:45 p.m.), and “Dick Tracy’s Dilemma” (1 a.m.).
Wild teenage sci-fi movies follow, with “The Gamma People” (TCM, 2:15 a.m.) and “The Wild, Wild Planet” (3:45 a.m.).
A new generation of Cuban musicians including Raul Paz, Descemer Bueno, Kelvis Ochoa and David Torrens, are showcased in the homecoming concert “Havana, Havana!” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings), part of the PBS Arts Summer Festival.
It runs alongside a documentary: “Homeland: Immigration in America” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings).
Other networks refuse to counterprogram the Olympics with anything other than reruns, except for a two hour “20/20” (ABC, 8 p.m.).
Unusual homes – in a missile silo, corset factory, train depot or ferry — are explored in “You Live in What?” (HGTV, 9 p.m.).
“You Only Live Twice” (Encore, 8 p.m.) is the full length James Bond fix of the night.
Daytime Talk
Kelly Ripa: Olivia Munn, Lou Diamond Phillips, Skipper Bivins & Trent Jackson, Joel McHale. The View: Simon Amstell, Scott Disick. The Talk: Jermaine, Tito, Marlon & Jackie Jackson, Abby Lee Miller, Elizabeth Karmel, Shannen Doherty. Ellen DeGeneres: Colin Farrell, Seann William Scott, Lionel Richie (rerun).
Late Talk
David Letterman: Howard Stern, Airborne Toxic Event (rerun). Jay Leno: Jeremy Renner, Betty White, Joss Stone. Jimmy Kimmel: Charlie Sheen, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Huey Lewis & Joe Cocker (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Edward Norton, Olivia Munn, the Gaslight Anthem. Craig Ferguson: Vince Vaughn. Tavis Smiley: Buzz Bissinger (rerun). Chelsea Handler: Lionel Richie, Michael Yo, Arden Myrin, Matt Braunger (rerun).