Tuesday TV: Ellen Gets Twain Award, Tracking Big Money in Politics

Recorded at the Kennedy Center last week before weather became an issue, “Ellen DeGeneres: The Mark Twain Prize” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings) gathered a number of stars and past winners to salute the comedian and former sitcom star turned daytime talk show queen.

Past winner Lily Tomlin, Jimmy Kimmel, Jane Lynch, Kristin Chenoweth, Steve Harvey, John Krasinski, Jason Mraz and Sean Hayes are among the stars who help salute her. As for the connection to the American author whose name is part of the prize, DeGeneres says, “I’ve never read Mark Twain. But to be fair, he’s never seen my HBO specials.”

“Frontline” (PBS, 9:30 p.m., check local listings) looks into the impact of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling on a senate race in Montana in an eye-opening and disheartening report done in conjunction with public radio’s “Marketplace.” Part of the appeal is getting to find out what Kai Rysddal looks like (Ichabod Crane actually, and no, I never imagined his name was spelled that way either).

The report, “Big Sky, Big Money” is augmented with “Marketplace” reports on the radio, further reports on the “PBS NewsHouse,” interactive features online and a separate investigation by ProPublica.

The NBA season begins with some fanfare and a pair of games: Celtics at Heat (TNT, 8 p.m.) and Mavericks at Lakers (TNT, 10:30 p.m.).

Fritz Mitchell’s “Ghosts of Ole Miss” (ESPN, 8 p.m.) reflects on two big events that happened at the University of Mississippi 50 years ago in 1962. James Meredith became the first African American to attend the school, triggering riots. And Ole Miss football began an unprecedented season.

Hurricane or no hurricane, Halloween is still tomorrow, so it’s all over the new episodes of scripted network shows tonight including “Hart of Dixie” (The W, 8 p.m.), New Girl” (Fox, 9 p.m.), “Ben and Kate” (Fox, 8:30 p.m.), “Don’t Trust the B.. in Apt. 23” (ABC, 9:30 p.m.), “The Mindy Project” (Fox, 9:30 p.m.), “Go On” (NBC, 10 p.m.) and “The New Normal” (NBC, 10:30 p.m.), on which George Takei and Nicole Richie appear.

And Halloween costumes is, of course, the challenge for the three remaining contestants on “Face Off” (SYFy, 9 p.m.).

Rob Corddry and Rachael Harris guest star on “Happy Endings” (ABC, 9 p.m.).

“Dancing with the Stars” (ABC, 8 p.m.) hasn’t eliminated a dancer in two weeks. Maybe country western week is a good time for another double elimination?

Another two hours of knockout rounds occur on “The Voice” (NBC, 8 p.m.).
Cast member Christopher Gorham also directs tonight’s episode of “Covert Affairs” (USA, 10 p.m.).
Alliances are tested on a new “Sons of Anarchy” (FX, 10 p.m.).
Part two of the miniseries “Stephen King’s Storm of the Century” (Encore, 8 p.m.) plays on the day that Maine feels the effects of Sandy.
Whatever happened to the kids who sang “Mmm Bop”? They’re on “Oprah: Where are They Now?” (OWN, 10 p.m.).
J.P. Morgan invests in Thomas Edison’s invention and they both made money on the third part of “The Men Who Built America” (History, 9 p.m.).
Ohio has had a bad recent history of private zoos, so a big cat holding there attracts an “Animal Intervention” (Nat Geo Wild, 9 p.m.).
Billy Dee Williams guest stars on a new “NCIS” (CBS, 8 p.m.).
Model turned activist Christy Turlington Burns and fashion designer Tory Burch meet on a new “Iconoclasts” (Sundance, 8 p.m.).
“Edward Scissorhands” (ABC Family, 7 p.m.) and “Beetlejuice” (ABC Family, 9 p.m.) makes a pretty good double feature.
A fuel spill messes things up on “Airport 24/7: Miami” (Travel Channel, 9 p.m.).
The month long Tuesday night survey on Turner Classic Movies on how disabilities are treated in films comes to an end, beginning with a couple of creepy films from Tod Browning, “The Unknown” (8 p.m.), “Freaks” (9:15 p.m.). They are followed by “Bedlam” (10:30 p.m.), “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (midnight), “The Snake Pit” (2:30 a.m.) and “Suddenly, Last Summer” (4:30 a.m.).

Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Demi Lovato, Meredith Vieira, Amare Stoudemire (rerun). Katie Couric: Jimmy Kimmel, Jennie Garth. The View: Lucy Liu, J.R. Martinez. The Talk: Lily Tomlin, Josh Bowman, Lisa Whelchel. Ellen DeGeneres: Steve Harvey, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.

Late Talk
David Letterman: Kate Hudson, Ken Burns, St. Vincent with David Byrne. Jay Leno: John C. Reilly, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Lifehouse. Jimmy Kimmel: Howard Stern, Tracy Morgan, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. Jimmy Fallon: Russell Brand, Andy Cohen, Trey Anastasio. Craig Ferguson: Jay Leno. Carson Daly: Citizen Cope, Atlas Genius, Wolfgang. Tavis Smiley: Fernando Espuelas, Robert Glasper. Stephen Colbert: Alan Simpson. Conan O’Brien: Katey Sagal, Tommy Johnagin. Chelsea Handler: Kerry Washington, Chris Franjola, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Josh Wolf.