As the stars of teen-aimed soaps age out after a few years (“Gossip Girl”), it comes time to replace them with new shows with younger stars and start again. Instead of starting from scratch, though, “The Carrie Diaries” (The CW, 8 p.m.) depicts life for Carrie Bradshaw of “Sex and the City” as she began her love affair with Manhattan.
Originator Candace Bushnell may have come from Glastonbury, Conn., but this Carrie Bradshaw lives closer to New York such that she can take a train in every day for an internship with a law firm. It’s there that she meets people connected with fashion, writing and the eventual world of the character we know.
This comes through a depiction of the 80s that isn’t extreme. Mostly, the colors are bright and fashions occasionally retro, and the background music is well-chosen 80s stuff that may do more to bring in the older audiences. Much of the appeal of the show comes through the casting of fresh faced and sincere AnnaSophia Robb as the lead; a familiar face among her friends is Katie Findlay (Rosie Larsen on “The Killing”). There’s kind of a lack of the tough cynicism at work in contemporary teen dramas; the sweetness goes far. She’ll have plenty of time for cynicism by the time she meets Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte — far into the future.
Snubbed even when the Baseball Hall of Fame inducts no one, Pete Rose has his own life, preparing to marry a Playboy model half his age — just the ticket to get his life filmed in the new series “Pete Rose: Hits & Mrs.” (TLC, 10 p.m.). The onetime baseball king is now in the realm of Honey Boo Boo.
Also tonight, there’s a weird interactive feature to “Hawaii Five-0” (CBS, 10 p.m.), where viewers can text or tweet who they think the killed a college professor; the show will go the winning way in real time.
Get a double shot of healthy food advice tonight with both a two hour episode of “The Biggest Loser” (NBC, 8 p.m. with a doctor helping adjust family eating habits of contestants, and on “Independent Lens” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings), a film about the health benefits, or lack therein, of soul food. Byron Hurt’s “Soul Food Junkies” looks at the history of food in the black community as well as its effect in his own family.
Dieting is also part of the plans for “Mike & Molly” (CBS, 9:30 p.m.).
The one-armed girl on “The Bachelor” (ABC, 8 p.m.) gets the first one-on-one date but unfortunately it’s the one where they have to rappel down a skyscraper. The group date involves posing for romance novel covers, but Sean never dons a Fabio wig.
The mystery on the new “Deception” (NBC, 10 p.m.) gets a little deeper. But the only arrest comes after a fight at a prep school’s field hockey game.
How’d everybody dress at the Golden Globe Awards? It’s covered on “2013 Golden Globes Fashion Wrap” (TV Guide Network, 8 p.m.) and “Golden Globe Awards Fashion Police” (E!, 9 p.m.).
On the new Canadian import “Continuum” (Syfy, 8 p.m.), Kiera Cameron plays a time traveling cop from the year 2077, when computers have taken over. It’s part of a a big premiere night on Syfy, with the third season starts for both “Being Human” (Syfy, 9 p.m.) and “Lost Girl” (Syfy, 10 p.m.).
Someone takes that Smiths invocation “Kill the DJ” a little too seriously on “Castle” (ABC, 10 p.m.).
“The Layover with Anthony Bourdain” (Travel, 9 p.m.) lands in Atlanta.
The new “Food Factory” (Destination America, 10 p.m.) looks into the manufacture of candies.
“True Crime with Aphrodite Jones” (Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.) takes on the Casey Anthony case.
The end may be near on “How I Met Your Mother” (CBS, 8 p.m.), whose network hasn’t officially picked it up for a ninth season. Does that mean we’ll actually find out who the mother was?
It’s always good when people can find work after “So You Think You Can Dance.” Tonight, the 2009 winner Jeanine Mason starts a recurring role on “Bunheads” (ABC Family, 9 p.m.). And “So You Think You Can Dance” judges Mary Murphy and Tyce Diorio turn up on the first of two episodes of “Bones” (Fox, 8 p.m.).
Following “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” (Bravo, 9 p.m.) with the recent addition “Vanderpump Rules” (Bravo, 10 p.m.) means one thing: Too much Vanderpump.
The latest edition of the “AFI Master Class: The Art of Collaboration” (TCM, 8 and 11:30 p.m.) is a discussion of the work of director Robert Zemeckis and cinematographer Don Burgess and an example of the result, the 2000 “What Lies Beneath” (TCM, 9 p.m.). Later, some of the great early work by Jack Nicholson in “Carnal Knowledge” (TCM, 12:45 a.m.) and “Five Easy Pieces” (TCM, 2:30 a.m.) and “Easy Rider” (TCM, 4:15 a.m.).
Men’s college basketball includes Louisville at Connecticut (ESPN, 7 p.m.), Norfolk State at Howard (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Baylor at Kansas (ESPN, 9 p.m.) and Jackson State at Prairie View A&M (ESPNU, 9 p.m.). In women’s hoops, it’s Norfolk State at Howard (ESPNU, 4:30 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Chris Colfer, AnnaSophia Robb. The View: Miss America Mallory Hagan, Rick & Kay Woollen, Sunny Hostin, Chris Cuomo. The Talk: Beth Behrs, Jessica Collins. Ellen DeGeneres: Keith Urban, Savannah Guthrie.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Charlie Sheen, Phil Simms, Jose James. Jay Leno: Nicki Minaj, Billy Connolly, the Saturdays. Jimmy Kimmel: Ellen DeGeneres, Sean Lowe, One Republic. Jimmy Fallon: Uma Thurman, Tim Gunn, Bobby Collins. Craig Ferguson: Jenna Elfman, Guillermo Del Toro. Carson Daly: Wyclef Jean, Eugene Jarecki, the Walkmen (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Barack Obama. Jon Stewart: Roger Waters. Stephen Colbert: Piers Morgan. Conan O’Brien: Christoph Waltz, Rob Riggle, Chris Mann. Chelsea Lately: Johnny Knoxville, Nico Santos, Sarah colonna, Ross Mathews.