Henry Ford’s history is long and winding enough to have several good stories in it. For Sarah Colt’s film on his life for “American Experience” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings) she begins and ends with one of the oddest: His experiment in Brazil, purchasing a Connecticut-sized tract of land where he’d try to build a rubber plantation and create a new community of workers called Fordlandia.
He had already created a community, of course, in the largest factory in the country in Detroit, which he made the motor city by creating the Model T. Just as important as creating a car for its affordable freedom was the $5 a day wage which allowed workers to afford buying one themselves.
She’s an hour in before the whole anti-Semitism thing flares up, but that’s pretty well covered as well.
On the new “Southie Rules” (A&E, 10 p.m.) explores a crowded house in Boston where the family is encouraged to lay on the accent. Wait until they start putting out lawn chairs to save parking spaces though.
The latest show to grow out of a podcast is “Nikki & Sara Live” (MTV, 11 p.m. featuring a couple of pals talking smack about pop culture. They may be lively, but how will they do opposite “Chelsea Lately” (E!, 11 p.m.), or “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” (Comedy Central, 11 p.m.)?
In the new “Starter Wives Confidential” (TLC, 10 p.m.),the ex-wives and former girlfriends of D-list celebrities are followed. Tonight, for example DJ Funkmaster Flex’s soon to be ex wife.
“Pioneers of Television” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings) covers the early TV appearances of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Incredible Hulk, among others.
Last week’s star-studded Matt Damon-takeover of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC, 10 p.m.) was such an event, they’re rerunning it on prime time tonight.
“Taste” (ABC, 8 p.m.) got enough viewers in its premiere to have the network call it a hit. It ought to be even better in a one-hour format.
Perhaps the preachers’ wives who make up “The Sisterhood” (TLC, 9 p.m.) shouldn’t have feuds.
It’s the pre-tattoo Lil’ Abby episode of “NCIS” (CBS, 8 p.m.).
B.J. Novak rekindles the chemistry he had with Mindy Kaling on “The Office” on a new “The Mindy Project” (Fox, 9:30 p.m.).
Denise Richards tries to find a woman for her widower dad to date and turns to “The Millionaire Matchmaker” (Bravo, 10 p.m.).
Don’t trust the network to keep on “Don’t Trust the B… in Apt. 23.” It’s been cancelled, replaced to night by a second helping of “Happy Endings” (ABC, 9 and 9:30 p.m.). Similarly, there’s two episodes of “Raising Hope” (Fox, 8 p.m.) in place of “Ben & Kate,” also shelved by its network last week.
Brooklyn Decker is not a sandwich, it’s the name of an actress who plays a new girl on “New Girl” (Fox, 9 p.m.) who comes between Nick and Schmidt.
Snooki give birth to an even smaller person on “Snooki & JWoww” (MTV, 10 p.m.).
The month long Tuesday night array of caper movies on Turner Classic Movies concludes with “The Italian Job” (8 p.m.), “The Lavender Hill Mob” (10 p.m.), “They Came to Rob Las Vegas” (11:30 p.m.), “Armored Car Robbery” (1:45 a.m.), “Guns, Girls and Gangsters” (3 a.m.) and “The Hoodlum” (4:15 a.m.).
Men’s college hoops includes Wisconsin at Ohio State (ESPN, 7 p.m.), North Carolina State at Virginia (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), Vanderbilt at Tennessee (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Kentucky at Mississippi (ESPN, 9 p.m.), North Carolina at Boston College (ESPNU, 9 p.m.) and Nevada at UNLV (CBS Sports, 10 p.m.).
NHL action includes New York Islanders at Pittsburgh (NBC Sports, 7:30 p.m.). In the NBA, New Orleans at Lakers (NBA, 10:30 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Melissa McCarthy, Stephen Arnell. The View: Billy Bardell, Max Greenfield, Ryan Bingham, Melissa Joan Hart. The Talk: Craig Ferguson, Train, Pat Monahan. Ellen DeGeneres: Sally Field.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Sylvester Stallone, Al Gore. Jay Leno: Whitney Cummings, Jackie Weaver, Aaron Neville. Jimmy Kimmel: Kim & Kourtney Kardashian, Adam Driver, Halestorm. Jimmy Fallon: Lucy Liu, Billy Gardell, Tommy Mottola. Craig Ferguson: Simon Helberg. Carson Daly: Kevin Smith, Metric. Tavis Smiley: Michael Hastings. Jon Stewart: Melissa McCarthy. Stephen Colbert: George Saunders. Conan O’Brien: Dax Shepard, Adam Cayton-Holland. Chelsea Handler: Emmy Rossum, Ros Mathews, Arden Myrin, Ryan Stout.