Kelli O’Hara and Nathan Gunn star as Julie Jordan and Billy Bigelow in a version of Rodgers& Hammerstein’s “Carousel” with the New York Philharmonic that is performed “Live from Lincoln Center” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings).
The 1945 musical gave us songs like “If I Loved You” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and helped introduce ballet to Broadway productions. The performance, directed by John Rando also includes Kate Burton, John Cullum, Stephanie Blythe and Shuler Hensley.
Not only did minor gun reform fail in Congress, there are new episodes of “Sons of Guns” (Discovery, 8 and 9 p.m.) and a new series about a family-run gun range in Kentucky, “Guntucky” (CMT, 10:30 p.m.), that is described as “more of a theme park for gun lovers,” where people yell yahoo when shooting off cannons or hundreds of rounds of automatic fire. I want background checks for both series.
The first Friday of May sweeps means new episodes of everything on broadcast TV but “Oh Sit!” (The CW, 9 p.m.), even for shows you weren’t sure were even still on the air, from “Nikita” (The CW, 8 p.m.) and “Touch” (Fox, 9 p.m.) to “Vegas” (CBS, 9 p.m.).
It was last Friday when prime time was pre-empted with news from Boston on the capture of the suspect in the bombings there. So this week’s “Grimm” (NBC, 9 p.m.), for example, was the one that would have shown then.
Likewise, the season finale — and perhaps series finale — for “Happy Endings” (ABC, 8 and 8:30 p.m.), will be pushed back to next week so that last week’s pair of episodes, also pre-empted by the Boston coverage, can air tonight.
Boston stories make up part of tonight’s “Rock Center with Brian Wiliams” (NBC, 10 p.m.) and maybe “20/20” (ABC, 10 p.m.) as well.
Anna Deavere Smith, Jimmy Kimmel, Donald Borelli, John Avlon and Robert Traynham are guests on a new “Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO, 10 p.m.).
A report on “Vice” (HBO, 11 p.m.) looks at the unrest caused by European economic instability. Also, encourage male babies has led to a generation of desperate bachelors in China.
It would be the worst name for an online matchmaking service: “Dates from Hell” (Investigation Discovery, 10 p.m.).
The month-long Friday night spotlight on women in film on Turner Classic Movies, co-hosted by Cher with Robert Osborne, wraps up with films of females taking charge in “The Great Lie” (8 p.m.), “Kitty Foyle” (10 p.m.), “The Palm Beach Story” (midnight), “The Women” (1:45 a.m.) and “Ball of Fire” (4:15 a.m.).
The second and third rounds of the NFL Draft (ESPN2, 8 p.m.) probably aren’t as interesting as the first. That’s just the opposite in the NBA Playoffs where first round action is usually the least interesting. Tonight’s games include New York at Boston (ESPN, 8 p.m.), San Antonio at Lakers (ESPN, 10:30 p.m.) and Denver at Golden State (ESPN2, 10:30 p.m.).
You can actually choose from a number of restaurant inspired reality shows now, from “Kitchen Nightmares” (Fox, 8 p.m.) to “Playing with Fire” (E!, 8 p.m.) and “Mystery Diners” (Food, 10 p.m.).
Don’t confuse “Tanked” (Animal Planet, 9 p.m.) with “Shark Tank” (ABC, 9 p.m.) which offers a cupcake in a jar idea.
A night-long marathon of “Portlandia” (IFC, 8 p.m.) sounds like a pretty good idea to me.
The head of Retro Fitness checks out the front end of his business on a new “Undercover Boss” (CBS, 8 p.m.).
Christina Milian is pulled over by the “Fashion Police” (E!, 10 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Don Cheadle, Geraldo Rivera, Emeli Sande. The View: Robert DeNiro, Tim Gunn. The Talk: Jamie-Lynn Sigler. Ellen DeGeneres: Gwyneth Paltrow, will.i.am.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Jon Hamm, Ricky Jay, the So So Glos. Jay Leno: Robert Downey Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Avril Lavigne. Jimmy Kimmel: Tom Cruise, Ke$ha, Paramore (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Amy Poehler, Michael Angarano, Iron & Wine. Craig Ferguson: Robin Wright, Andy Dick. Carson Daly: Tracy Spiridakos, Neil Shubin, ZZ Ward. Tavis Smiley: Chadwick Boseman. Chelsea Handler: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bobby Lee, Natasha Leggero, T.J. Miller (rerun).