In a shocking 2008 school shooting in Oxnard, Calif., one eighth grade student shot and killed another – a student exploring his gender identity who asked the other if he’d be his Valentine. The 15 year old who had easy access to guns had just as tough an upbringing as the victim, and as the picture widens in the eye-opening film by Marta Cunningham, “Valentine Road” (HBO, 9 p.m.) a lot of things go wrong.
From the school reaction, to individual teacher impressions to what happened when the trial finally went on presents a bigger complicated story and issues left to answer in the aftermath.
A happier story from a different middle school on the other side of the country is told in at Brooklyn Intermediate School 318, which has won more chess tournaments than any other school in the country — 26 – with a winning streak of more than a decade.
But in Katie Dellamaggiore’s “Brooklyn Castle,” making its debut on “POV” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings), budget cuts threaten sending kids to national tournaments and individual drama builds among kids who come in as winners and doubt their confidence, and others who rise to the challenge. It’s a winning film about smart kids who are treated as if they’re winners.
The kids-at-risk chosen to participate in a second chance “Dream School” (Sundance, 10 p.m.) are happy to see their benefactor, 50 Cent, greet them. But the celebrity teachers who are recruited to turn the students around in 30 days are often ill-prepared. Homeroom teacher David Arquette is affable enough, but Oliver Stone’s history lesson just puts them to sleep. And there are other aspects to the school, from uniforms to smoking policy, that kids dislike off the bat. In the coming weeks, other celebs will try their hands at the classroom there including Jesse Jackson and Suze Orman.
One network still rolling out its fall season is The CW, where season three of “Hart of Dixie” (The CW, 8 p.m.) and season two of “Beauty and the Beast” (The CW, 9 p.m.).
“Sleepy Hollow” (Fox, 9 p.m.) is the first new show of the fall season to be renewed for season two.
The crowd didn’t like it when Bill Nye “The Science Guy” was voted off “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC, 8 p.m.) last week. Who will go tonight? Valerie Harper has the lowest judges score by far, but will people vote her off? Bill Engvall is next to last. Julianne Hough fills in as guest judge for Len Goodman.
The coaches on “The Voice” (NBC, 8 p.m.) fill up their teams tonight at the end of the blind auditions.
Justin Long guest stars on “Mom” (CBS, 8:30 p.m.).
Megyn Kelly debuts her prime time “The Kelly File” (Fox News, 9 p.m.). Greta Van Sustern’s “On the Record” (Fox News, 7 p.m.) moves to an earlier hour and “Hannity” (Fox news, 10 p.m.) moves later. And “Shepard Smith Reporting” (Fox News, 3 p.m.) makes its debut as an afternoon show.
In the new series “Mighty Med” (Disney XD, 8:30 p.m.) a pair of friends discover the hospital where superheroes are treated.
“Celebrity Crime Files” (TV One, 9 p.m.) re-opens the Notorious B.I.G. murder case.
New on the PBS Kids lineup is a kids’ show about a girl who figures things out with math, and a feline, “Peg + Cat” (PBS, 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., check local listings). I did a story on the young girl who provides the voice you can find here.
The film history that Turner Film Classics had been running on Mondays and Tuesdays in September, continues in October as well. Tonight’s chapter is “The Story of Film: An Odyssey: 1953-1957 – The Swollen Story: World Cinema” (10:15 p.m.) with the examples Satyajit Ray’s “Panther Panchall” (8 p.m.), Youssef Chahine’s “Cairo Station” (11:30 p.m.), and two by Akira Kurosawa, “Throne of Blood” (1 a.m.) and “Seven Samurai” (3 a.m.).
A full day of divisional playoff games has Oakland at Detroit (MLB Network, 1 p.m.), St. Louis at Pittsburgh (TBS, 3 p.m.), Boston at Tampa Bay (TBS, 6 p.m.) and Atlanta at Dodgers (TBS, 9:30 p.m.).
On Monday Night Football, it’s Jets at Atlanta (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Tom Hanks, Diana Nyad. The View: Diane Sawyer, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Matthew Dowd. The Talk: Drew Carey, Jet Tila, Carnie Wilson. Ellen DeGeneres: Julianne Moore, Demi Lovato. Wendy Williams: Anthony Mackie, Dr. Mike Dow.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Tom Hanks, Two Door Cinema Club. Jay Leno: Drew Barrymore, D.L. Hughley, the Avett Brothers. Jimmy Kimmel: Cast of “Modern Family,” Ben Rector. Jimmy Fallon: Paul McCartney, Dylan McDermott. Craig Ferguson: Zooey Deschanel, Ed Weeks. Carson Daly: Brit Marling, Davi Goyer, Maximum Hedrum (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Jeanne Tripplehorn. Jon Stewart: Kathlen Sebelius. Stephen Colbert: James Spithill. W. Kamau Bell: Tracy Morgan (rerun). Arsenio Hall: Andre Braugher, Danny Trejo, Mike Epps, Gogol Bordello. Conan O’Brien: Neil Patrick Harris, Shailene Woodley, Dan St. Germain (rerun). Chelsea Handler: Malin Akerman, Brad Wollack, Jamie Lee, Moshe Kasher.