Architects still wonder how Filippo Brunelleschi did it, building the world’s large masonry dome for Florence’s famous Basilica de Santa Maria del Fiore in the Renaissance.
The Duomo, as it is better known, is taller than the Statue of Liberty and weighs about as much as a cruise ship. How did it keep the more than 4 million bricks from collapsing? And they did it literally without a net — or scaffolding. But he did use something called a reverse gear pulley.
To find out the rest of his secrets, U.S. master bricklayers have been enlisted by “Nova” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings) build their own model using techniques of the time. They’ll have to work faster than the original workers, who won the competition to design the dome in 1418, but didn’t finish until 1436.
Can Julia Mancuso do it again in women’s Alpine skiing? It will become clear on tonight’s Winter Olympics (NBC, 8 p.m.) unless you hear a spoiler first. Also tonight are the finals in pairs’ figure skating, men’s speedskating and women’s snowboarding on the halfpipe, which with any luck they will have repaired.
Inviting 200 people to Hollywood Week was the initial problem on “American Idol” (Fox, 8 p.m.). After cutting half of them, they have to cut them in half again tonight, and should start getting a little more ruthless.
They’ve been doing terrible reality shows for a decade or so now, enough to fill their own compilations like “Bravo’s Top Ten Dinners from Hell” (Bravo, 8 p.m.). Top of the list will likely be the overturned table from “The Real Housewives of New Jersey.” Not included: Any footage from when Bravo began, as a premium arts network.
The second in the four part series “Super Skyscrapers” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings) looks at the Leadenhall Building being built in London.
The characters on “Broad City” (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.) always live on the edge of poverty; tonight they worry they may also be homeless — in a manner more convincing than, say, “2 Broke Girls.”
Seth Meyers and Sarah Paulson are guests on “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo, 11 p.m.).
“Phony Beatlemania has bitten the dust,” The Clash declared in 1979, erroneously. “The Beatles: The Night That Changed America – A Grammy Salute” (CBS, 9 p.m.), that drew 14 million viewers on Sunday will be replayed again.
The only non-rerun scripted show on network television is “Super Fun Night” (ABC, 9:30 p.m.), which has proven so far this season that it is not.
Can’t decide if it’s smart or redundant to show the sharp comedy “Best of Show” (The CW, 8 p.m.) the night after the Westminster Dog Show.
In the third episode of the four-part “Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond” (BBC America, 10 p.m.), the writer is asked to help the CIA. Preceding it is a lesser Bond film, “The Living Daylights” (BBC America, 7:30 p.m.).
Gil Scott-Heron is profiled on a new episode of “Unsung” (TV One, 10 p.m.).
The Fox series has wound up for the season, but here’s the 1999 movie of the same name, “Sleepy Hollow” (Flix, 8 p.m.).
Not sure when IFC became the bro station, but here’s “Beerfest” (IFC, 8 p.m.).
Three of the five Oscar nominees for best supporting actress in 1963 came from one film: “Tom Jones” (TCM, 8 p.m.), with Dame Edith Evans, Diane Cilento and Joyce Redman each getting the nod. The winner, though, was Margaret Rutherford in “The V.I.P.s” (TCM, 10:30 p.m.). Also nominated that year: Lillia Skala in “Lillies of the Field” (TCM, 1 a.m.).
Men’s college basketball tonight includes George Washington at Virginia Commonwealth (NBC Sports Network, 7 p.m.), South Florida at Connecticut (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), Syracuse at Pittsburgh (ESPN, 7 p.m.), Tennessee-Martin at Southeast Missouri State (CBS Sports Network, 7 p.m.), Baylor at TCU (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Villanova at DePaul (Fox Sports 1, 8 p.m.), Stanford at Washington (ESPN2, 9 p.m.), Duke at North Carolina (ESPN, 9 p.m.), Central Florida at Memphis (ESPNU, 9 p.m.), New Mexico at Boise State (CBS Sports, 9 p.m.) and California at Washington State (ESPNU, 11 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Alan Cumming, Carly Rae Jepsen. The View: Mariah Carey, Cirque du Soleil’s “Love,” Josh Elliott. The Talk: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine & Marlon Jackson. LisaIngrassia. Ellen DeGeneres: Eva Mendes, Chris Paul, Rosalee Ramer. Wendy Williams: Stefan Riemer.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Andy Samberg, Michael B. Jordan, Ellie Goulding (rerun). Jimmy Kimmel: Nathan Fillion, Abbie Cornish, Naughty Boy featuring Sam Smith. Craig Ferguson: Kurt Russell, Aimee Garcia. Tavis Smiley: David Hyde Pierce. Jon Stewart: Joel Kinnaman. Stephen Colbert: Godfrey Reggio. Arsenio Hall: T.I., Jackie, Tito, Jermain & Marlon Jackson, Lisa Ingrassia. Conan O’Brien: Larry King, Jhene Aiko. Chelsea Handler: Kerri Kenney-Silver, Liza Treyger, Josh Wolf.