Feeling perhaps a tad responsible for encouraging him in his dangerous beliefs by having him star in the oddball series about a couple of religious snake handlers,National Geographic presents a tribute to the Southern Pentecostal pastor Jamie Coots, “Snake Salvation: They Shall Take Up Serpents” (National Geographic, 10 p.m.).
The pastor and snake-handler died just Saturday after being bitten in his Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro, Ky. He was one of two snake-handlers featured on the series that began last fall highlighting the illegal activity. Coots pled guilty to illegally possessing and transporting three rattlesnakes and two copperheads in Tennessee after the state seized them in a traffic stop as he was driving them from Alabama to Kentucky. Coots had previously been bitten nine times and lost a finger to a rattlesnake bite. Not handling snakes may be something the network may wont to add to “Do or Die” (National Geographic, 7:30 p.m.), which is also reaching its demise tonight.
Of the four chefs vying for the prize in tonight’s finale of “The Taste” (ABC, 8 p.m.), three come from the team of Ludo Lefebre. Not only that, his finalists are also all Californians: caterer Jeff Kawakami of Hollywood, “food stylist” Louise Leonard of Los Angeles and homemaker Marina Chung of Duarte. A Californian also won last season’s finale.
The fourth contestant this year is from Anthony Bourdain’s team — and he is also from the East, waiter Lee Knoeppel of Brooklyn. gets $100,000. And will the show be back? It’s only been averaging 3 million viewers in recent weeks.
Women’s freestyle halfpipe skiing the men’s freestyle skicross skiing are on tonight’s Winter Olympics (NBC, 8 p.m.) as is the female figure skater finals — live at 10 a.m. and repeated tonight.
After two nights of singing and voting, the Top 20 turn into the Top 13 on the third consecutive episode of “American Idol” (Fox, 8 p.m.) this week, with 10 selected by viewers and three wild card choices from the judges.
With “Idol” in live shows and “The Voice” about to tee off next week, it’s a good time to lampoon the both of them in a new season of “Killer Karaoke” (truTV, 10 p.m.). Mostly, it makes fun of singers so desperate to audition they’ll do so while enduring any number of messy distractions. Sugar Ray singer Mark McGrath takes over from Steve-O as host.
Slacker turned Oscar nominee Matthew McConaughey goes “Inside the Actors Studio” (Bravo, 8 p.m.) to say more than “Alright, alright, alright!” to James Lipton.
Michael Imperioli guest stars on a new “Rake” (Fox, 9 p.m.) – the only new scripted show on roadcast TV tonight.
The third season of “Braxton Family Values” (WEtv, 9 p.m.) ends at the Grammys; the fourth season of “Mob Wives” (VH1, 10 p.m.) ends before a judge.
The best actress nominees from the first Academy Awards in 1934 included Bette Davis in “Of Human Bondage” (TCM, 8 p.m.), the winning Claudette Colbert of “It Happened One Night” (TCM, 9:30 p.m.), Grace Moore in “One Night of Love” (11:30 p.m.) and Norma Shearer in “The Barretts of Wimpole Street” (TCM, 3 p.m.).
NBA action includes Miami at Oklahoma City (TNT, 8 p.m.) and Houston at Golden State (TNT, 10:30 p.m.).
Men’s college hoops includes Alabama at Texas A&M (ESPN2, 7 p.m.), Michigan State at Purdue (ESPN, 7 p.m.), Memphis at Rutgers (CBS Sports Network, 7 p.m.), Penn State at Nebraska (ESPNU, 7 p.m.), Connecticut at Temple (ESPN2, 9 p.m.), Duke at North Carolina (ESPN, 9 p.m.), Georgetown at Seton Hall (CBS Sports, 9 p.m.), Toledo at Bowling Green (ESPNU, 9 p.m.), Gonzaga at BYU (ESPN2, 11 p.m.) and Pepperdine at Loyola Marymount (ESPNU, 11 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Christian Slater, Kate Mara, the Vamps. The View: Gayle King, Jerry O’Connell. The Talk: Clark Gregg, Rob Shuter, Mary Sue Milliken. Ellen DeGeneres: David Spade, Km Douglas. Wendy Williams: Mark McGrath, Kate Kimmock.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Joss Christensen, Gus Kenworthy, Nick Goepper, Keri Russell, Terry Fator. Jimmy Fallon: Michelle Obama, Will Ferrell, Arcade Fire. Jimmy Kimmel: Jonah Hill, Willie & Korie Robertson, Jetta. Craig Ferguson: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lisa Vanderpump. Tavis Smiley: Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Toni Braxton. Jon Stewart: Ronan Farrow. Stephen Colbert: Gen. Stanley McChrystal. Arsenio Hall: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Sage the Gemini. Conan O’Brien: Chris O’Donnell, Sage Kotsenburg, NeedToBreathe. Chelsea Handler: Kurt Russell, Sarah Colonna, Moshe Kasher, Fortune Feimster.