“The Address” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings) might begin like other Ken Burns films, with black and white images and that same old recording of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” starting to play. But soon enough, we find it’s very different. It’s not a film about the Gettsyburgh Address, which he covered well enough more than two decades ago in his “Civil War.”
Rather, it’s about a school full of boys in Putney, Vt., with various learning disabilities, whose task is to learn the most famous presidential addresses. So while there are traces of what it all meant at the time, it’s really about watching boys practice and succeed in their semester-long task. Which makes it eventually a pretty enduring ducument. And the fact that it’s not in 12 parts make it all worthwhile.
Feels strange that the subjects of “Pioneers of Television” (PBS, 8 p.m., check local listings) are now getting younger than me and the pioneering days are considered to be the 1990s when Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen and Roseanne Barr were all on sitcoms.
The new “Southern Justice” (National Geographic, 10 p.m.). follows cops in Andy Griffiths teritory, Ashe County, N.C., as well as Sullivan County, Tenn., places where there is probably is no time for any whistling.
“Awkward” (MTV, 10 p.m.) returns for a new season, set in senior year. Seems like the cast has been obsessed about sex since before high school.
Lousy ratings means “Mind Games,” the Christian Slater/Steve Zahn project, has already been pulled from the schedule after just five episodes, to be quickly replaced by season three of “Celebrity Wife Swap” (ABC, 10 p.m.), starting with a switch between the wives of Jermaine Jackson and Daniel Baldwin.
The second season of “Knife Fight” (Esquire Network, 10 p.m.), the spirited cooking competition in downtown L.A., begins with a battle between Washington D.C.’s Mike Isabella (the chef and owner of Kapnos, G and Graffiato) and Tim Love of Texas. A press release says “‘Knife Fight’ is not made for TV. It is not a set.” But I was on the set in January and can tell you: There are extras and there is hipster wardrobe. But there were also drink tickets.
Will they get as much mileage from Jess and Nick breaking up as they did hooking up on “New Girl” (Fox, 9 p.m.)? At any rate, Jamie Lee Curtis guest stars.
Max Greenfield of “New Girl” also pops up on “The Mindy Project” (Fox, 9:30 p.m.) as a guy who encourages Mindy to think more like a guy.
The guys on “Glee” (Fox, 8 p.m.) are tested for STDs — and probably sing about it.
An attempt to tie last week’s “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (ABC, 9 p.m.) to the “Captain America” movie that just opened didn’t work at all as far as attracting audiences. So they show it again at 8 before the new episode.
“Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan” (BBC America, 10 p.m.) examines the Gaboon viper.
“Deadliest Catch: Season 9 Revealed” (Discovery, 8 p.m.) looks back at the crews from last season before forging onwith season ten next week.
Injuries from sports is the issue on a new “Nick News with Linda Ellerbee” (Nickelodeon, 8 p.m.) titled “Sidelined: How Safe are Kids Sports?”
It’s a big rock ‘n’ roll night on Turner Classic Movies with Ann-Margret in “Bye Bye Birdie” (8 p.m.); Elvis’ classic “Jailhouse Rock” (10 p.m.);“Go, Johnny, Go!” (midnight) with Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran and Jackie Wilson; “Gary Busey in The Buddy Holly Story” (1:30 a.m.); “Jamboree” (3:30 a.m.) with Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Fats Domino and Joe Williams; and the 1970 concert film “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is” (5 a.m.).
Loads of Lady Gaga tonight as reruns of both “The Late Show with David Letterman” (CBS, 11:35 p.m.) and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC, 11:35 p.m.) feature her. In a week of largely reruns these repeats happen, as when the women of “Broad City” fisit both “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC, 12:37 p.m.) and “Last Call with Carson Daly” (NBC, 1:37 a.m.).
NBA action includes New York at Brooklyn (TNT, 8 p.m.) and Denver at Clippers (TNT, 10:30 p.m.). In baseball, it’s Atlanta at Philadelphia (MLB, 7:05 p.m.). And it’s time for the NHL Draft Lottery (NBC Sports, 8 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Billy Bob Thornton, Alicia Silverstone. The View: Morgan Freeman, the cast of “aladdin,” Margaret Hoover. The Talk: Jennifer Nettles, Michael Yo, Ryan Scott (rerun). Ellen DeGeneres: Kate Walsh, Marlon Wayans, Ellie Goulding. Wendy Williams: Taraji P. Henson, Mally Roncal.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Martha Stewart, Lady Gaga, Bill Murray (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Jerry Seinfeld, Kristen Wiig, lady Gaga (rerun). Jimmy Kimmel: Johnny Depp, Jessica Pare, Chuck E. Weiss (rerun). Seth Meyers: Andy Samberg, busy Philipps, Abi Jacobson, Ilana Glazer (rerun). Craig Ferguson: Wendie Malick, Jim Rash. Carson Daly: Abbi Jacobson, Ilana Glazer, Jonathan Wilson, Jason Silva (rerun). Travis Smiley: Rosanne Cash. Jon Stewart: Pele (rerun). Stephen Colbert: Darren Aronofsky (rerun). Arsenio Hall: Don Cheadle, Billy Dee Williams, Emma Slater, Naturally 7 (rerun). Conan O’Brien: Nathan Fillion, Tatiana Maslany, Dan Soder. Chelsea Handler: Marlon Wayans, Chris Franjola, Jessimae Peluso, Josh Wolf. Pete Holmes: Zach Woods.