It boasts one of the shakier rock history theories — that the band were doomed as punks and had to alienate their base to become pop sensations — but “Blondie’s New York: The Making of ‘Parallel Lines'” (Smithsonian Channel, 10 p.m.) is a good excuse to catch up with the band 36 years after the album that gave us “Heart of Glass.”
With producer Mike Chapman taking an awful lot of the credit (and still critical of band skills), he and the band discuss the making of the album track by track. As one of the rock documentaries that features a studio fader that isolates tracks, the practice is less effective here than say in a Beatles documentary. Suffice to say they sounded best altogether than apart.
Meant to reflect a city as well as a music genre, then Mayor Ed Koch is interviewed sometime well before his death early last year. And it’s narrated by Kim Cattrall, the English born actress raised in Canada, but who filmed a series associated with New York. While at first seems the hour long documentary will explore every song, in the end they do not. We never hear how Robert Fripp came to play on “Fade Away and Radiate.”
Music from about the same time in the same city is explored on the two hour documentary “LENNONYC” rerunning on “American Masters” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings), following John Lennon’s life in New York just before his death in 1980.
A third music special has the band OneRepublic trading songs with Dierks Bentley on “CMT Crossroads” (CMT, 10 p.m.)
“Geraldine Ferraro: Paving the Way” (Showtime, 9 p.m.) is a documentary by Donna Zaccaro about her mother, the first female vice presidential candidate for a major party, with comments from a couple of former presidents and maybe a future one.
“Who’s Line Is It Anyway” (The CW, 8 p.m.) returns for another spin with Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Wayne Brady, Keenan Michael Key and Colin Mochrie doing improv with speicial guests, including Kat Graham and Tara Lipinski in tonight’s pair of episodes. Aisha Tyler hosts.
Another full day of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament has Mercer vs.Duke (CBS, 12:15 p.m.), Nebraska vs. Baylor (12:40 p.m.), Stanford vs. New Mexico (TBS, 1:40 p.m.), Weber State vs. Arizona (TNT, 2:10 p.m.), Tennessee vs. Massachusetts (CBS, 2:45 p.m.), Louisiana-Lafayette vs. Creighton (truTV, 3:10 p.m.), Eastern Kentucky vs. Kansas (TBS, 4:10 p.m.), Oklahoma State vs.Gonzaga (TNT, 4:40 p.m.) and George Washington vs Memphis (TBS, 6:55 p.m.).
Tonight has Cal Poly vs. Wichita State (CBS, 7:10 p.m.), Providence vs. North Carolina (TNT, 7:20 p.m.), Stephen F. Austin vs. Virginia Commonwealth (truTV, 7:27 p.m.), Coastal Carolina vs. Virginia (TBS, 9:25 p.m.), Kansas State vs. Kentucky (CBS, 9:40 p.m.), North Carolina Central vs. Iowa State (TNT, 9:50 p.m.) and Tulsa vs. UCLA (truTV, 9:57 p.m.).
In the NIT, it’s Robert Morris at Belmont (ESPNU, 9:30 p.m.).
Energy bars with crickets is one of the things pitched on “Shark Tank” (ABC, 9 p.m.).
Errol Morris, Sheila Bair, Shane Smith, Simon Schama and Rep. Keith Ellison are guests on a new “Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO, 10 p.m.).
Shane Smith, host of “Vice” (HBO, 11 p.m.), witnesses the fast-melting ice in Greenland, while Fazeelat Aslam reports on bonded slavery in Pakistan.
The Friday night food film salute continues on Turner Classic Movies with “Oliver!” (8p.m.), “The Gold Rush” (10:45 p.m.), “The Loved One” (12:15 a.m.), “Cool Hand Luke” (2:30 a.m.) and “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (4:45 a.m.).
Spring baseball includes Red Sox vs. Phillies (MLB, 1 p.m.), Cubs vs. White Sox (MLB, 4 p.m.) and Pirates vs. Yankees (MLB, 7 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Denzel Washington, Hayden Panettiere, Ylvis. The View: Frances Fisher, Kurtwood Smith, Greg Behrendt & Amira Rutola-Behrendt, Mario Lopez. Ellen DeGeneres: Jennifer Lopez, Theresa Caputo, Aloe Blacc. Wendy Williams: Maria Menounos (rerun).
Late Talk
David Letterman: Kaitlyn Farrington, Lupita Nyong’o, Little Dragon (rerun). Jimmy Fallon: Kevin Bacon, Jeff Musial, Ty Dolla $ign, Ann Wilson. Jimmy Kimmel: Ricky Gervais, NeNe Leakes, Kongos (rerun). Seth Meyers: Chris Meloni, Zosia Mamet, Kostya Kennedy. Craig Ferguson: Zooey Deschanel, Vera Farmiga, Julia Mancuso, Roddy Hart & the Lonesome Fire (rerun). Carson Daly: Kellan Lutz, Run River North (rerun). Tavis Smiley: Tim Conway. Arsenio Hall: Ice Cube (rerun). Chelsea Handler: Tyler Perry, John Caparulo, Grace Helbig, Bobby Lee (rerun).