Wednesday TV: Eddie Murphy Feted, ‘Whitney’ Back

In part because his career started on TV, in skits on “Saturday Night Live,” stars gather to honor him again for a career that’s mostly been in movies on “Eddie Murphy: One Night Only” (Spike TV, 10 p.m.).
Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Russell Brand, Samuel L. Jackson, Arsenio Hall, Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx Tyler Perry and Keenan Ivory Wayans are among the stars gathered to fete him, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of his standup concert film, “Delirious.”
Plus he’ll be enticed to come on stage to sing “Higher Ground” with Steve Wonder, whom he once famously mocked on “SNL.” Bet Eddie won’t sing “Party All the Time.”

It was the failure of “Animal Practice” that brings the second season of “Whitney” (NBC, 8 p.m.) this early. The comedy didn’t do as well as Whitney Cummings’ other new sitcom last season, “2 Broke Girls.” But it was at least as amusing. She’s got quite a comic appeal, though the stories can be sometimes hackneyed. At least there’s no monkeys. Jane Kaczmarek guest stars as Whitney’s mother in tonight’s return.
Malin Akerman plays Tessa’s long lost mom on a new “Suburgatory” (ABC, 9:30 p.m.).

If the ads are all Christmas, I guess it doesn’t matter that “The Middle” (ABC, 8 p.m.) and “The Neighbors” (ABC, 8:30 p.m.)  are doing their Thanksgiving episodes a week early.

Matthew Broderick guest stars as a new pal of Phil on “Modern Family” (ABC, 9 p.m.).

Weird to see Anne Frank show up last week on “American Horror Story” (FX, 10 p.m.).

Scott Bakula and Bijou Phillips guest star on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (NBC, 9 p.m.).

Tow truck drivers high in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California are the focus of the new series “Hell on the Highway” (National Geographic Channel, 10 p.m.).

“Baggage Battles” (Travel, 8 p.m.), a kind of “Storage Wars” for luggage left at airports, returns for a second season.

The red planet is the focus of an “Ultimate Mars Challenge” on “Nova” (PBS, 9 p.m., check local listings). Then, for the season finale of “Nova scienceNow” (PBS, 10 p.m., check local listings), David Pogue looks at what the future holds.

The people on “LOLwork” (Bravo, 11 p.m.) look in at the people at ICanHasCheezburger.com.

Having written some tunes, Rayna looks for a good producer on “Nashville” (ABC, 10 p.m.).
Tribal councils have been getting awfully weird lately on “Survivor” ( CBS, 8 p.m.).

The novel to film series on Turner Classic Movies starts with a pair featuring Humphrey Bogart, “The Maltese Falcon” (8 p.m.) and “The Big Sleep” (10 p.m.) and continues with “Ten Little Indians” (midnight), “In Cold Blood” (2 a.m.) and “Kiss Me Deadly” (4:30 a.m.).
It’s Grizzlies at Thunder (ESPN, 8 p.m.) and Heat at Clippers (ESPN, 10:30 p.m.) in NBA action.
In college hoops, it’s Wisconsin at Florida (ESPN2, 7 p.m.) and St. Bonaventure at Cornell (NBC Sports, 7 p.m.). In college football, Ohio at Ball State (ESPNU, 8 p.m.) and Toledo at Northern Illinois (ESPN2, 9 p.m.).

Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Hayden Panetierre, Kellan Lutz. The View: James Spader. The Talk: Keri Glassman, the Backstreet Boys. Katie Couric: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Susannah Cahalan. Ellen DeGeneres: Rihanna, Blue Man Group.

Late Talk
David Letterman: Alec Baldwin, Dirty Projectors. Jay Leno: Helen Hunt, Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio, Kylie Minogue. Jimmy Kimmel: Martin Short, Suraj Sharma, Ne-Yo. Jimmy Fallon: Chris Tucker, Kellan Lutz, Jonathan Becker, Electric Guest. Craig Ferguson: Billy Crystal, Berenice Marlohe. Carson Daly: Robert Greene, Witness, Divine Fits. Tavis Smiley: Keira Knightley. Jon Stewart: Jon Meacham. Stephen Colbert: Tony Kushner. Conan O’Brien: Kristen Stewart, Glenn Howerton, Lianne La Havas. Chelsea Handler: Nate Berkus, Kurt Braunohler, John Caparulo, Annie Lederman.