The Rolling Stones are marking their 50th year with a handful of concerts and the release today of a new documentary on HBO that they tightly controlled themselves.
For “Crossfire Hurricane” (HBO, 9 p.m.), the bandmembers listed as producers agree to talk about their career – but mostly about stuff that happened more than 25 years ago. The stipulation is that they are not filmed so you see how the look about now.
Filmmaker Bret Morgan (“The Kid Stays in the Picture”) mostly gets to work with clips from films most Stones fans have seen before. But some of the very earliest stuff, borrowed from the recently released “Charlie is My Angel,” is pretty fascinating.
There’s a little talk of drugs, lots of talk about their image, but hardly anything about their music. And parts of their story – the tension between Mick and Keith for example – are hardly touched upon at all.
I did a longer review of the film here for Salon.
They may have been the cause for God striking the shore with such fury, so the cast of “Jersey Shore” responds with their own telethon, “Restore the Shore” (MTV, 11 p.m.) featuring most of the reality show cast, but also performances from Gym Class Heroes and Phillip Phillips, with messages from all manner of celebrities from One Direction to Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Pink, Kim Kardashian, Kelly Clarkson, Cary Rae Jepsen, Ludacris, Bruno Marsand many more. Text SHORE to 85944 to donate $10.
Joltin’ Joe Biden, our sitting vice president, takes time to appear opposite Leslie Knope on a new “Parks and Recreation” (NBC, 9:30 p.m.).
The new show “Mysteries at the Museum” (Travel Channel, 9 p.m.) looks at places you might have otherwise missed: Niagara’s Daredevil Museum.
On “Last Resort” (ABC, 8 p.m.), the nuclear launch key is still missing.
Liz gets her foot attended to on a new “30 Rock” (NBC, 8 p.m.).
The results of the first audience vote eliminates an act on “The X Factor” (Fox, 8 p.m.).
“Grease” wasn’t a one-week thing on “Glee” (Fox, 9 p.m.) It’s on tonight’s episode as well.
It’s Thanksgiving on “Up All Night” (NBC, 8:30 p.m.), a show that will soon go away for months beore returning as a multi-cam sitcom shot in front of a live audience.
Robert Osborne chooses the films tonight on Turner Classic Movies and they’re mostly musicals: “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” (8 p.m.), “Babes in Arms” (10:15 p.m.) and “Three Little Words” (3;30 a.m.), but also the comedy “The Admirable Crichton” (midnight) and the drama “Wicked as They Come” (1:45 a.m.).
In NBA action it’s Celtics at Nets (TNT, 8 p.m.) and Heat at Nuggets (TNT, 10:30 p.m.).
Games in college hoops include North Carolina State vs. Penn State (ESPN2, 5 p.m.) and Villanova vs. Purdue (ESPN2, 9 p.m.).
Thursday Night Football has Dolphins at Bills (NFL, 8 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Kelly & Michael: Chris Tucker, Ashley Greene, Bridgit Mendler. The View: Dr. Phil McGraw, Kirstie Alley, Gilles Marini. The Talk: Chandra Wilson, Jason Latimer, Janice Min. Katie Couric: John Edward, Char Margolis, Randall Sullivan. Ellen DeGeneres: Keira Knightley, One Direction.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Zooey Deschanel, Lisa Lampanelli, Donald Fagen. Jay Leno: Tim Allen, Nolan Gould, Switchfoot. Jimmy Kimmel: Mel Brooks, jake Tapper, Jason Aldean. Jimmy Fallon: Katie Holmes, Jeff Bezos, Russel Peters. Craig Ferguson: Max Greenfield, Lucy Punch. Carson Daly: Naomie Harris, Dino Stamatopolous, Brandi Carlile. Tavis Smiley: Sally Field. Jon Stewart: Andrew Napolitano. Stephen Colbert: Chris Stringer. Conan O’Brien: Kellan Lutz, Jimmy Pardo, Jeff the Brotherhood. Chelsea Handler: Ne-Yo, Ben Gleib, Bobby Lee, Marc Maron.