Oprah’s Oscar special, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and the return of "Cougar Town" highlight the week of Feb. 12-18 in television. Also David Letterman reveals the 2012 Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, NASCAR season gets underway in Daytona and newly-discovered footage of Dr. King’s assassination is seen and heard for the first time. Welcome to sweeps!
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12
Soul Mates: Dr. Maya Angelou And Common (BET) – 11 AM
BET News brings together the iconic master of literature and BET Honors honoree Dr. Maya Angelou, who received the country’s highest civilian honor from President Obama, with celebrated hip hop artist Common. The result is exclusive access to one of the most accomplished African-American figures of our time relayed by one of today’s most popular artists. Click here to watch a clip.
The Grammy Awards (CBS) – 7 PM
LL Cool J hosts live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Performers include Adele (in her first live performance since undergoing vocal cord surgery last fall), Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson, Tony Bennett and Carrie Underwood, Chris Brown, Glen Campbell with The Band Perry and Blake Shelton, Coldplay and Rihanna, Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt, Bruno Mars, Paul McCartney, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and Taylor Swift.
MLK: The Assassination Tapes (Smithsonian Channel) – 9 PM
April 4, 1968. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is gunned down on the balcony of a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. It was all caught on film, tape and audio. So why have we seen so little of it? The well-known photograph of Dr. King's aides pointing toward the direction of the gunfire is iconic, but tells only part of the story. For the first time, a collection of recently rediscovered footage has been chronologically reassembled. The resulting documentary revisits the events surrounding the assassination and relives history through the voices of the era. The one-hour special draws extensively from the unique materials at the Special Collections Division at The University of Memphis. Click here for the promo.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13
SportsCenter (ESPN)
Kiper, McShay Analyze Players DNA in SportsCenter Draft Lab
Mel Kiper and Todd McShay will experiment with draft orders and power rankings in their Draft Lab (Feb. 13-18) on SportsCenter. The six-part series will feature Kiper and McShay breaking down players entering the NFL Draft by position category, naming which players have the “Biggest Upside,” are the “Biggest Risk,” and are “Under the Radar.” The Schedule: Quarterbacks (Feb. 13), Running Backs (Feb. 14), Receivers & Tight Ends (Feb. 15), In The Trenches – OL & DL (Feb. 16), The Back Seven - LB & DB (Feb. 17), Final Analysis -players rated regardless of position (Feb. 18)
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (USA at 8 PM, CNBC at 9 PM)
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at New York’s Madison Square Garden will be televised live on USA from 8-9 p.m. ET/PT, when it will switch over to CNBC. Then on Tuesday, February 14, USA will air the entire conclusion from 8-11pm ET/PT, including the crowning of Best In Show. In a first, USA is also offering unprecedented digital access to the event, with live video coverage during the day and social viewing experiences including community chatting, interviews, FB and Twitter integrations and real-time behind the scenes moments from the floor. USA is partnering with UStream for the video coverage. Click here for additional information.
Slavery By Another Name (PBS) – 9 PM (Check Local Listings)
A Sundance Film Festival selection for 2012, this new documentary, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Wall Street Journal senior writer Douglas A. Blackmon, explores the little-known story of the post-Emancipation era and the labor practices and laws that effectively created a new form of slavery in the South that persisted well into the 20th century. Blackmon examines the concept of “neoslavery,” which sentenced African-Americans to forced labor for violating an array of laws that criminalized their everyday behavior. Laurence Fishburne narrates. Click here for DC TV Examiner’s exclusive interview with the film’s director Sam Pollard.
BET Honors 2012 (BET) – 9 PM
The special, hosted by Gabrielle Union, celebrates the outstanding achievements of legends in music, literature, entertainment, media, service and education. Honorees are Maya Angelou (Literary Arts), Stevie Wonder (Musical Arts), Mariah Carey (Entertainer), Spike Lee (Media), the Tuskegee Airmen (Service) and inspirational coach and mentor Beverly Kearney (Education). Highlights include: Michelle Obama’s tribute to Dr. Angelou followed by Willow Smith, Queen Latifah, and Cicely Tyson reciting her signature poem “I Rise”; BET Music Matters Luke James’ performance of his song “I Want You”; Nick Cannon’s remarks about his wife, Carey, as he holds their son, Moroccan; and Wonder’s performance of Lee’s favorite song, “Living For the City.” The show was taped at the historic Warner Theatre on Jan. 14 in Washington, D.C.
Late Show With David Letterman (CBS) – 11:35 PM
For the fifth consecutive year, the cover model for this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue will be revealed on the show. And, for the second year in a row, 10 of the Swimsuit models from the 2012 issue will present the Top Ten List on the broadcast, with the identity of the cover model revealed and a first-look at this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue cover shown later in the broadcast. The cover model will visit the broadcast on Tuesday, Feb. 14, for an interview with Letterman.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14
Glee (FOX) - 8 PM
“Heart”
In honor of Valentine’s Day, Mr. Schuester challenges New Directions to find and perform the world’s greatest love songs. Meanwhile, Rachel’s two dads, Hiram (guest star Jeff Goldblum) and LeRoy Berry (guest star Brian Stokes Mitchell), pay a visit to McKinley High.
Cougar Town (ABC) – 8:30 PM
"Ain't Love Strange"
In the third season premiere Jules is miffed when Grayson (who has an ulterior motive) calls her "predictable"; Ellie frets that little Stan is turning into a "devil child," or even worse, could grow up to be like Laurie; and Travis likes his new off campus housing, until Bobby tries to convince him to take dog Travis.
New Girl (FOX) - 9 PM
“Valentine’s Day”
Single for the first time on Valentine’s Day, Jess convinces Schmidt to be her wingman as she pursues an attachment-free fling with a handsome stranger (guest star Ryan Kwanten). Nick’s romantic plans are foiled when he finds himself spending more time with Julia’s (guest star Lizzy Caplan) law firm assistant (guest star Clark Duke) than with her, and Winston becomes one of the girls when Shelby (guest star Kali Hawk) invites him over.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15
Modern Family (ABC) – 9 PM
"Aunt Mommy"
After closing on the sale of a house to Mitch and Cam's friends, Phil and Claire take the two of them out for a celebratory dinner where they proceed to over-indulge in drinks, which leads to some over-sharing, and finally results in waking up the next morning hung over and begging the question - if you'll do anything for family, shouldn't there still be a line drawn somewhere?
Oprah’s Oscar Special (OWN) – 9 PM
The two-hour primetime special will feature Oprah Winfrey interviewing three of this year’s most highly lauded Academy Award nominated actors in candid, one-on-one interviews. Oprah will speak with two actors from “The Help” - Viola Davis (two-time Academy Award nominee and this year's Actress in a Leading Role nominee) and Octavia Spencer (Actress in a Supporting Role nominee) about their experiences on the film; and Jonah Hill of “Moneyball” (Actor in a Supporting Role nominee) talks about his first nomination and co-starring alongside Brad Pitt.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16
American Idol (FOX) – 8 PM
“Performance Challenge”
In this two-hour broadcast, contestants try to impress the judges during a grueling performance challenge. Some will shine, while others will crack under the pressure.
Parks and Recreation (NBC) – 8:30 PM
“Dave Returns”
While trying to get an endorsement from the Chief of Police, Leslie and Ben awkwardly run into Leslie’s old flame, Dave. Meanwhile, Andy and the rest of the office work on a theme song for Leslie’s campaign. Click here to watch a clip.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17
Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook, Season 2 (PBS) – 9 PM
“Saloon Singers”
This episode has singer Michael Feinstein examining the allure of musical nightlife, from Mississippi juke joints (where Michael performs impromptu boogie-woogie blues) to the neon of Las Vegas, where he gets a private tour of the now-closed Liberace Museum, and plays one of the rhinestone encrusted pianos. Click here to watch the promo.
Fringe (FOX) – 9 PM
“A Better Human Being”
As the Fringe team investigates a mentally ill patient (guest star Harrison Thomas) who appears to be connected to a series of murders, frightening clues and connections are uncovered that lead Olivia to some shocking revelations.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18
NASCAR 2012: Bud Shootout (FOX) 8-10 PM ET Live/5-7 PM PT Live)
FOX Sports presents the first event of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip call the action live from Daytona International Speedway.
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