Tuesday, September 20, 2005
"Dancing With the Stars" (8:30 p.m., ABC): Time for a ballroom brawl! Okay, maybe not, but it's definitely a duel on the dance floor. The surprise summertime hit yielded a winner, Kelly Monaco, who was the judges' choice, but viewers preferred runner-up John O'Hurley. Now Monaco, with partner Alec Mazo, will face off against O'Hurley and Charlotte Jorgensen in a 90-minute competition. And this time, viewers decide who waltzes off with that trophy.
"Wide Angle: Killer Flu" (9 p.m., PBS): This new documentary goes to Vietnam, where the avian influenza virus is creating a grim challenge for officials, doctors and epidemiologists. The World Health Organization estimates that a worst-case scenario of a global bird flu epidemic could claim as many as 100 million lives -- a tragedy that might stem from a sick duck on the Mekong River Delta, where the current outbreak began.
"My Name Is Earl" (9 p.m., NBC): For sheer laugh-out-loud moments, none of the new comedy pilots can match "My Name is Earl." The show stars Jason Lee as a low-rent criminal who wins the lottery (and gains inspiration from Carson Daly), then decides to change his karma by righting all of his life's misdeeds -- starting with a grade-school classmate he mercilessly teased.
"Nip/Tuck" (10 p.m., FX): Picking up where its jaw-dropping cliffhanger left off, the audacious "Nip/Tuck" returns for its third season with Christian (Julian McMahon) and Sean (Dylan Walsh) involved in more moody intrigue and more gross-out moments. Meanwhile, Julia (Joely Richardson) realizes it's time to make a decision about the future of her marriage. Bruno Campos and Rhona Mitra join the fun this season.