“Dear Talula” (7:30 p.m., Cinemax): Filmmaker Lori Benson chronicles her personal story

“Dear Talula” (7:30 p.m., Cinemax): Filmmaker Lori Benson chronicles her personal story of life as a breast cancer patient, describing her journey as a record for her daughter. Talula was just 14 months old when her mother was diagnosed. Benson, aided by other filmmaker friends, pieces together the reality of her health crisis, including preparation for a mastectomy, with ordinary rituals such as a visit to a beauty salon.

“Nova: Secrets of the Samurai Sword” (8 p.m., PBS): The myth and mystery behind the culture of samurai warriors is explored in this documentary, which also traces the creation of what many consider the ultimate sword. Fifteen Japanese craftsmen spent six months to produce the shining steel weapon that can slice through a row of warriors with one swipe. The broadcast also looks at modern samurai sword-fighting, as a father and daughter demonstrate the skills needed to master the legendary blade.

“How It Was: The Shooting of Ronald Reagan” (9 p.m., National Geographic Channel): Twenty-six years after John Hinckley Jr. shot President Reagan outside the Hilton Washington hotel in the District of Columbia, this program revisits that Monday in March 1981. The broadcast looks at footage of the shooting, taken by three networks, and tracks the moves by members of the Reagan administration in the hours after the assassination attempt.

“Reaper” (9 p.m., The CW): Each week brings a different oddball weapon on “Reaper.” This time, the devil expects Sam to use a toaster to subdue an escapeee from hell. The target: An angry mistress (Julia Anderson) who tortures anyone who gets near her ex by sending in swarms of attack insects. Let’s hope she’s toast by the end of the episode.

“49 Up” (9 p.m., PBS): It began with “Seven Up!” — a 1964 documentary about a diverse group of British 7-year-olds. Six films and 42 years later, “49 Up” is the latest chapter in the social portrait by director Michael Apted. Now the “Up” Series children are middle-aged adults, voicing a new round of opinions on love, marriage, work, class and the “Up” series itself. The 66-year-old Apted (also the director of such features as “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “Gorillas in the Mist”) took over the project with the second installment, and has revisited his subjects every seven years. This cumulative saga has kept its fans riveted. Even so, “49 Up” is a self-contained work, drawing on past films to bring vivid perspective to the present. It’s a crash course in its subjects’ lives — and in an era. Part of the “P.O.V.” documentary series, “49 Up” airs 9 p.m. Tuesday on PBS.

“A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila” (10 p.m., MTV): MTV just keeps pushing the envelope. In the new reality series, “A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila,” 16 straight men and 16 lesbians will compete for the star’s affection. Tequila, a bisexual woman, is billed as the most popular person on MySpace.com. Of course, the network was too embarrassed to send out preview screeners to critics.