The new and thoroughly underwhelming romantic comedy “How Do You Know” in no way makes

The new and thoroughly underwhelming romantic comedy “How Do You Know” in no way makes the best use of its starry cast — not Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd or Owen Wilson, and most certainly not Jack Nicholson. But what are Nicholson’s five best roles? Here are five contenders:

v“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975): The quintessential Nicholson role: He’s charmingly subversive, a little volatile, perhaps a little dangerous, but usually smarter than everyone else in the room and always fascinating to watch.

v“Chinatown” (1974): Nicholson is in every scene of Roman Polanski’s LA noir, playing a type, yes — the hard-boiled private

v“The Shining” (1980): Nicholson is deeply unnerving in one of the most frightening films — if not THE most frightening — ever made.

v“Easy Rider” (1969): The performance that made him a star. In an iconic film in its own right, Nicholson burst out with his portrayal of the seemingly straight-laced but truly alcoholic lawyer George Hanson.

v“About Schmidt” (2002): More than 30 years after “Easy Rider,” Nicholson is back on the road to self-discovery. This time, the terrain provides the path not for psychedelic revelations, but for sobering reality. As Warren Schmidt, a recently retired actuary from Omaha, Neb., Nicholson delivers one of the more understated performances of his career, but also one of the most powerful.

“SURVIVOR: NICARAGUA” (8 p.m., CBS): In its 21st season, the fabled reality series had it all: Smackdowns between the young and old, a couple of pouty quitters, some loopy nicknames (Sash? Benry? Fabio? Purple Kelly?), and even a tearful funeral for a chicken. But the craziness comes to an end with the two-hour finale and the crowning of our million-dollar champ. As usual, that will be followed by a reunion special in which host Jeff Probst peppers the cast with lots of inane questions.

“Gene Simmons Family Jewels” (9:30 p.m., A&E): Better duck for cover. On “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” the KISS star volunteers to participate in a charity golf event despite knowing little about the sport.

“Top Gear” (10 p.m., History): Tony Hawk may be a whiz when it comes to skate-boarding, but he’s dealing with a different set of wheels when he drops by “Top Gear,” where the guys put some old GM cars through a series of fun challenges.

“Robot Chicken” (11:30 p.m., Cartoon Network): The Farce is with them as “Robot Chicken” presents its third irreverent send-up of the “Star Wars” saga. Among those lending their voices to the hilarious hour is Zac Efron as Anakin Skywalker.

TV Listings, B8

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‘Curtains’ auditions

ALLIANCE

Carnation City Players will have auditions for the musical comedy “Curtains” at 7 p.m. Monday at Firehouse Theater, 450 E. Market St. The play, directed by J.E. Ballantyne, will be performed Feb. 18-March 6. Monday’s auditions are intended for actors who could not make it to the Dec. 15 auditions, and for anyone else who would like to audition. For more information, call 330-799-6176.