In the new NBC comedy “Growing Up Fisher” (premiering tonight at 10:30), the well-

In the new NBC comedy “Growing Up Fisher” (premiering tonight at 10:30), the well-regarded character actor J.K. Simmons (“The Closer,” “Oz”) stars as a fun-loving, about-to-be-divorced dad who also happens to be blind. Here are five other sightless TV characters:

v Mike Longstreet (“Longstreet,” 1971-72): James Franciscus starred as a New Orleans insurance investigator who lost his wife and his eyesight when a bomb hidden in a Champagne bottle exploded. He spent the rest of the series searching for the perpetrators.

v Mary Ingalls-Kendall (“Little House on the Prairie,” 1974-81): Melissa Sue Anderson played the Ingalls’ eldest daughter, who became blind as a teenager because of scarlet fever. She was sent to a school for the blind, where she fell in love with and married her instructor.

v Prof. Paul Stark (“Mr. Sunshine,” 1986): Jeffrey Tambor played the title character, an acerbic college professor who was blinded in an accident (and then divorced by his wife).

v Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (“Star Trek: The Next Generation,” 1987-94): LeVar Burton played the helmsman (and later, chief engineer) on the USS Enterprise. He was born blind but was able to “see,” thanks to his high-tech visor.

v August “Auggie” Anderson (“Covert Affairs,” 2010-): Christopher Gorham stars as a CIA military intelligence/special ops officer who was blinded while on a mission in Iraq. He often makes jokes about his condition to lighten the mood on the show.

WINTER OLYMPICS CLOSING CEREMONY (8:30 P.M., NBC): Give yourself a medal. Over the past 17 days, you welded yourself to the couch and saw more action than Bob Costas. You blurted out “USA! USA! USA!” until your lips turned blue. And you witnessed enough annoying commercials to last a lifetime. Alas, the end is here. The athletes are done and the Olympic flame is about to be extinguished. Now, you can go back to ignoring all those weird cold-weather sports like you used to do.

“The Amazing Race” (8 p.m., CBS): Eleven pairs of familiar faces are back to compete in a new season of “The Amazing Race.” At stake: $1 million and a whole lot of frequent-flier miles.

“Downton Abbey” (9 p.m., PBS): A couple of Americans — Shirley MacLaine and Paul Giamatti — show up for the Season 4 finale of “Downton Abbey.” But what we really want to know is if Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) is ever going to settle on a new beau?

“Growing Up Fisher” (10:30 P.M., NBC): J.K. Simmons takes a break from those Farmers Insurance ads to star in the new sitcom “Growing Up Fisher.” He plays a blind lawyer and family man whose marriage is ending. Jenna Elfman also stars.

TV listings, b8

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Faculty art show

Sharon, Pa.

Works by Penn State Shenango art instructors Ed Hallahan, Christian Kuharik and Jim Pernotto will be featured at a show from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the campus art gallery, Room 222 of Lecture Hall, Shenango Avenue, downtown.