Not since Ross Perot has a presidential candidate purchased a full half hour of prime time TV to present his case. I expect the "Barack Obama Political Message" (CBS, NBC, Fox, Univision, 8 p.m.) to go a little beyond the desk and charts (and voodoo pointer) of Perot's spots, but not quite soar to the variety show heights parodied on "Saturday Night Live" (where the stand-ins for the candidate and his wife sang a variation on an Ashford and Simpson song, "Solid as Barack").
Political theater is political theater, though, and those not undecided will be nonetheless be informed, if only to fully appreciate the jokes in the ensuing parodies.
It will bump "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) and leave the evening without its "Gary Unmarried." (And already,Obama makes the U.S. a better place).
It will also delay a version of "Deal or No Deal" (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) which after the political speech, may play like a metaphor for the Wall Street bailout.
And it would have delayed by 15 minutes the start of Game 6 of the World Series (Fox, 8:30 p.m.), a touch thing especially since Pennsylvania and Florida are still battleground states.
Except that the Phillies and Rays are still waiting to finish Monday's rain-suspended Game 5 that couldn't be played Tuesday either because of the weather.
So when it resumes, it will be tied 2-2 in the middle of the sixth inning in a game that could both win the Phillies (ahead 3-1) the Series for the first time in 28 years and be over in time for the 10 o'clock news.
Speaking of politics, John McCain is scheduled guest on "Larry King Live" (CNN, 9 p.m.); Obama is to appear on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" (Comedy Central, 11 p.m.) via satellite from Florida.
Also, there's a "Biography" (Bio, 9 p.m.) of John McCain, followed by one for Obama at 10. But who do they profile at 8 p.m.? Saddam Hussein.
ABC couldn't come to terms with Obama to air his political spot, so instead of pushing Barack, they'll be "Pushing Daisies" (ABC, 8 p.m.).
Enough about presidents, who will be "America's Next Top Model" (The CW, 8 p.m.)? They all go abroad tonight, to Amsterdam.
Obama's daughter asked specifically if her dad's media buy would affcect her programming on Disney and Nick. It won't: She can still watch "Twitches" (Disney, 8 p.m.) or "SpongeBob SquarePants" (Nick, 8 p.m.).
Lauren Cerre takes a Greyhound bus 4,000 miles across the country to find the concern of young Americans on the eve of the election on this week's edition of "Vanguard" (Current, 10 p.m.).
Nothing to do with the McCains: "Britain's Youngest Grannies" (BBC America, 9 p.m.).
Remote Patrol
The new occasional series "Shaken Not Stirred" (My Network, 9 p.m.) bills itself as a "celebrity toast," which distinguishes itself from a roast and appears to be more of a relaxed talk show. It is advertised as having "Vegas-style flair," which means its participants wear suits and occasional odd hats.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is the man of honor on tonight's premiere; those toasting him include Anthony Anderson, Paul Rodriguez, John Salley, and CNN's newest host, D.L. Hughley. Future guests include Pam Anderson, Bobby Brown, the Rev. Run and Ice-T.
Filmmaker Rick Sebak ("A Hot Dog Story," "A Cemetery Special") brings his light touch to revisiting "The Lincoln Highway" (CPTV, 8 p.m.). The ancient cross-country highway, originally configured in 1913, still exists here and there, though it's tough from the special to find out exactly where. Since he's based in Pittsburgh, a lot of the story occurs there; he jumps around all over the country regardless of chronological or geographic order. There are way too many off ramps for the story through, to follow side stories like an Italian in New Jersey who runs a Mexican restaurant.
Later, "Great Performances" (CPTV, 9 p.m.) presents Carnegie Hall's opening night 2008, in which the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas perform an all-Leonard Bernstein program that also features Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw and Thomas Hampson.
In the new "Redemption Song" (Fuse, 11 p.m.), 11 troubled women try to break their old habits by advancing their music careers. They must sing (and please the omnipresent Ron Fair of Epic Records, looking silly in a big-brimmed hat) and they must live together in a house. Former WWE star (and recording artist) Chris Jericho hosts this "Bad Girls" meets "American Idol." And no, they probably never will sing the Bob Marley song that provides the title.
"Top Design" (Bravo, 10 p.m.) begins the first half of a two part season finale.
A new season of "UFO Hunter" (History, 10 p.m.) begins in a Chicago suburb of Tinley Park, where film was taken of an object, reported by 50 people, that could have been as large as 1,500 feet across.
It follows another scare story from the land of Lincoln, an episode of MonsterQuest" (History, 9 p.m.) called "Jaws in Illinois," about an ocean predator in the Mississippi river.
The final batch in the Wednesday series on Turner Classic Movies all month saluting the 80th anniversary of RKO Studios plays all day, including, in prime time, "Murder My Sweet" (8 p.m.), "Sister Kenny" (9:45 p.m.), "Out of the Past" (11:45 p.m.) and "They Live by Night" (1:30 a.m.).
Tarnished Olymian Marion Jones gives her first interview since her release from prison on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" (WFSB, Channel 3, 4 p.m.).
Daytime Talk
Regis and Kelly: Jane Krakowski. The View: Blair Underwood, Natalie Zea, Pink. Bonnie Hunt: Jeff Lewis. Ellen DeGeneres: Ashley Tisdale, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kellie Pickler.
Late Talk
David Letterman: Alec Baldwin, Ryan Adams. Jay Leno: Sarah Silverman, Rove McManus, the Kooks. Conan O'Brien: Tracy Morgan, Paget Brewster, the Last Shadow Puppets. Jimmy Kimmel: Seth Rogen, Corbin Bleu, the Whigs. Craig Ferguson: Ben Stein, Parminder Nagra, the New York Dolls. Carson Daly: Dr. Drew Pinskey, Gavin Degraw. Jon Stewart: Barack Obama. Stephen Colbert: David Simon.
Source 
