Tonight's TV Hot List: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
James Purefoy
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
8 pm/ET NBC
From Speidi's early departure (and return, and departure) to Janice Dickinson's "granola-gate," there's been no shortage of drama in the jungle since the show started just three weeks ago. In tonight's finale, the entire cast reunites in Costa Rica to learn who will be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle — and more importantly, which deserving charity will get the much needed moola. — Karen Andzejewicz
The Music Instinct: Science and Song
9 pm/ET PBS
What is it about the brain that makes us susceptible to rhythm and melody? What is it that causes us, to quote Sapphire in Almost Famous, "to truly love some silly little piece of music...so much that it hurts"? Featuring jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin (who cohosts with neuroscientist Daniel Levitin), classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma, deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie and rockers Jarvis Cocker and Richard Hawley, this documentary explores the music-mind connection via brain scans and case studies, and details music's ability to help us heal. — Jeff Gemmill
Primetime: Questions for the President — Prescription for America
10 pm/ET ABC
It's close to 20 percent of the U.S. economy. It's complex and contentious. It affects everyone (and is on everyone's mind). It's literally a life-and-death issue. And Obama was elected, at least in part, to overhaul it. So it's no wonder that the president has been devoting so much energy to health care lately. He's talking about it again tonight, but he'll also listen to what a cross-section of citizens (chosen by ABC News) have to say as he takes their questions. ABC's Dr. Tim Johnson reports. — Paul Droesch
The Real World
10 pm/ET MTV
Some viewers criticized last season for being a snoozer because it lacked the spicy moments (i.e., hot-tub hookups and beer-induced brawls) that we've come to expect on this perennial reality series. Well the bad behavior is definitely back in Season 22, which is set in the spring-break hot spot of Cancun, Mexico. In the opener, eight new strangers start getting to know each other while settling into their sweet luxury suite that's located in the popular ME Cancun resort. That's caliente! — Karen Andzejewicz
The Philanthropist
10 pm/ET NBC
Charismatic James Purefoy, last seen in series television as Mark Antony in HBO's acclaimed Rome, returns to the small screen playing yet another charismatic character in the opener of this glossy NBC drama. As Teddy Rist, billionaire playboy turned vigilante do-gooder, Purefoy leads a supporting cast of familiar faces, including Party of Five's Neve Campbell, Law & Order's Jesse L. Martin and The Wire's Michael Kenneth Williams, on an unconventional quest to make the world a better place. — Rhoda Charles
Tragic Side of Comedy
9 pm/ET BIO
Steve Martin said that comedy is not pretty, and many comedians have found that to be true. There is something sad and fascinating about the irony that those who makes us laugh often lead heartbreaking lives. This documentary explores that topic through profiles of prominent comics, including John Belushi, Chris Farley and Phil Hartman. — Bill Ecklund
