Tonight's TV Hot List: Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010

Bones
8/7c Fox
The über-serious Dr. Brennan would never consider her field of study to be mere child's play, so it's no surprise when she balks at the idea to film a kids' show at the Jeffersonian. But the host, Professor Bunsen Jude, "The Science Dude" (David Alan Grier), can be very persuasive, so she ultimately relents by making him the lab's latest intern. And it can't hurt to have another inquisitive mind around, especially on a case involving a dismembered bounty hunter who was looking for a murder suspect. — Joe Friedrich
30 Rock
8:30/7:30c NBC
Rock stars Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan, former troupers of the live-wire laugher Saturday Night Live, are no strangers to live television, and neither is Alec Baldwin, who's hosted SNL 15 times. So it's only natural that Fey's solid sitcom pulls the safety net away and is performed live tonight. The plot revolves around show night, with Liz fuming when the TGS gang forgets that it's her 40th birthday. Meanwhile, Tracy decides that it's always hysterical whenever a performer loses control, breaks character and laughs, so he does that — all night. And Jack, sophisticated alcohol imbiber that he is, soon regrets his promise to stop drinking during Avery's pregnancy. — Dean Maurer
Project Runway
9/8c Lifetime
The couture-clashing competition series begins to sew up Season 8. (The two-part finale begins next week.) In the previous episode, the clothiers crafted attire for host Heidi Klum's own fashion line (adiós, ousted Christopher), with weaving drama revolving around poisonous Ivy, accusations of cheating and Gretchen's hubris. Lost in the recent drama is the designers' hard work, and tonight they're rewarded for that with a luxurious night in a penthouse suite. It's also a New York state of mind when a renowned Big Apple personality gives the contestants their very last assignment before Fashion Week. — Dean Maurer

Monica & David
8/7c HBO
Getting married and starting a new life together can be daunting for any couple, but it would be irrational to say it's not more difficult for the protagonists of this 2009 documentary. Monica and David have Down syndrome, but they are determined to lead independent and productive lives after their wedding day, and they're lucky to have caring, supportive families, including director Alexandra Codina, who is Monica's cousin, to help them when they encounter obstacles predictable and unforeseen. — Joe Friedrich
The Vanilla Ice Project
9/8c Do It Yourself
Former hip-hop star Robert Van Winkle, better known as Vanilla Ice, steps onto a new stage as he tackles home remodeling in this new 10-part reality series. Taking on a 7000 square-foot, six-bedroom home in Palm Beach, Fla., that has seen better days isn't the easiest of new hobbies to pick up, but Robert has a passion for renovation. Putting his self-taught skills to good use, he and his crew completely overhaul this lake-front home and leave it with a curb appeal that's very nice, nice baby. — Rhoda Charles
Grey's Anatomy
9/8c ABC
Meredith's miscarriage last spring certainly was traumatic, but it wasn't as traumatic as Derek's brush with death, and now that he's back on track, it's time for her difficulties in having children to reemerge. That happens when Mer and Der go to the obstetrician. Meanwhile, Cristina's emotional recovery remains tentative: Last week she couldn't work; tonight she loses it during a house-hunting expedition with Owen. Lexie's emotional equilibrium, which took a hit when she saw Eric and Amelia getting it on last week, remains shaky as well. And look for Jackson to take off his clothes and regret it. — Paul Droesch
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
10/9c Bravo
Well, 9021 — oh, here we go again. After chronicling the lives of drama-magnet wives in Orange County, Atlanta, D.C., New Jersey and New York City, the Real Housewives franchise zips to the pricey land of 90210 to track six well-pampered ladies in Beverly Hills. The series premiere introduces the wives, who include siblings and former child stars Kyle and Kim Richards; businesswoman Adrienne Maloof; Brit restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump; Oklahoma native Taylor Armstrong; and model-actress Camille Grammer. The dramas take flight when Adrienne guides the wives on a getaway — via private jet, no less — to a Sacramento Kings basketball game. — Dean Maurer