Tonight's TV Hot List: Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010

Survivor: Nicaragua
8/7c CBS
Last week Brenda made it clear that she wanted Marty gone, so she put into action a plan to force him to play the hidden immunity idol. But at tribal council, Marty didn't play the idol and the vote was deadlocked between Marty and Kelly B. Jeff instructed the La Flor tribe members to vote again, this time only for Marty or Kelly B. Since Marty held onto the idol, it was the perfect opportunity to oust the self-proclaimed mastermind and also get rid of the idol. But La Flor instead chose to snuff out Kelly B. Makes. No. Sense. Perhaps things will become more clear tonight when a plot is hatched to rob Marty of the unused idol. — Tim Holland

Are you watching Survivor: Nicaragua tonight? Tell us now

World Series
7:30/6:30c Fox
The Texas Rangers travel to San Francisco to meet the Giants in the opener of a Series matchup few would have predicted in March. Cast-offs, throw-ins and late-season pickups made the difference for both teams, as solid pitching and timely hitting trumped star-studded lineups in six-game AL and NL championship series. While the Rangers were outscoring the Yankees 38-19 and outhitting them .304 to .201 to yield their first Series appearance, the Giants outpitched the pitching-rich Phils and made a star of waiver-wire denizen Cody Ross, and will try for their first Series win since 1954, when they were still in New York. Tonight's game features a classic matchup of aces, with Cliff Lee going for Texas and Tim Lincecum on the mound for the Giants. — Dave Roeder
What are you watching tonight? Tell us!

The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
8/7c HBO2
Booth Gardner served two terms as governor of Washington in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and had been in politics for much of his adult life. But no campaign fight he ever had could match the battle he faced the year after leaving office in 1993, when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Nominated for a Best Documentary Short Academy Award, director Daniel Junge's 2009 film tracks Gardner's advocacy, despite his deteriorating condition, for the state's right-to-die ballot initiative in 2008. — Joe Friedrich
Criminal Minds
9/8c CBS
Detroit's annual pre-Halloween ritual "Devil's Night," like Mischief Night across the country, can swing from mild vandalism to serious criminal acts. The team travels to the city when the ritual turns deadly, as they profile a killer who, for the past three years, strikes only on "Devil's Night." — Bill Ecklund
I'd Do Anything
9/8c BBC America
From the creators of Any Dream Will Do and How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? comes another televised talent search that gives unknown hopefuls a chance to land a coveted lead role in an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. This time around, the legendary composer is searching for a "diamond in the rough" to play Nancy in his West End revival of Oliver!, based on the Dickens classic Oliver Twist. Open auditions are held across Britain in the series premiere. The always entertaining Graham Norton hosts. — Karen Andzejewicz
Is Cougar Town appointment viewing in your home? Tell us!

Cougar Town
9:31/8:31c ABC
Cougar Town co-creator Bill Lawrence's previous show was Scrubs, so it's a reunion of sorts when the latter's Ken Jenkins, who played Dr. Kelso on the medical comedy, turns up as tonight's guest star. Jenkins plays Jules' dad, Chick, whose favorite holiday is Halloween, but his daughter doesn't share his enthusiasm for dressing up. So in order to strengthen their bond, Jules agrees to don a costume, and it's no surprise that "daddy's little girl" gets all done up like a princess. — Joe Friedrich

Hollywood Treasure
10/9c Syfy
If you're a fan of the things that fall under the umbrella of speculative fiction, you've likely watched fantasy films and TV shows and wished you could own some of the props. Auctioneer Joe Maddalena makes those wishes come true. In the reality series premiere, Joe visits Chicago to check out a bag made famous by Mary Poppins. — Michael Chant

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
11/10c Comedy Central
Considering the well-documented connection of Jon Stewart's satirical newscast to younger voters, this week's "When Grizzlies Attack: A Daily Show Midterm Teapartyganza" seems like the perfect prelude not only to Stewart's "Rally to Restore Sanity" in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, but to next Tuesday's elections. And what better way to get out the vote than to have the nation's chief executive as a guest? Tonight Barack Obama makes his fifth appearance on the show, and his first as President. — Joe Friedrich