Tonight's TV Hot List for Thursday, March 19, 2009

NCAA Basketball Tournment
12 pm; 7 pm/ET CBS
Remember Hampton! It's the rallying cry for every low-seeded team hoping to survive the first round of March Madness. The Pirates 58-57 upset of Iowa State in 2001 was the latest of the four times a No. 15 has knocked off a No. 2. Will this be the year a No. 16 takes down a No. 1? The first 32 schools go at it this afternoon and this evening at four sites around the country: Philadelphia; Greensboro, N.C.; Kansas City, Mo.; and Portland, Ore. —Dave Roeder
Tonight Show with Jay Leno
11:35 pm/ET NBC
President Barack Obama makes history tonight as he sits down for an in-studio interview with Jay Leno. This marks the first time an active president has appeared on a late-night talk show. And considering the country's turbulent climate, you can bet the two have plenty to discuss, most notably the current economic crisis. —Brie Hearn
Grey's Anatomy
9 pm/ET ABC
Izzie is dying and Derek thinks he's a killer. There's a pair of explosive story lines for you and, what with all the will-she-stay-or-will-she-go speculation surrounding Katherine Heigl, the Izzie thing could be for real. In any event, she burdens Cristina with her illness tonight — and tells her not to spill the beans to anyone else — while Cristina is also preparing for her first solo surgery. As for Derek, the odds are pretty good that he'll snap out of his funk, don't you think? —Paul Droesch
The Office
9 pm/ET NBC
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss? Michael gets fooled again when he encounters corporate's newly hired vice president (rap DJ and actor Idris Elba, beginning a guest-star arc). The new bigwig is strict, comes with a no-nonsense approach and puts a real damper on Michael's 15th-anniversary party plans. Then there's Jim, whose few delights in life include romancing Pam, rooting for Philly sports teams — and tormenting Dwight. Tonight Jim punks Dwight yet again, but this time with a surprising result. —Dean Maurer
My Name Is Earl
8 pm/ET NBC
Life's a witch, especially if your name is Earl Hickey. Tonight our Karma king from Camden goes on a witch hunt by revisiting a crazy witch lady (Betty White) from his youth. Facing his fears, Earl conjures up a plan to atone for all the wicked wrongs he did to her when he was a boy. But the golden girl proves to be certifiably unbalanced, putting the Camden crew in a perilous spot. Speaking of the wicked, Joy sets out to show that she has a good side. —Dean Maurer

Taking the Stage
10 pm/ET MTV
MTV's newest docu-soap is like Laguna Beach but with actual talent, following students at Cincinnati's School for the Creative and Performing Arts, which boasts notable alumni like Sarah Jessica Parker, Carmen Electra and Nick Lachey (the show's executive producer). While these kids have big dreams, they still have to deal with the typical teenage drama that fills the halls of every high school. In the opener, hip-hop dancer Tyler enrolls at the school and catches the eye of the school's premier ballerina, igniting a rivalry (naturally) in the process. —Karen Andzejewicz