Tonight's TV Hot List: Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010

Golden Globe Awards
8/7c NBC
All that glitters is gold at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's 67th annual gala, which salutes achievement in 25 movie and television categories. A party-hearty atmosphere has traditionally added glow to the gold here, and that vibe should continue with spirited funnyman Ricky Gervais as the host. The centerpiece of this fete features Hollywood heavy hitters Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio presenting the Cecil B. DeMille Award to filmmaker Martin Scorsese. The galaxy of presenters includes Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, Jodie Foster, Jennifer Garner, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren and Julia Roberts. Set in the land of 90120, the show is broadcast from the Beverly Hilton Hotel. — Dean Maurer
Human Target
8/7c Fox
Remember the ABC take on the comic-book hero Human Target in 1992 starring Rick Springfield? No? Well, Fox is hoping to make an impression with this new version with Mark Valley as Christopher Chance, an all-purpose bodyguard who puts himself in danger so his clients can breathe easier — or at all. But Chance can't do it alone, and in tonight's pilot, you'll also meet his handler (Chi McBride) and high-tech helper (Jackie Earle Haley) who help him protect a bullet train's engineer (Tricia Helfer) on its maiden voyage. — Joe Friedrich
24
9/8c Fox
Season 8 opens with Jack Bauer retired from CTU and moving to California with his family to settle into a pastoral life of doting on his adorable granddaughter. Unless maybe there's an assassination plot against a Middle Eastern leader (Anil Kapoor of Slumdog Millionaire) who's on the cusp of signing an unprecedented peace accord with the U.S. Benito Martinez (The Shield) plays an informant from Jack's past with a lead that returns Bauer to that slippery saving-the-world-from-terrorism slope. — Fred Mitchell
Brothers & Sisters
10:01/9:01c ABC
Paige may have come home with an honorable-mention award last week, but the science fair could turn out to be a blue-ribbon day for Sarah, who met a divorced dad, Roy (Jay Karnes), with whom she seems to have much more chemistry than flighty Frenchman Luc. Meanwhile, it's never a dull moment in the McCallister household where politics are concerned, but the nature of tonight's campaign talk may surprise you, and it has a lot to do with Kitty's best friend, Buffy (Cheryl Hines). — Joe Friedrich
Masterpiece Classic
9/8c PBS
Return to Cranford concludes with intrigue, action, drama and a possible romance in the quaint English village. The intrigue features a case of embezzlement, the action a train chase, the drama a visiting aristocrat (Celia Imrie) and the romance Peggy (Jodie Whittaker), who may have eyes for an aspiring engineer (Tom Hiddleston). — Jeff Gemmill