Tonight's TV Hot List: Wednesday, June 9, 2010

CMT Music Awards
8/7c CMT
Kid Rock hosts the ninth annual gala, which features performances from a diverse array of country stars. Keith Urban is slated to play "Hit the Ground Running" with his Crossroads co-star John Mayer. LeAnn Rimes plans to sing "Swingin'" with full choreography, and Jamey Johnson is set to debut "Macon." Other performers include Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum and Zac Brown Band, the Grammy-winning Best New Artist of 2010. — Fred Mitchell
Top Chef Masters
10/9c Bravo
The cream has risen to the top. After nine episodes featuring no less than 22 superchefs in culinary heats, only three final cooks remain in the climactic Season 2 finale. Last week's episode stirred the pot when Jonathan Waxman packed his knives, leaving still-standing cuisine wizards Rick Moonen, Marcus Samuelsson and Susur Lee to battle it out for ultimate top-chef honors. In a bid to seal the deal with a meal, two will fizzle and one will sizzle. — Dean Maurer
Work of Art: The Next Great Artist
11/10c Bravo
Bravo draws up this new arty competition series featuring 14 rising artists squaring off for a coveted solo gallery show and a cash prize of $100,000. These colorful competitors will need heart and art when they bust through creative boundaries in various disciplines, such as painting, sculpture, photography, collage and industrial design. In the premiere, they're charged with crafting artwork that best represents the spirit of a fellow contestant. China Chow hosts; Simon de Pury plays the Gunnesque mentor role; and Bill Powers, Jerry Saltz and Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn are the judges. Sarah Jessica Parker serves as co-executive producer of the show. — Dean Maurer
Bridal Bootcamp
10/9c VH1
A new reality series finds tough-as-nails personal trainers Cynthia Conde, Francesca Petrucci and Steve Pfiester whipping a group of ten overweight brides-to-be into shape to fit into the wedding gowns of their dreams. In the opener, two brides battle each other; two more end up in the hospital; and one team sprints off to an early lead. — Fred Mitchell
How'd You Get So Rich?
10/9c TVLand
Joan Rivers' "show me the money" tour plays like an updated version of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," though, for most of her subjects, there's less of an emphasis on the fame. But they certainly have the wealthy part covered, and in this second-season finale, Joan marvels at a multimillion dollar house tailor-made for parties; wonders why a man needs a fleet of Rolls-Royces; and feels like a teenager when she meets a couple whose neighbor is Leonardo DiCaprio. — Joe Friedrich
CSI: NY
10/9c CBS
Christmas in New York can be murder, as this top-notch 2009 repeat reveals. The CSIs investigate the death of a reformed drug addict who had everything to live for and the evidence suggests that he was murdered. Train front man Pat Monahan guest-stars in his TV acting debut as a recovered addict and musician, and Train performs. Also appearing are Kim Kardashian and LaLa Vazquez. — Tim Holland
Babe
8:45/7:45c HBO Family
This charming 1995 fable about a plucky pig was a hit at the box office and went hog wild with seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director (Chris Noonan) and Best Supporting Actor (James Cromwell). Academy Award-winning visual effects bring to life British children's novelist Dick King-Smith's story ("The Sheep-Pig") about a little pig who goes to live on a farm with a taciturn man named Hoggett (Cromwell). There the winsome piglet wins over the other barnyard animals — and his sheepherding skills earn him a special place in Hoggett's heart. — Joe Friedrich
Stanley Cup Finals
8/7c NBC
One group of long-suffering supporters, Blackhawks or Flyers, is heading for a terrific weekend. Philly followers need only look back to the cross-state rival Penguins last June to see that it's possible to win the Stanley Cup after trailing three-games-to-two. But Chicago's talented young lineup gained enormous confidence with Sunday's 7-4 Game 5 win, which was built on the decision to break up top forwards Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien to avoid the wrath of Flyers defensive bully Chris Pronger. If Peter Laviolette's squad doesn't plug the goaltending leak that developed Sunday, the Windy City can complete a 25-year sports-title slam begun by the Bears, Bulls and White Sox. — Roger Leister