TV Daily

Salon’s guide to what to watch

Prime Pick

Walt Whitman

PBS

Poet Walt Whitman sang the body electric in his self-published book "Leaves of Grass," which moved Ralph Waldo Emerson to send an encouraging letter to the aspiring writer: "I rubbed my eyes a little, to see if this sunbeam were no illusion; but the solid sense of the book is a sober certainty. It has the best merits, namely, of fortifying and encouraging." Even with such high praise, Whitman was forced to take a wide variety of day jobs to support himself, from working as an editor at Brooklyn's Daily Times to clerking at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Whitman's colorful life is the subject of tonight's "American Experience," which chronicles the "Good Gray Poet's" work through verses read by Oscar-winning actor Chris Cooper. (9 p.m. EDT on PBS, check listings).

Also…

"Antiques Roadshow" concludes its visit to Spokane, Wash. (8 p.m. EDT on PBS, check listings), while "Greek" features frat-boy practical jokes (8 p.m. on ABC Family). A former guest returns to "Paradise Hotel 2" (9 p.m. on Fox Reality) while the first season of "New Amsterdam" concludes (9 p.m. on Fox). And shipyard workers are the focus of reality series "America's Port" (10 p.m. on National Geographic).

Friday night

What did you think of the "Miss USA" pageant on Friday? Go here to discuss.

On the talk shows

Regis and Kelly

ABC, 9 a.m. EDT
Laurence Fishburne, the new Miss USA, the latest "American Idol" castoff

The View

ABC, 11 a.m. EDT
Tracy Morgan, Robin Quivers

Ellen DeGeneres

Syndicated, check local listings
David Spade, Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas

Oprah Winfrey

Syndicated, check local listings
TBA

Charlie Rose

PBS, check local listings
Mikhail Baryshnikov, T.R. Reid

Larry King

CNN, 9 p.m. EDT
TBA

Jon Stewart

Comedy Central, 11 p.m. EDT
TBA

Stephen Colbert

Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m. EDT
TBA

David Letterman

CBS, 11:30 p.m. EDT
Al Pacino, David Wright

Jay Leno

NBC, 11:35 p.m. EDT
Mark Harmon, Corbin Maxey, Ray J

Tavis Smiley

PBS, check local listings
Bill Press, Benjamin McKenzie

Jimmy Kimmel

ABC, 12:05 a.m. EDT
Naomi Watts, James Blake, Cobra Starship (repeat)

Conan O'Brien

NBC, 12:35 a.m. EDT
TBA

Craig Ferguson

CBS, 12:35 a.m. EDT
John Waters, Tricia Helfer, Daniel Lanois

Contributors: Molly Eichel, Heather Havrilesky, Amy Reiter, Charly Wilder

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