MODERN FAMILY
Wednesday, 9p.m., ABC
SWAMP PEOPLE
Thursday, 9p.m., HISTORY
NCIS
Tuesday, 8 p.m., CBS
REVENGE
Wednesday, 10 p.m., ABC (ABC)
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Stage presence
The fame and fortunes of two ingenues are very much at the heart of the new NBC musical drama “Smash.” Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee) is a neophyte, a waitress with big dreams of singing on Broadway. Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) is a Broadway chorus girl who wants to break out and take on a starring role. They both audition for a new musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe. The team of showbiz types that will decide their fate includes Eileen Rand (Anjelica Huston), a producer who needs a hit, Derek Ellis (Jack Davenport), a sleazy director who hates gays and can’t keep his hands off his leading ladies, and Julia Houston (Debra Messing), one half of a composing team who’s distracted by her domestic problems, which include the adoption of a Chinese baby. “Smash” comes from the talented crew of Steven Spielberg, Theresa Rebeck, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who produced “Chicago” and “Hairspray” for the movies and a memorable, award-winning Judy Garland miniseries with Judy Davis for TV. Of “Smash,” Meron says, “Because we’ve set up this rooting interest in either Katharine McPhee’s character or Megan Hilty’s character, it has the element of ‘American Idol.’ The best news about this show is that it’s an entertainment.”
SMASH
Monday, 10 p.m., NBC
Just a jealous guy
A clueless Phil (Ty Burrell) is so preoccupied with impressing his new business partner, Tad (guest star Greg Kinnear), that he doesn’t notice his wife, Claire (Julie Bowen), believes Tad is being overly flirtatious with her. Meanwhile, Jay and Gloria (Ed O’Neill and Sofia Vergara, below left) let Cameron and Mitchell (Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, below right) stay over while their house is fumigated, and it turns out four is a crowd.
MODERN FAMILY
Wednesday, 9 p.m., ABC
Gator gold rush
Day one of the 31-day alligator hunting season opens the new cycle of “Swamp People.” King of the Swamp Troy Landry has a plan to retain his crown. He and his partner, Clint, kick things off with an epic hunt, doing battle with a legendary monster known as the Godfather that has been terrorizing Cajun camps.
Down in Pecan Island, Troy’s helper from last year, Liz Cavalier, is running her own boat. Joining her is helper Kristi Broussard, a born-and-bred Cajun woman who’s eager to show swamp queen Liz what she’s got. Meanwhile, swamp legend Bruce Mitchell is gearing up with a new secret weapon, former military sharpshooter Ron Methvin. Bruce puts him to the test on their first day together.
SWAMP PEOPLE
Thursday, 9 p.m., HISTORY
Tripping down memory lane
To commemorate its landmark 200th episode Tuesday, “NCIS” took a cue from an unlikely place — Gwyneth Paltrow’s 1998 rom-com, “Sliding Doors.”
Like the movie, the No. 1 drama on TV puts a “what if?” twist on some of the long-running series’ key moments to give fans a taste of an alternate “NCIS” reality.
“A situation arises for Gibbs [Mark Harmon] that has him thinking about key moments and decisions that he’s made that have effected things, not just in his life, but how they trickle down to other people’s lives as well,” says show runner Gary Glasberg.
The catalyst that sets Gibbs off along this path?
The reappearance of his old mentor, Mike Franks (Muse Watson), who was murdered by the Port-to-Port Killer last season.
He’s only one of many old NCIS characters popping up throughout the episode, Glasberg promises.
“It’s sort of amazing what we were able to pull off — it’s a crazy array of familiar faces,” he says.
When asked whether that means a return appearance by original NCIS agent Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander) — who was killed by a sniper at the end of Season Two, but isn’t dead in this episode’s timeline — Glasberg will only say, “You’ll have to see.”
Among other things for fans to keep their eyes peeled for are a married Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) encountering Mossad agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) for the first time, and a Capraesque return by Gibbs’ beloved dead wife and daughter (Sam Schuder and Darby Stanchfield, above center and above right with Harmon).
The 200th episode “really is dedicated to the fans of ‘NCIS’ who have been watching us for nine seasons,” Glasberg says.
“Hopefully it is chock-full of tidbits, folklore and character moments. There are so many layers to things, and certain elements that go by in a blink. Diehard fans are going to want to watch it multiple times because there’s going to be a lot to pay off,” he says.
NCIS
Tuesday, 8 p.m., CBS
Engagement party
In an atmosphere of nervous excitement for Emily and Daniel’s (Emily VanCamp and Josh Bowman) upcoming engagement party, things quickly start to unravel: Victoria (Madeleine Stowe, left) regains the upper hand by using Conrad’s (Henry Czerny) own father (William Devane, left) against him; Jack (Nick Wechsler) finds himself wandering deeper into the fray; the rug gets pulled out from under Emily.
REVENGE
Wednesday, 10 p.m., ABC