1. ‘NCIS’
7 p.m., WBBM-Ch. 2
The team investigates the shooting death of a petty officer who was participating in an undercover arms operation. The bullet that killed him is missing, but police pull over a vehicle for a traffic violation and discover a Russian spy with a freshly fired gun. This one looks like a no-brainer, until it’s revealed that the suspect was working for Homeland Security.
2. ‘Friday Night Lights’
7 p.m., WMAQ-Ch. 5
It’s all about the game? Try telling that to a teenage boy who just found an envelope full of dead presidents in his locker. The mysterious money is only one distraction that’s hindering Taylor’s (Kyle Chandler) efforts to remind his players what’s really important. He’s also faced with the task of finding a new place to play when an accident renders the team’s home field unusable in “Mud Bowl,” the first of three episodes in this special Saturday airing.
3. ‘Heartbreak Ridge’
7 p.m., AMC
Clint Eastwood takes a few swipes at his own image — while still satisfying his fans — with this 1986 military drama, which he also produced and directed. He plays a career Marine who whips a platoon of young “grunts” — one portrayed by Mario Van Peebles — into shape for a mission to Grenada. Marsha Mason co-stars as the Eastwood character’s ex-wife.
4. ‘Akeelah and the Bee’
7 p.m., Showtime
Can you spell “star”? Keke Palmer received rave reviews for her performance as Akeelah, a young wannabe spelling-bee champ. With her father dead, her mother disinterested and her brother running in a gang, she hasn’t got much hope for her future. Determined to help her, her principal recommends her to an English professor (Laurence Fishburne), who has demons of his own he needs to overcome, to help Akeelah win a spelling championship. Angela Bassett also stars.
5. ‘The 40 Year-Old Virgin’
8:45 p.m., HBO
Steve Carell (“The Office”) scored a sleeper hit as the co-writer and star of this comedy about a man whose experience with physical intimacy has been limited. His co-workers and pals try to help him catch up, but he has ideas of his own, especially when he meets an appealing single mother (Catherine Keener). Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd co-star.
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Compiled by Carmel Carrillo from Tribune wire reports
