1. NASCAR Racing
6:30 p.m., WLS-Ch.7
The halfway point of the Chase for the Nextel Cup comes tonight at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., the 1.5-mile quad-oval where Chasers Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon (above) have experienced the thrill of victory more than once before — Johnson four times and Gordon three.
2. ‘Cold Case’
7 p.m., WBBM-Ch. 2
Brrr! This is the coldest case yet for Lilly (Kathryn Morris) and her colleagues: the 1919 death of a young woman who spoke up on behalf of women’s rights at a time when they couldn’t even vote. Was someone opposed enough to that stance to stoop to murder? The excellent Ellen Albertini Dow, best known as the rappin’ grandma from “The Wedding Singer,” guest stars.
3. ‘CSI: Miami’
8 p.m., WBBM-Ch. 2
It was the show’s 100th episode, and it’s about $100 bills — cool, huh? Horatio (David Caruso) and company link the murder of a celebrity to an offshore gambling operation that takes bets on when famous folks will die. The murder is illegal, of course, but the game is perfectly legit … except for that counterfeiting ring that’s cranking out phony Ben Franklins. Oops.
4. ‘The Gathering’
8 p.m., Lifetime
Besides finding a place for devils, witches and assorted dark stuff, “The Gathering” also finds work for a number of recently out-of-work actors. Peter Gallagher, late of “The O.C.,” again shows how good he is at portraying a caring professional father, who is more than a little rattled when his wife goes missing. Jamie-Lynn Sigler, last seen trying to parallel park as Meadow on “The Sopranos,” is less effective as a teacher who tries to find out what is happening. It’s a better-than-expected production, even though it’s throwing in too much by featuring Peter Fonda as a millionaire real estate developer trying to influence the mayoral race.
5. ‘Children of Men’
9 p.m., Cinemax
Save the mom-to-be, save the world. One of the most thought-provoking movies of 2006, this sci fi thriller is set in 2027, a time of chaos in which the entire population has been mysteriously rendered infertile. When an immigrant (Clare-Hope Ashitey) is found to be pregnant, a bureaucrat (Clive Owen) escorts her through dangerous territory to a seaside sanctuary. Julianne Moore also stars, with Michael Caine.
6. Boxing
10 p.m., HBO
Who’s your pick to win what shapes up to be a spectacular matchup of lightweight titleholders? Diaz, you say? Good choice. This 12-round unification showdown from Hoffman Estates, features the two best 135-pounders in Houston’s Juan Diaz (32-0, 16 KOs) and Julio Diaz (34-3, 25 KOs), the pride of Coachella, Calif. Juan’s defeat of Acelino Freitas in April proved his worthiness, but he’ll have to deal with Julio’s experience and knockout power.
Compiled by Barbara Schaffner from Tribune wire reports
