TV Daily

Tuesday: "An Unreasonable Man" offers a fascinating, nuanced look at Ralph Nader. Plus: What did you think of Monday's "Clash of the Choirs"?

Published December 18, 2007 11:00AM (EST)

Prime Pick

Photo: PBS

After seven years of what may go down as the worst presidency in modern history, it's easy to think of Ralph Nader as the great spoiler. But his most heartfelt belief -- that without government intervention, big business is destined to run roughshod over the little guy -- may be more salient now than ever. As the documentary profile "An Unreasonable Man" (9 p.m. EST on PBS, check listings) demonstrates, Nader's idealism may be to blame for the most tragic era in American history, but that same idealism fueled his struggle to protect ordinary Americans well before Ronald Reagan turned the tides and led us to believe that government regulations were more meddlesome than protective. Henriette Mantel and Steve Skrovan's documentary gives airtime to many of Nader's critics, but it also honors his tireless dedication to fighting the good fight.

Also…

BBC's acclaimed retro cop thriller, "Life on Mars," airs at 8 p.m. EST on BBC America, while Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas" airs at 8 p.m. EST on Disney. The fourth-season finale of "The Biggest Loser" features the final weigh-in of the remaining four contestants (9 p.m. EST on NBC). Dramatic revelations are in store for the first-season finale of "Saving Grace" (10 p.m. EST on TNT), and Sean learns Christian's secret on "Nip/Tuck" (10 p.m. EST on FX).

Last night

What did you think of Monday's "Clash of the Choirs"? Go here to discuss.

On the talk shows

Regis and Kelly

ABC, 9 a.m. EST

Helen Mirren, Jenna Fischer, Chris Byrne (repeat)

The View

ABC, 11 a.m. EST

Denis Leary

Ellen DeGeneres

Syndicated, check local listings

Carmen Electra, Colbie Caillat

Oprah Winfrey

Syndicated, check local listings

Oprah and Gayle's Big Spa Adventure (repeat)

Charlie Rose

PBS, check local listings

James Lipton, David Frost

Larry King

CNN, 9 p.m. EST

Shark attack survivors, Cynthia Sommer

Jon Stewart

Comedy Central, 11 p.m. EST

Bill Richardson (repeat)

Stephen Colbert

Comedy Central, 11:30 p.m. EST

Charlie LeDuff (repeat)

David Letterman

CBS, 11:30 p.m. EST

Cher, Jerry Springer (repeat)

Jay Leno

NBC, 11:35 p.m. EST

Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, the Goo Goo Dolls (repeat)

Tavis Smiley

PBS, check local listings

Rob Reiner

Jimmy Kimmel

ABC, 12:05 a.m. EST

Jamie Foxx, Chyler Leigh, Soulja Boy (repeat)

Conan O'Brien

NBC, 12:35 a.m. EST

Bob Saget, Maggie Q, Shane Mauss (repeat)

Craig Ferguson

CBS, 12:35 a.m. EST

Regis Philbin, Katey Sagal, Colin Hanks (repeat)

Contributors: Megan Doll, Heather Havrilesky, Eryn Loeb, Amy Reiter


By Salon Staff

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