TONIGHT'S MUST-SEES

"American Idol," 7 p.m., Fox. So it turns out that there are some good singers after all. On Wednesday, "Idol" finally got serious about them. It even had brief flashes of a day that hadn't been shown, with piano and back-up singers and the contestants at their best. Now the live part begins, and no one will edit out the good stuff. Tonight, the 12 guys sing and the viewers vote.

"Independent Lens: Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhythms," 10 p.m., PBS. Byron Hurt is a former college quarterback who was put in charge of a program to prevent gender violence. That led him to reconsider the music he loves. Does hip-hop stir bias against women and gays? This documentary — which makes up in diligence for what it lacks in style — takes the question everywhere. He asks stars (Chuck D, 50 Cent) and others, such as Carmen Ashurst, a former Def Jam Records executive who couldn't slow the trend.

— Mike Hughes, Gannett News Service

"Romance in Hawaii," 9 p.m., KGMB. This is a Valentine to the Islands — its people and its music. So what if it's a week late? The program serves as a prelude to the Matt Catingub Orchestra of Hawaii's March 1 to 11 "Return to Romance" music festival, in various venues in the community, and features a few love songs from the ork's recent CD collating 16 tunes deemed to be among the Top 100 romantic songs ever performed by some of his all-star cast. Hosted by Catingub and featuring performances by luminaries such as Jimmy Borges, Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom, the show dwells on real love stories of fabled local twosomes, including Buffalo and Momi Keaulana, Jack and Cha Thompson, Kim Gennaula and Guy Hagi, and Karen Keawehawai'i and Jackie Farias. Catingub reveals that Honolulu is where he fell in love with his wife, Vicki, and puts their story in melody, when he sings "Honolulu (I Fell in Love With). Raiatea Helm reveals what she looks for in a man, and Jake Shimabukuro shares thoughts on attracting the opposite sex. This one is feel-good, cuddle-up fluff that touches the heart.

— Wayne Harada, Advertiser Entertainment Writer