TONIGHT'S MUST-SEES

“CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL: COUNTRY'S NIGHT TO ROCK,” 8-11 P.M., ABC

ABC seems terribly afraid that viewers will remember this is country music.
So the concert starts (barring a re-edit) with Kid Rock. He does three songs during the night, while some of country's best settle for one apiece; some fans will nod in agreement with the only song from Brooks & Dunn: “Play Something Country.”
If you want heartfelt ballads, you'll need patience; in the first hour, every song is uptempo.
Eventually, the ballads do come – strong moments from Brad Paisley, Jamey Johnson, Taylor Swift, Sugarland and – really -- Kid Rock. When he and Martina McBride do a “Picture” duet, we're reminded that country and rock (or Rock) can co-exist.

“GREAT PERFORMANCES: KARAJAN, OR BEAUTY AS I SEE IT,” 10 P.M., PBS

As the Depression began, Herbert von Karajan began his conducting career in the modest-sized German city of Ulm. He promptly demoted many musicians; word spread that the former concertmaster planned to shoot him at the rostrum. The man was frisked and a loaded gun was found.
There would be other crises over the next 58 years, including ones involving his Nazi Party membership. What emerges, however, is a portrait of an apolitical man who became a music dictator, Karajan also had a great visual sense, extending to operas and to music films that became works of modern art. Despite the frequent sub-titles, this is a visual and musical delight.

For more of today's best bets on the small screen, check out the blog and column at MikeHughes.tv.