Maggie the cat
Those who marvel at Maggie Smith's takes on "Downton Abbey" may be surprised to learn that her "snarkfest" dates back to 1958. See some of her finest work in an all-day tribute to her that includes 1972's "Travels With My Aunt" (5 p.m., TCM), 1969's "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" (8:45 p.m., TCM) and 1978's "California Suite" (3 a.m., TCM).
All rise!
Richard Moll, best (only?) known as the bailiff from "Night Court," has more than a crowded courtroom to worry about in "Ghost Shark" (8 p.m., Syfy). He plays a crazy lighthouse keeper who seems to be the only person who thinks a phantom fish is on the loose.
Small bang
Sitcoms rarely soar right out of the gate. Take the 2007 pilot for "The Big Bang Theory" (9:30 p.m., TBS), which was actually a do-over from a previous failed effort. While the chemistry between Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) works from the start, Penny suffers in her first appearance, but it wouldn't take long for the writers and actress Kaley Cuoco to fix matters.
Neal Justin
