TV picks for Aug. 8:  'History of the Eagles,' Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale

August 7, 2013 at 6:25PM
John Travolta (at left) gets help from a strong supporting cast which includes Robert Duvall (second from left), Bill Crowley, and John Lithgow (at right) in the movie "A Civil Action." Handout photo David James, courtesy of Touchstone Pictures. ORG XMIT: MIN2013080208554319
From left: John Travolta, Robert Duvall, Bill Crowley and John Lithgow in the 1998 film “A Civil Action.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Life in the fast lane

You don't have to fully appreciate the song stylings of Don Henley to groove on "History of the Eagles" (6:45 p.m., Showtime), which originally aired in February. All band members are brutally honest about the highs and lows. Oh, and the soundtrack isn't too shabby, either.

Before Tony Soprano

The 1998 film "A Civil Action" (7 p.m., FMC) is best remembered for being one of John Travolta's most restrained and most effective performances, but look out for the late James Gandolfini's small but powerful role as a blue-collar worker desperate to find justice. Robert Duvall, Tony Shalhoub and William H. Macy also star.

Girl talk

"High School Musical" throws a mini-reunion with "Vanessa & Ashley: Inner Circle" (9 p.m., E!). Ashley Tisdale grills Vanessa Hudgens about her first kiss, first time on a stripper pole and dozens of other questions that would earn any professional journalist a slap across the face.

Neal Justin

Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmidt, Glen Frey, Don Henley in History of the Eagles - Photo: Courtesy of Eagles Archives/SHOWTIME - Photo ID: Eagles_500_EGLS_c1977
“History of the Eagles” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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