Simon's angels
Has "The X Factor" (7 p.m., KMSP, Ch. 9) finally put together a winning formula? Find out when Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio join veteran judges Demi Lovato and Simon Cowell for Season 3. If this doesn't work, Cowell must crawl on his knees to Paula Abdul's house and beg her to come back.
Chief among us
A who's who of Washington insiders, including all 20 living White House chiefs of staff, come together for "The Presidents' Gatekeepers" (8 p.m., Discovery), a two-part documentary that focuses on the second-hardest job in America. The special, which also features comments from Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush, concludes at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Stowe's confession
Madeline Stowe, who has roared back into the spotlight with "Revenge," plays film curator with a heady selection, including the steamy 1961 drama "Splendor in the Grass" (9 p.m., TCM), 1948's "The Bicycle Thief" (11:15 p.m., TCM) and 1953's "I Confess" (1 a.m., TCM), one of Alfred Hitchcock's least talked about thrillers.
Neal Justin
