Prime choices

SUNDAY

Hosted by Jon Stewart, the comedy-star-studded “Night of Too Many Stars,” a benefit for autism education and research, will be televised from the Beacon Theatre in New York. Some of the comic talents scheduled to appear are Tina Fey, Adam Sandler, Stephen Colbert, Conan O’Brien and, naturally, Tom Brokaw. (Comedy Central, 8 p.m.)

“Desperate Housewives” is back with original episodes. (ABC, 9 p.m.)

MONDAY

“The Paper” already sounds better than MTV’s last reality show about journalism, which involved a competition in which interns battled for a staff job at Rolling Stone. This time, cameras will capture the lives of students at a real high school newspaper. Imagine that: a reality show about reality.

(MTV, 10:30 p.m.)

TUESDAY

Nary an episode of “American Idol” goes by without judge Randy Jackson mentioning that he worked with Mariah Carey. Finally, viewers can receive confirmation of his name-dropping ways as the songstress drops by to mentor the contestants and possibly put them in their place should they try to out-diva her. There is a chance she may also mention her forthcoming album, “E=MC2.”

(Fox, 8 p.m.)

WEDNESDAY

In the debut sitcom “Under One Roof,” rapper Flavor Flav plays Calvester Hill, an ex-convict who moves in with his wealthy, conservative brother, Winston (Kelly Perine). In an unexpected turn of events, Calvester turns the family’s life upside down, inviting his old prison buddies over, teaching his nephew to rap and squabbling with Winston’s wife, Ashley. Hey, wasn’t that the name of the daughter in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”? We’re sure that’s the only thing the shows have in common.

(MyNetworkTV, 10 p.m.)

THURSDAY

Back from the writers strike, “Smallville” returns with an episode ominously titled “Descent.” The remainder of the seventh season promises to focus on Lex’s dark side. Lex Luthor has a dark side? Who knew?

(The CW, 8 p.m.)

FRIDAY

“Your Mama Don’t Dance,” the strangest spinoff of the dance-show craze, airs its first-season finale (with host Ian Ziering, below). Writers on “The Soup” will be forced to find new fodder once the awkward pairings of fathers and daughters and mothers and sons conclude.

(Lifetime, 9 p.m.)

SATURDAY

Why even bother to try to improve on the Sci Fi Channel’s promotion blurb for its new TV movie “Warbirds”? “Before the allies could drop the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, they had to get it past the Japanese fleet … and its island of deadly pterodactyls.” Really, isn’t this what Saturday nights are all about?

(Sci Fi, 9 p.m.)