TV tonight: 'V'

Mike Hughes | TV America

One morning, the Earth begins to shake. Giant ships appear - one above each of the 29 largest cities.

People panic - until they see the sweet face of Anna (Morena Baccarin), the leader of these outer-space people. She's soothing and really quite attractive.

Should we trust surface appearances? Over the next hour, huge twists appear. Adapting a terrific 1983 miniseries (and so-so 1984 series), producers have added modern special effects and strong characters. Elizabeth Mitchell ("Lost") is terrific, as always, as an FBI agent. Joel Gretsch is a Catholic priest, with Morris Chestnut as a businessman, Lourdes Benedicto as his girlfriend and Scott Wolf as a newsman, torn between ethics and opportunity.

Get a front-row seat to democracy

TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE II: "By the People: The Election of Barack Obama," 9 p.m., HBO.

Emotions flow freely in this two-year portrait of a long-shot presidential campaign.

We see men weeping openly when they realize they are making history. And we see a single tear dropping down Barack Obama's cheek, shortly after his grandmother died.

There are moments of humor, too - including an Iowa grade-school kid making phone pitches. No matter how you feel about the election results, this is an energizing look at democracy in action. (See story below)

Other choices

• "So You Think You Can Dance," 8-10 p.m., Fox. Last week's episode was tough on dancers. Billy Bell dropped out with illness; his replacement, Brandon Dumlao, rushed in and was ousted within two days. Noelle Marsh had an injury; the rules allow her to miss one week (Ariana Debose was ousted), but not two. Tonight, we learn if Marsh made it back; two more people are ousted.

• "Nova: Becoming Human," 8 p.m., PBS, continues for two more Tuesdays. As new fossils and new technical ability emerge, we learn of the transition to our human ancestors. In particular, we see that extreme shifts in climate may have forced evolutionary changes. The opener is exhaustively researched, with intriguing details.

• "NCIS," 8 p.m., CBS. The bodies of two terrorists are found on Gibbs' boat. Robert Patrick ("The X-Files," "The Unit") guests.

• "NCIS: Los Angeles," 9 p.m., CBS. A Marine has been living a double life as a rich bachelor.

• "Dancing With the Stars," 9 p.m., ABC. It's time to cut again. Last week, actress Melissa Joan Hart and snowboarder Louie Vito were eliminated, trimming the field to seven.

• "The Good Wife," 10 p.m., CBS. Desperate for information about a case, Alicia agrees to a conjugal visit with her husband in jail.

• "Tabitha's Salon Takeover" season-opener, 10 p.m., Bravo. Tabitha Coffey, the icy British expert, steps into the Orbit Salon, a once-trendy Chicago spot. Now it has lots of dust, boxes of hair product, a see-through restroom and a weepy stylist. Coffey gets angry and gets action, in an interesting hour.