Tuning In to TV

After Miss Walters’ special, it’s on to the main event: the 81st annual Academy Awards, with Mr. Jackman as host.

The ceremony caps a full day of events leading up to the big show.

E! Entertainment Television is leaving no stone unturned. Its “Countdown to the Red Carpet” begins at 2 p.m., six hours before the Oscar ceremony and four hours ahead of its own red-carpet coverage (“Live From the Red Carpet” at 6 p.m.).

Not to be outdone, host network ABC will have Robert Osborne, the longtime columnist for the Hollywood Reporter and host of cable’s Turner Classic Movies, interviewing stars on the red carpet as they enter the 8 p.m. ceremony at Tinseltown’s Kodak Theatre.

Also on tap …

While the Oscars may be the main attraction this weekend, they are, by no means, the only game in town.

Other noteworthy viewing:

An Evening With Eartha Kitt (10:30 p.m. Friday, WETA-Channel 26) — A September 2008 interview highlights this look at the vampish singer-actress, who died Christmas Day at age 81. The self-styled sex kitten also displays her purrfect talents with renditions of “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “La Vie en Rose” and “Here’s to Life.” Gwen Ifill hosts.

Late Night With Conan O’Brien (12:37 a.m. Saturday, NBC) — After nearly 16 years, it’s the end of the late-night shift for the funnyman as he hosts his last original show before taking over Jay Leno’s seat at “The Tonight Show” on June 1. Guests include the White Stripes.

America (9 p.m. Saturday, Lifetime) — No, it isn’t a patriotic tale about the nation, but the story of a biracial teen named America (Philip Johnson) who finds himself in a treatment facility after a suicide attempt. There, he meets Dr. Maureen Brennan (Rosie O’Donnell) — who gets him to open up about his painful past and offers the support and courage he needs for a successful future. Ruby Dee co-stars. Based on the 2002 novel “America” by E.R. Frank.

Sunset Boulevard (6 p.m. Sunday, Turner Classic Movies) — It’s Oscar day, and there’s no better time to take in this classic 1950 film, which took three of the prized statuettes at the 1951 ceremony. William Holden is Joe Gillis, a failed screenwriter who enters into an ill-fated pay-for-play romance with Norma Desmond (played by Gloria Swanson), an older and faded silent-film star. Erich von Stroheim and Nancy Olson co-star. Billy Wilder directs.

• Written and compiled by Robyn-Denise Yourse from staff, Web and wire reports