Tuning In

Gaye doc on PBS

Native son Marvin Gaye gets the “American Masters” treatment tonight on a new installment of the acclaimed and long-running PBS series.

“What’s Going On” (10 p.m., WETA-Channel 26), an uninspired title taken from the Motown great’s seminal 1971 album of the same name, mostly revisits territory already known by most Washingtonians, Gaye fans and those who have read 1985’s “Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye” by music biographer David Ritz — who also co-wrote Mr. Gaye’s only Grammy-winning hit, “Sexual Healing.”

Mr. Ritz, who penned the book a year after Mr. Gaye’s untimely death at 44 at the hands of his cross-dressing minister father, is joined on the hourlong program by a host of music luminaries: Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr., who at first famously opposed the release of “What’s Going On” (“I was petrified he was going to ruin his image,” Mr. Gordy says), former Motown songwriter Nicholas Ashford and former label stars Kim Weston, Mary Wilson, Bobby Taylor and Gladys Knight.

Others getting face time on the special include Mr. Gaye’s second wife, Janis (the mother of his actress daughter, Nona Gaye, and son Frankie) and his sister, Jeanne.

Born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. (he later added the “e” to his last name), the future music legend sang with several local groups and attended Cardozo High School in the District’s Shaw community before heading off to Detroit.

He eventually found fame and fortune and along the way married Mr. Gordy’s sister, Anna, who was at least 15 years his senior. In an interview clip, Mr. Gaye even admits that he took full advantage of his in-law ties.

“I enjoyed being able to say, ’I don’t have to do that … you guys do that,’ ” he says, laughing.

Yet he also admits to having had “semiviolent disagreements” with his brother-in-law-boss.

Among the other revelations in Mr. Gaye’s troubled and often drug-fueled past: The 1970 death of his singing partner, Tammi Terrell, from a brain tumor, haunted him until the end of his days — and during a rough professional and personal stretch, Mr. Gaye actually lived in a bread truck in Hawaii.

Interest in Mr. Gaye has never waned in the years since his death. Tonight’s “American Masters” — along with a new big-screen biopic due out next year — is proof that the legacy will continue.

Hear ye, hear ye

The CW network announced Monday that former district attorney and TV commentator Jeanine Pirro will be the presiding jurist on “Judge Jeanine Pirro” weekday afternoons beginning Sept. 22, Associated Press reports.

Miss Pirro, 56, was once a rising star in New York’s Republican Party. She was a popular Westchester County judge, a big winner in three consecutive runs for district attorney and once was chosen for People magazine’s “most beautiful” issue.

Analysts said she would have been a natural for higher office except that her wealthy husband, Albert Pirro, seemed to have a knack for holding her back with his own problems, including a paternity suit and a federal tax fraud conviction. (The Pirros announced in November that they were separating.)

In 2005, Miss Pirro decided to challenge Hillary Rodham Clinton and run for the U.S. Senate. However, her campaign opened disastrously when a page of her announcement was misplaced and she was speechless for 32 seconds.

More ’Myles’ to go

HGTV is renewing its home and decor series “Myles of Style,” hosted by “HGTV Design Star” season two winner Kim Myles, for a second season. It premieres in July, TVWeek.com says.

In her series, Miss Myles, a former New York hairdresser, teaches viewers how to transform their ordinary spaces.

CBS tops ratings

CBS was TV’s most-watched network last week, averaging 10 million viewers, AP says, citing data from Nielsen Media Research. Fox was second with 9.4 million viewers. Following were ABC with 9.2 million viewers, NBC with 6.5 million, the CW with 2.6 million, My Network TV with 1.2 million and ION Television with 450,000.

For the week of April 28 through May 4, the top five shows, their networks and viewerships were: 1) “American Idol” (Tuesday), Fox, 25 million; 2) “American Idol” (Wednesday), 22.8 million; 3) “Dancing With the Stars (Monday), ABC, 18.2 million; 4) “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS, 18 million; and 5) “Dancing With the Stars” (Tuesday), ABC, 17 million.

Compiled by Robyn-Denise Yourse from staff, Web and wire reports.