‘Biography’ looks at Cat Stevens
Born Steven Georgiou, he has called himself Yusef Islam since for the past three decades.
But he was best known as Cat Stevens and is profiled on tonight’s “Biography” (5 p.m., Biography).
Raised in London’s theater district, Stevens became an overnight sensation in 1966 with the quirky song “I Love My Dog.”
“Biography” follows his career through his renunciation of his music and his conversion to Islam, a choice that left many puzzled and confused.
In fact, the Department of Homeland Security was so baffled that it recently put Islam on a “no-fly” list, an act the agency later considered a mistake.
“Biography” does a good job of weaving old clips and newer interviews to follow Islam’s unique creative and spiritual odyssey, but, like too many E! and VH1 celebrity profiles, it falls into maddening repetition.
Each segment regurgitates several minutes of previously seen material, as if viewers had no memories or attention spans and could not recall facts from one moment to the next.
Other highlights
A filmmaker uses stock footage, home movies and interviews to mourn his long-dead brother and explore the nature of death, loss and grief in the short film “Phantom Limb” (7 p.m., Cinemax).
Tom Bergeron hosts “Dancing with the Stars” (8 p.m., ABC).
A young man’s body is discovered in his girlfriend’s garage on “CSI” (9 p.m., CBS).
Hot dog competition on “My Name is Earl” (9 p.m., NBC).
Kaitlin returns, full of sass, on “The O.C.” (9 p.m., Fox).
Suzanne wants a new baby, too, on “Crumbs” (9:30 p.m., ABC).
A therapist is last spotted in a parking garage on “Without a Trace” (10 p.m., CBS).
Sam’s son bolts to find his dad on “ER” (10 p.m., NBC).
Scheduled on “Primetime” (10 p.m., ABC): a victim of molestation speaks out; a violent predator.
Cult choice
Two young girls encounter a likable, furry forest spirit in director Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 animated fantasy “My Neighbor Totoro” (5 p.m., TCM). English dubbing.
Series notes
Accidents will happen on “CSI: NY” (8 p.m., CBS) … Lily Tomlin guest-stars on “Will & Grace” (8 p.m., NBC) … On back-to-back episodes of “That ‘70s Show” (Fox), an ultimatum from Fez (8 p.m.) and a party ignites (8:30 p.m.) … Held hostage on a spaceship on a “Smallville” (8 p.m., WB) … Blind dates on “Four Kings” (8:30 p.m., NBC) … New means of expression on “Beauty and the Geek” (9 p.m., WB) … Jim goes to great lengths to keep a secret on “The Office” (9:30 p.m., NBC).