‘Biography’ profiles TV shows

It’s official. “Biography” (7 p.m., A&E) has finally run out of people to profile. So now they will dedicate Monday nights to “TVography” specials offering behind-the-scenes glances at favorites including “Home Improvement,” “Malcolm in the Middle” and “The Wonder Years.”

The series kicks off with an affectionate and informative two-hour look at “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” I found it rather comforting to note that even this television classic had to contend with bone-headed network executives, casting battles, and negative reviews before being embraced by millions of viewers who stayed home on Saturday nights to keep up with Mary, Rhoda, Murray, Lou and Ted from 1970 to 1977.

If it were up to the network executives, Mary Richards’ character would never have been single. They wanted her to be a housewife, like almost every other female sitcom star of the 1960s. The networks also hated the show’s writers and balked at its innovative casting.

Before appearing on “Mary Tyler Moore,” Ed Asner, Gavin McLeod and Ted Knight were better known for their work playing cops, thugs and other screen “heavies.” Both network suits and test audiences reacted negatively to Mary’s brash New York neighbor Rhoda Morgenstern (Valerie Harper).

CBS thought so little of the show that it planned to air it on Tuesday nights, opposite “Mod Squad,” the No. 1 show of that era. But incoming network executive Fred Silverman showed faith in the series, and moved it to Saturdays, where it became a primetime hit and a cultural touchstone.

The Food Network will dedicate Summer Mondays to “Unwrapped,” (8 p.m.) a breezy pop culture history of America’s favorite foods, snacks and culinary institutions. Tonight’s “Unwrapped” looks at the history of the drive-in restaurant, including pit-stops at the Pig Stand in Dallas, Tex., America’s very first drive-in, and the Varsity in Atlanta, Ga., the country’s biggest and busiest car-hop restaurant. The show also looks at the snack bars that grew out of the drive-in movie theater craze. Right afterward is an “Unwrapped” profile of hamburgers at 8:30 p.m. Marc Summers is the series host.

Seen last January in a one-hour special, “Pet Psychic,” (7 p.m., Animal Planet) with “communicator” Sonya Fitzpatrick returns for a 13-episode run. This modern-day Dr. Dolittle interacts with pets and livestock in both a studio setting an on location. Audience members seem amazed as Sonya conveys the inner thoughts of llamas, ducks, camels, horses, birds, and of course dogs and cats.

Unavoidable trend alert! Are we poised for a hamster invasion? American children have eagerly taken to foreign kid show fads including “Pokemon,” “Teletubbies” and “Dragon Ball Z.” A huge hit in Japan, “Hamtaro,” (6 a.m. and 3 p.m., Cartoon Network) is an adventure cartoon about a golden hamster, Hamtaro, and his pals (known as Ham-Hams) who help Hamtaro’s human owner Laura stay out of trouble.

There are at least 14 Ham-Hams (they come with names like Pashmina and Bijou) with distinct personalities, strengths and weaknesses all the better to merchandise them. Look for Ham-Ham collectibles coming soon to a toy store, or a Happy Meal, near you.

Tonight’s other highlights

Vince Gill and Melissa Etheridge join Amy Grant as the country and Christian music star discusses her 25-year career on “Intimate Portrait,” (6 p.m., Lifetime).

John Stossel reports on “The In Crowd and Social Cruelty,” (7 p.m., ABC), the perfect lead-in to the conclusion of “The Hamptons,” (8 p.m., ABC), filmmaker Barbara Kopple’s four-hour look at New York’s beach resort during the summer of 2001.

Ali Landry hosts “Spy TV,” (8:30 p.m., NBC).

A loose-cannon coroner returns to her Bean-town roots on the series pilot of “Crossing Jordan,” (9 p.m., NBC).