Late in his life, Cary Grant arrived at a benefit event without his invitation. When the woman at the ticket counter asked him who he was, he told her, “I’m Cary Grant.” She looked up and said, “You don’t look like Cary Grant.” To which he replied, “I know. Nobody does.”

This is just one of the delightful anecdotes in the new 90-minute film “Cary Grant: A Class Apart” (7 p.m., Turner Classic Movies). The story also illustrates his acknowledgement that the suave, iconic character “Cary Grant” was his creation. Grant, born poor Archie Leach in 1904, in Bristol, England, was far removed from the champagne-swilling, tuxedo-wearing persona he built over five decades and dozens of films.

“Class” commemorates the centennial of Grant’s birth and includes clips from 27 of his best films, including “North By Northwest,” (8:30 p.m., Turner Classic Movies) and “Bringing Up Baby” (7 p.m. June 8). Turner Classic Movies will show Cary Grant movies every Tuesday in June.

“Class” includes interviews with friends, co-stars and two of Grant’s five wives. Betsy Drake, married to Grant from 1949 to 1962, uses some rather salty language to put to rest rumors of Grant’s homosexuality. Martin Landau recalls his professionalism on the set of “North By Northwest,” and friend Ralph Lauren remembers the elderly Grant as “the youngest 80-year-old I ever met.”

• ABC News has commandeered the time slot usually associated with “NYPD Blue” to show a special edition of “PrimeTime” called “LAPD” (9 p.m., ABC), a grim documentary closer in subject matter to the gritty cable drama “The Shield.”

More than a year in the making, “LAPD” focuses on former New York police chief William J. Bratton’s efforts to reform the Los Angeles force and stem that city’s horrific crime rate.

Hosted by Peter Jennings, “LAPD” goes on patrol in the South Central area of the sprawling city. In a 10-square-mile radius there are 65 gangs and some of the country’s most dangerous neighborhoods.

Bratton speaks frankly about his task. While he had great success in New York, that city had a force of more than 40,000 police to patrol a city a fraction of the size of Los Angeles. The LAPD has only 9,000 officers. When Bratton asked for 300 more, the City Council wasted no time in turning him down.

• Ava (Lori Loughlin), an ambitious single woman with a gorgeous California beach house, becomes an instant mother when her sister and brother-in-law are killed in a car accident and leave her 16-year-old Bradin (Jesse McCartney), 13-year-old Nikki (Kay Panabaker) and 9-year-old Derrick (Nick Benson). That makes the new soap “Summerland” (7 p.m., WB) a party of four.

Tonight’s other highlights

• Jessica Simpson headlines “Summer Music Mania 2004” (7 p.m., Fox).
• Nick helps a couple with a fertility clinic mix-up on “The Guardian” (8 p.m., CBS).
• Billy Bush and Daisy Fuentes host the Miss Universe 2004 Pageant (8 p.m., NBC).
• Amy decides the fate of a baby born to teenage parents on “Judging Amy” (9 p.m., CBS).

Late night

Kelly Ripa and softball star Jennie Finch are on “Late Show with David Letterman” (10:35 p.m., CBS) … Kristen Davis, Omar Epps and The Holmes Brothers are booked on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Famke Janssen and Finch are on “The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn” (11:37 p.m., CBS).