After spending two nights with Bob Dylan, PBS dedicates two hours to the history of protest music with the documentary “Get Up, Stand Up: The Story of Pop and Protest” (8 p.m., PBS). Hosted and narrated by Chuck D. of the rap group Public Enemy, “Get Up” is certainly expansive in scope and exhaustively inclusive. This massive survey course in relevant musicianship begins with the union-organizing ballads of Joe Hill and concludes with the recent worldwide Live 8 fund-raising concert.

As expected, “Get Up” spends a great deal of time with the politically charged music of the Civil Rights and Vietnam eras, but viewers will find their memories jogged by the volume of political music from the first decade of the MTV generation.

The clip-rich enumeration of protest movements and music allows little time for reflection or dissenting voices. Several politically charged performers express their qualms about Bono’s cozy collaboration with world leaders such as Vladimir Putin. Rap is praised here for its honest discussion of gangs, drugs, violence and police brutality. One commentator calls it “CNN for black people.”

But nobody discusses the genre’s frequently degrading depiction of women, and only passing mention is made of hip-hop’s more recent celebration of “bling” and conspicuous materialism. Does it raise anyone’s consciousness when music changes the channel from CNN to QVC?

Season premieres

¢ Wallace needs help on of “Veronica Mars” (8 p.m., UPN).

¢ A bug bite might explain the death of a human fly on “CSI: NY” (9 p.m., CBS).

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ Somebody hears the long “goodbye” on “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart” (7 p.m., NBC).

¢ The top four compete on “So You Think You Can Dance” (7 p.m., Fox).

¢ Scheduled on “Real Sports” (8 p.m., HBO): Kurt Busch.

¢ Lynda Carter guest stars as a con artist on “Law & Order” (9 p.m., NBC).

¢ Calls for a quarantine on “Invasion” (9 p.m., ABC).