Who the heck is Spike Feresten? He’s a former writer on David Letterman’s staff and the Emmy-nominated scribe behind the “Soup Nazi” episode of “Seinfeld.” And, as of tonight, he’s the host of “Talkshow with Spike Feresten” (11 p.m., Fox), a furiously accelerated chat-and-comedy fest that dispenses with monologue, skits, sketches and interviews in a breathtaking and abbreviated half hour. Seriously, this makes “The Daily Show” look like “The Charlie Rose Show.”

In the two episodes made available for review, Feresten affects the silly, knowing, ironic persona of the early Letterman. With his gee-shucks delivery, he sounds like the early Letterman as portrayed by Tom Cavanagh (“Ed”), who was in fact discovered by Letterman. Like Conan O’Brien, another writer-turned-comedian and Letterman protege, Feresten is not afraid to be silly and smart and make jokes at the expense of himself, his show and his network – roughly in that order.

¢ Are geniuses born or nurtured? Will the genetic offspring of brainy people be smarter than the average bear? Can games and gadgets “teach” your baby to become a young Einstein? Is there a difference between savants and geniuses? These and other questions are explored on “Genius” (9 p.m. Sunday, CNN), hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

¢ Speaking of poetry, “Sahara” (7 p.m. Sunday, History) offers a two-hour survey of the history, climate and mystique of the world’s largest, hottest and most alluring desert. As large as the continental United States, the Sahara was once home to lush vegetation, fish, crocodiles and hippos before a shift in the Earth’s axis changed the climate of the region swiftly and utterly.

¢ UPN may have slipped away like a thief in the night, but the WB network commemorates its waning hours with a flashback to its most notable teen-centric programming, including “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” (6 p.m. Sunday, WB) and “Dawson’s Creek” (8 p.m. Sunday). What, you were expecting they’d sign off with “Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher”?

Tonight’s highlights

¢ Tennessee hosts Florida in college football action (7 p.m., CBS).

¢ USC and Nebraska meet on “Saturday Night Football” (7 p.m., ABC).

¢ Uma Thurman stars in the hyperstylized martial-arts drama “Kill Bill: Vol. 2” (7 p.m., TNT).

¢ Standup comedy on “Katt Williams: The Pimp Chronicles, Pt. 1” (9 p.m., HBO).

Sunday’s highlights

¢ The Dallas Cowboys host the Washington Redskins on “Sunday Night Football” (7 p.m., NBC).

¢ Marlee Matlin appears on two episodes of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m., ABC).

¢ Teams depart Seattle for Beijing on the first leg of “The Amazing Race 10” (7:30 p.m., CBS).

¢ “Assault on Waco” (8 p.m., Discovery) recalls the 1993 siege and its tragic conclusion.

¢ Death in the stables on “The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Series V” on “Mystery” (8 p.m., PBS).