Five decades of movie stars, pop sensations, presidents and scandalous flash-in-the-pans share time with America’s most recognizable pair of glasses and suspenders on “Larry King – 50 Years of Pop Culture” (8 p.m., CNN).

For better or worse, nobody better represents the confluence of news and celebrity culture. As if to highlight this fact, King is joined by CNN’s Anderson Cooper and “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest for this commemorative glance back.

“Pop Culture” wastes no time getting down to numbers. King has conducted more than 40,000 interviews in his 50 years on radio and television.

How has he endured? King has mastered the art of the softball interview. He’s hardly the grand inquisitor or the master of the “gotcha.” He’s more likely to make journalists squirm than discomfort his subjects with a probing, follow-up question.

This has made King’s show a good place to go on your way up, or to steer clear of complete disaster on your way down. But not everybody avoids self-immolation.

King may not be “in your face,” but he can retreat into silences that some guests seem compelled to fill – often at their peril.

As former New York City Mayor and presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani recalls, “Sometimes after an interview with Larry you say to yourself, ‘I think I said more than I wanted to say.”‘

Whether you consider King empty media calories or the comfort food of your youth, “50 Years of Pop Culture” is hard to resist. There are simply too many clips to enumerate here. Yes, we have Liza Minnelli and David Gest, a couple that even King looks back on as “a train wreck.” But King’s forum was also the place where a quirky Texan named Ross Perot launched a third-party candidacy that attracted nearly 20 percent of the popular vote despite the fact that his campaign theme song was “Crazy” by Patsy Cline.

Like many viewers, I will devour “Pop Culture” like a bowl full of popcorn and not feel the least bit guilty for the binge.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ Jake and Hawkins discover a dangerous plot on “Jericho” (7 p.m., CBS).

¢ A basketball court’s bleachers yield grim remains on “Bones” (7 p.m., Fox).

¢ Martina McBride performs on “American Idol” (8 p.m., Fox).

¢ On two episodes of “Lost” (ABC), Claire feels ill (8 p.m.), Charlie’s intimation of mortality (9 p.m.).

¢ Paintball can be murder on “CSI: NY” (9 p.m., CBS).

¢ Allison feels transformed by a dream on “Medium” (9 p.m., NBC).