With the holiday eating binge just around the corner, TV Land invites viewers to an empty-calorie feast. Nothing makes for better mindless information than needless lists and pointless comparisons. It’s one thing to list “The 50 Greatest TV Icons” (7 p.m., TV Land); it’s quite another to rank them.

Look for both on “Icons” and get ready to argue over which celebrity and/or character is a great icon. Does Oprah Winfrey trump Jerry Seinfeld? Does Susan Lucci rank higher than Donald Trump? Does anyone rank higher than Homer Simpson? “Icons” will answer these and other questions over a two-hour countdown that should make for a spectacle that is popcorn TV at its purest – both irresistible and forgettable.

¢ Would-be TV icons get a workout on cable tonight. “Frank Caliendo: All Over the Place” (9 p.m., TBS) showcases the comedian/impressionist at a comedy festival. Caliendo’s late-night series “Frank TV” launches on TBS on Tuesday. If hype were a guarantee of success, Caliendo would already be a star. TBS used its chance to broadcast the Major League Baseball playoffs to launch a saturation campaign for “Frank TV.”

¢ MTV is hoping that “The Kentucky Kid” (9 p.m., MTV) becomes a household name. The “Kid” is professional motorcycle racer Nicky Hayden. The two-hour special follows Hayden during the 2006 racing season. Not to give too much away here, but the path to champion status is hardly smooth. Hayden has to endure a crash and a fractured collar bone during the course of the racing season. “Kid” also chronicles Hayden’s connections with his family and his hometown, where he has been riding since he was 3. It contrasts his Kentucky background with his competition in a sport that is dominated by European talent.

¢ Wanna feel old? It’s been a whole 10 years since “Titanic” (7 p.m., TNT) debuted (on Dec. 19, 1997) and smashed box office records. Before its release, much of the media buzz was not good. The film’s budget was enormous and the film was not completed on time. But that was easy to forget after “Titanic” grossed more than $1 billion worldwide and won 11 Oscars. Not bad for a story in which the end is never in doubt and the dialogue consists largely of the words “Jack!” and “Rose!” shouted repeatedly.

¢ Last week “Larry King Live” (8 p.m., CNN) featured UFO believers; tonight’s “Live” showcases psychics, including James van Praagh, Lisa Williams, Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson and Mary Ann Winkowski. It’s a natural fit on a night already crammed with supernatural series about ghost whisperers and vampire detectives. Every Friday has become Freaky Friday.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ The rainy season causes problems on “Orangutan Island” (7:30 p.m., Animal Planet)

¢ “The Dog Whisperer” (7 p.m., National Geographic).

¢ Mick stands between a woman and a killer cult on “Moonlight” (8 p.m., CBS).

¢ Smash faces the college recruiters on “Friday Night Lights” (8 p.m., NBC).

¢ Bear makes a meal of a camel on “Man vs. Wild” (8 p.m., Discovery). And we’re not talking cigarettes.

¢ A tycoon’s daughter is a taken hostage on “Numb3rs” (9 p.m., CBS).

¢ Scheduled on “20/20” (9 p.m., ABC): Winners discuss their strategies of success.

¢ A vision of a frightening future on “Stargate: Atlantis” (9 p.m., Sci Fi).

Cult choice

A housewife (Celia Johnson) and a doctor (Trevor Howard), both married to others, share an infatuation in the 1945 romance “Brief Encounter” (1 a.m., TCM), directed by David Lean, written by Noel Coward and featuring a powerful and relentless Sergei Rachmaninoff score.