Sometimes failures inspire the most thought. I liked the idea of the series “Whatever, Martha!” (8 p.m., Fine Living Network) and looked forward to reviewing it. Be careful what you wish for.

The concept was clever. Take old clips from “Martha Stewart Living” shows and allow co-hosts Alexis Stewart (Martha’s daughter) and friend Jennifer Koppelman-Hutt (daughter of the CEO of Stewart’s media empire) to offer quips about the host’s dated outfits, clipped delivery, obsessively planned tasks and tightly controlled presentation. Why should critics have all the fun snickering at Martha? A combination of lifestyle shows, “We Love the ’80s” and “Mystery Science Theatre 3000,” it seemed like what Martha would call “a good thing.”

But it takes a minimal amount of wit to offer funny commentary, and neither of these hosts is up to the task. They spend most of the time offering remarkably petty observations about themselves, inside jokes that are neither funny nor insightful.

The contrast between “Whatever” and the “Martha” body of work also says a lot about the general direction of both television and pop culture. Love her or hate her, Martha Stewart encouraged her viewers and readers to think and create and put their own stamp on their homes.

To Alexis and her friend, all this self-improvement is a chore. Martha’s mere mention of a simple long-division problem sends them into paroxysms of horror. (We girls. Math bad!) Jennifer can’t figure out why a folk artist would collect simple objects like twine instead of “Hello Kitty” stuff. Why create when you can just charge it?

The show presents a perverse psychodrama about the relationship between the self-made rich and their seemingly untalented spawn. On the surface, it seems like Alexis is using the show to get back at her mother. But perhaps Martha is offering Alexis just enough twine to hang herself.

¢ Weeks after the bus accident and Amber’s death, Wilson announces his resignation on the season premiere of “House” (7 p.m., Fox). The combination of “House” and “Fringe” may be hard to beat, especially when the competition consists of the season finale of “Wipeout” (7 p.m., ABC) and the season premiere of “The Biggest Loser: Families” (7 p.m., NBC).

¢ “Primetime” (9 p.m., ABC) presents “UFOs … Seeing Is Believing.” As a rational person who is appalled when the “news” division promotes superstition, I think the title has it exactly backwards.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ “Lincoln Heights” (7 p.m., Family), the drama about a police officer who moves his middle-class family back to his dangerous neighborhood, enters its third season.

¢ The team looks into the curious case of newborns aging rapidly on “Fringe” (8 p.m., Fox).

¢ Rusty’s investigation may have discovered too much about Kappa Tau on “Greek” (8 p.m., Fox).

¢ A second sun appears on “Eureka” (8 p.m., Sci Fi).

¢ Five people are abducted from the same coffee shop on “Without a Trace” (9 p.m., CBS).

¢ After reopening a murder case, Lake becomes a prime suspect on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m., NBC).