“Life in a garret is great if you dare it, Cherie.” So sang the Holy Modal Rounders. “Paris the Luminous Years” (8 p.m., PBS, check local listings) recalls the period between 1905 and 1930 when the French capital attracted talent that would revolutionize painting, poetry, ballet, symphony, literature and jazz and define what would come to be called the age of the modern.

A comprehensive two-hour survey that can often seem like an academic lecture, the film is rich in interviews and rare film footage of seminal figures, including Jean Cocteau, Igor Stravinsky, Marcel Duchamp, Janet Flanner, Gertrude Stein, Tristan Tzara and Marc Chagall.

• “Rock Docs: Let’s Spend the Night Together: Confessions of Rock’s Greatest Groupies” (7:30 p.m., VH1) recalls the golden age of rock excess, before musicians settled down to do reality shows with their wives and kids. Author Pamela Des Barres has made a decades-long career writing kiss-and-tell memoirs, and women who shared backstage moments with musicians from Elvis Presley to Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones join her here. Along the way, we meet actress Tura Satana, who claims to have turned down a proposal from Elvis Presley. We also encounter legendary Arkansas entertainer “Sweet Connie,” immortalized in Grand Funk Railroad’s 1973 anthem “We’re an American Band.”

• “Behind the Counter: The Untold Story of Franchising” (8 p.m., CNBC) looks at established businesses (Dunkin’ Donuts) as well as newer ventures (Camp Bow Wow Doggy Day Care) and their impact on local economies. We’ll also meet with the businesses that supply them and some investors who see them as an entry to the American dream and others who have found franchises to be financial nightmares.

• A week after visiting the White House, “Mythbusters” (8 p.m., Discovery) invites actor Seth Rogen who explores a few mysteries linked to his forthcoming January movie “The Green Hornet.” But how can something be a “myth” if no one has seen it yet?

Tonight’s other highlights

• The 2005 documentary “Watch the Skies!” (5:30 p.m., TCM) recalls the Cold War heyday of science-fiction movies and their influence on later filmmakers.

• Nick Lachey hosts “The Sing Off” (7 p.m., NBC).

• An amnesiac wants to kill Chance on “Human Target” (7 p.m., Fox). But can he remember why?

• On two episodes of “Vampire Diaries” (CW), Mason’s past revealed (7 p.m.), Katherine hunts fresh blood (8 p.m.).

• The final two duke it out on the season finale of “Hell’s Kitchen” (8 p.m., Fox).

• On two episodes of “Modern Family” (ABC), unplugged (8 p.m.), locked lips (8:30 p.m.).

• A violence-prone NFL veteran seeks counsel on “The Defenders” (9 p.m., CBS).

• A repeat rape victim (Jennifer Love Hewitt) discover the limits of the justice system on “Law & Order: SVU” (9 p.m., NBC).

• Shawn suspects a polar bear was set up as the patsy in an animal trainer’s mauling murder on “Psych” (9 p.m., USA).

• Two hockey teams prepare for a high-profile game on “24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic” (9 p.m., HBO).