A portrait of an unrelenting rocker at 65, the documentary “Lemmy” (10:30 p.m., VH1, VH1 Classic and Palladia) reaches levels of poignance and even pathos. And it has some “Spinal Tap” moments of comedy as well.

Never married and rather proud of avoiding domesticity, Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister lives in a rent-controlled apartment near the Sunset Strip surrounded, if not entombed, by a lifetime of collectibles and trash. He spends hours at a stretch playing a trivia video game at the rock-and-roll bar while milking Jack Daniels and Cokes. A gruff-looking troll of a man with an gravelly delivery and a nearly incomprehensible Welsh accent, Lemmy maintains an unchanging style that is a grab-bag blend of greaser, biker, cowboy and showman. His influences are as disparate and deep as those of rock ‘n’ roll.

He has inspired generations of musicians and many are on hand here to sing his praises and jam with the godfather, if not the inventor, of heavy metal and thrash metal.

The film is crowded with interviews with musicians Dave Grohl, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Joan Jett, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osborne, Slash, The Clash’s Mick Jones, Joy Division/New Order’s Peter Hook, IceT, David Navarro, Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker, as well as actor/musician Billy Bob Thornton and professional wrestler Triple H.

All contend that he’s not only a musical inspiration but a living embodiment of the rock-‘n’-roll lifestyle.

For his part, Lemmy does not like to celebrate choices that took the lives of so many of his friends, including Jimi Hendrix, who was Lemmy’s boss back when he was a roadie for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. A veteran of several hard rock and psychedelic bands, who knew the Beatles and saw them play at the Cavern Club, Lemmy never succumbed to the glitz and glamour that made so many of his contemporaries so respectable.

He’ll never be knighted like Mick Jagger or Sir Paul, but he’s already got a title. “(Blank) Elvis and Keith Richards,” says the Foo Fighters Dave Grohl. “Lemmy’s the king of rock and roll.”

Tonight’s other highlights

• Nick and Pete take the case of a man who claims to have been set up while on spring break on “The Defenders” (7 p.m., CBS).

• Tim McGraw searches his roots on “Who Do You Think You Are” (7 p.m., NBC).

• The Peanuts gang gets as romantic as their characters allow in back-to-back specials “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown” (7 p.m., ABC) and “A Charlie Brown Valentine” (7:30 p.m.).

• Ramsay revisits some previous disaster areas on “Kitchen Nightmares” (7 p.m., Fox).

• A hitman projects a certain sense of savoir-faire on “CSI:NY” (8 p.m., CBS).

• Broyles’ absence is felt on “Fringe” (8 p.m., Fox).

• Scheduled on “20/20” (8 p.m., ABC): a family’s nine-day ordeal.

• Everything that can break, does on “Gold Rush: Alaska” (9 p.m., Discovery).

• The FactZone celebrates itself on “Onion News Network” (9 p.m., IFC).