Tuesday’s Highlights

SERIES

Paranatural: Ranchers and farmers in Texas discover the remains of a strange canine that matches a popular description of the chupacabra, a vampiric beast that, some say, is a hairless doglike creature with large fangs, in the premiere of the series (6 and 9 p.m. National Geographic).

American Idol: The 12 female semifinalists perform in this new episode of the talent competition (8 p.m. Fox).

Dirty Jobs: With an upcoming hiatus, Mike searches for the perfect job for himself and his crew in this new episode (9 p.m. Discovery).

The Forgotten: The team investigates when an unidentified woman’s body is discovered in the wreckage of a train derailment in this new episode (10 p.m. ABC).

SPECIALS

The Truth Behind Crop Circles: Are they alien messages? Or are they merely the work of human hoaxers? In this special, a film team attempts to construct an elaborate crop circle at night in an effort to explain these mysterious phenomena (5 and 8 p.m. National Geographic).

MOVIES

Topper: Cary Grant and Constance Bennett star in this 1937 comedy as a couple who die and become ghosts and decide to help a no-nonsense bank president (Roland Young) live a happier life (3:15 p.m. TCM).

SPORTS

XXI Winter Olympics: Hockey: men’s elimination game; curling, women’s: USA vs. China (9 a.m. USA). Hockey: men’s elimination round games; curling, men’s: China vs. Canada (2 p.m. CNBC). Speedskating: men’s 10,000-meter gold medal final; biathlon: women’s 4x6-kilometer relay gold medal final; freestyle skiing: women’s ski cross. (3 p.m. NBC). Curling, women’s: USA vs. Switzerland (7 p.m. MSNBC). Figure skating: ladies short program; bobsled: women’s; freestyle skiing: women’s ski cross gold medal final; Nordic combined: team gold medal final, K-125 jumping, 4x5-kilometer relay (8 p.m. NBC). Hockey: men’s elimination round games; curling, men’s: China vs. Canada (10 p.m. CNBC).

College basketball: Illinois meets Michigan (4 p.m. ESPN), Georgetown challenges Louisville (4 p.m. ESPN2), and Tennessee takes on Florida (6 p.m. ESPN).

Pro basketball: The Lakers visit the Memphis Grizzlies (5 p.m. KCAL).