Rythm and blues

The residents of the Tremé neighborhood are still scraping by in the afternath of Hurricane Katrina. Displaced Mardi Gras chief Albert (Clarke Peters) finds the body of his “Wild Man.” Perpetually broke Davis (Steve Zahn) barters freedom for piano lessons. Itinerant trombone player Antoine (Wendell Pierce) hits rock bottom, but Annie (Lucia Micarelli) gets a birthday gig. Co-starring Khandi Alexander and Kim Daniels.

* Tremé

Sunday, 10 p.m., HBO

Do the right thing

Filmmaker Spike Lee’s passion for African-American history led him to take a deeper look into his own family background. The one clear question that he wanted answered: who owned my family? Lee’s journey takes him to Georgia, where he is overjoyed to discover that he has an unexpected connection to his great-great grandfather. His ancestry trail also leads him to Texas, where he comes face-to-face with an unlikely relative.

* Who do you think you are?

Friday, 8 p.m., NBC

Sales pitch

Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski) work on their first sales pitch together to Donna (guest star Amy Pietz), the manager of a local restaurant. But Michael (Steve Carell) keeps misreading the signals she’s putting out. Meanwhile, Dwight (Rainn Wilson) encourages Kelly (Mindy Kaling) to try out for the minority training program. Ed Helms, Kate Flannery, and B.J. Novak also star.

* The Office

Thursday, 9 p.m., NBC

Something in common

The Fairview strangler has been living among the women of Wisteria Lane for some time now and this week we learn his past. He once caught Gaby (Eva Longoria Parker) and Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) during an intimate moment; Bree (Marcia Cross) offered him a job and some dating advice; Susan (Teri Hatcher) encouraged his passion for art; and Lynette (Felicity Huffman) will show him some kindness and generosity.

* DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

Sunday, 9 p.m., ABC

How I became a vampire

While Stefan (Paul Wesley) struggles to come to terms with his past, both he and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) reveal parts of their history to Elena (Nina Dobrev), until she finally learns the truth about how they became vampires. Pearl has an ugly confrontation with Johnathan Gilbert. Damon and Alaric (Matt Davis) try to find a mysterious invention before Johnathan does. The friendship and flirtation between Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) and Anna gets hotter.

* VAMPIRE DIARIES

Thursday, 8 p.m., CW

Seattle stud turns grandpa

Mark’s daughter, Sloan, returns to Seattle, and his apartment, just as she’s going into labor. Convenient? Mark (Eric Dane) and Callie (Sara Ramirez) are there to help with the birth and to get Mark through his grandson’s pending adoption. Meanwhile Teddy (Kim Raver) sees Derek’s invitation to illustrious cardiothoracic surgeon Tom Evans’ as a threat to her future employment at the hospital, and the team work on a crab boat captain who has been stabbed with a giant shark hook.

* GREY’S ANATOMY

Thursday, 9 p.m., ABC

Pesky in-laws

Claire (Julie Bowen) is caught off guard when Phil’s father, Frank (Fred Willard). shows up in an RV with a little four legged friend, and she becomes suspicious that he might be hiding a larger reason for the visit. Meanwhile, when Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) hears Dylan is down a drummer in his band, he enthusiastically offers to fill in, and Jay (Ed O’Neill) and Gloria (Sofia Vergara) have to pay the consequences of accidentally taking Manny to see a traumatizing horror movie.

* Modern Family

Wednesday, 9 p.m., ABC

‘Good’ doesn’t always cut it

Alicia (Julianna Margulies) has a crisis of conscience when she goes head-to-head with her former boss, Jonas Stern (Kevin Conway), in the courtroom. She debates whether or not to use personal information to her advantage. Meanwhile, Peter (Chris Noth) uses religion to work on his appeal. Co-starring Archie Panjabi and Christine Baranski.

* The Good Wife

Thursday, 10 p.m., CBS