Thursday’s TV highlights

SERIES

American Idol: Singers audition in Galveston, Texas (8 p.m. Fox).

Parks and Recreation: Feedback from a focus group prompts Leslie and Ben (Amy Poehler, Adam Scott) to woo voters with a casual bowling party in this new episode (8:30 p.m. NBC).

The Finder: A NASA scientist asks Walter for help finding a woman he met at a bar in this new episode (9 p.m. Fox).

Project Runway All Stars: Diane von Furstenberg joins host Angela Lindvall to give the contestants a new challenge: designing a look for supermodel Miranda Kerr (9 p.m. Lifetime).

The Mentalist: When Patrick (Simon Baker) returns as a consultant he joins a new team with a new boss (Reed Diamond) since Lisbon (Robin Tunney) has been suspended and the rest of the team reassigned in this new episode (10 p.m. CBS).

The Firm: Mitch (Josh Lucas) asks Ray (Callum Keith Rennie) to dig up some information to help his defense of a gambler (Randal Edwards), who is willing to risk a guilty verdict to clear himself of a murder charge, in this new episode (10 p.m. NBC).

Fat Chef: In this new series, overweight food professionals spend four months with therapists, nutritionists and trainers to defeat their abusive relationships with food (10 p.m. Food).

Inside Comedy: David Steinberg hosts this new series. In the premiere he talks with Jerry Seinfeld and Don Rickles about their comedy careers (11 p.m. Showtime).

SPECIALS

Florida Republican Presidential Debate: The candidates meet in Jacksonville (5, 8 and 11 p.m. CNN).

The Fireball of Christ: This new documentary purports to have evidence that the impact of a deadly meteorite may have played a part in the adoption of Christianity by the Roman Empire (8 and 11 p.m. National Geographic).

SPORTS

Tennis: Australian Open: Men’s Semifinals (9 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. ESPN2).

College basketball: Utah at UCLA (7:30 p.m. FS Prime).

Pro basketball: The Grizzlies visit the Clippers (7:30 p.m. TNT).