THURSDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

SERIES

The This Old House Hour: The Los Angeles house gets its finishing touches from plaster specialist Alfonso Garcia, plumbing and heating contractor Eric Downs, landscape designer Melanie Williams and interior designer Rachel Horn in this new episode (7 p.m. KOCE).

The Big Bang Theory: Sheldon (Jim Parsons) falls victim to a hacker who robs his online game character in this new episode (8 p.m. CBS).

American Idol: Two contestants are eliminated in a results episode that features performances by will.i.am, Jamie Foxx and Fantasia (8 p.m. Fox).

Swamp People: Troy Landry is back with his son and a few gators in the season premiere (9 p.m. History).

The Mentalist: Jane (Simon Baker) and his colleagues attempt to solve the murder of a man who claimed to have been abducted by aliens. Frances Conroy guest stars in the new episode (10 p.m. CBS).

Manhunters: Fugitive Task Force: The team hunts a computer expert who specializes in identity theft and wire fraud in this new episode (10 p.m. A&E).

SPECIALS

Mobbed: Howie Mandel works with people who want to put together flash mobs. What’s a flash mob? It’s a large group that assembles without warning in a public place and puts on a performance of some kind (9 p.m. Fox).

Taxidermy USA: This new film documents three families of taxidermists as they work with the carcasses of exotic, bizarre animals (10 p.m. Discovery).

SPORTS

Baseball: The Angels visit the Kansas City Royals (1 p.m. FSN); the San Francisco Giants take on the Dodgers (5 p.m., ESPN).

College basketball: NIT final (4 p.m. ESPN2).

Pro basketball: Boston Celtics at the San Antonio Spurs (5 p.m. TNT); the Dallas Mavericks visit the Lakers (7:30 p.m. TNT).

Hockey: The Kings visit the Vancouver Canucks (7 p.m. FSN).