Wednesday’s Highlights

SERIES

Dangerous Drives: Take a ride in one of the Army’s heavy equipment transport trucks in this new installment (5 and 9 p.m. Speed).

Modern Family: Edward Norton and Elizabeth Banks guest star in this repeat episode (8 p.m. ABC).

American Idol: The top 12 male semifinalists perform on a new episode of the talent competition (8 p.m. Fox).

Faces of America With Henry Louis Gates Jr.: The Harvard professor explores the family histories of actresses Meryl Streep and Eva Longoria Parker and cellist Yo-Yo Ma in this new installment (8 p.m. KCET).

Nip/Tuck: Julia (Joely Richardson) comes to L.A. for a visit on the penultimate episode of this plastic surgery-themed drama (10 p.m. FX).

Psych: Shawn and Gus (James Roday, Dulé Hill) try to stop a murder plot against a business mogul in this new episode of the quirky crime drama (10 p.m. USA).

Clean House Comes Clean: This new episode offers a compilation of yard-sale highlights (11 p.m. Style).

SPECIALS

E! Investigates: Crime on Campus: This new exposé spotlights three shocking on-campus incidents (10 p.m. E!).

MOVIES

Taken: When his daughter is abducted in Paris, a former spy (Liam Neeson) tears the city apart in this violent 2008 thriller (12:30 and 8 p.m. HBO).

Conan the Barbarian: Arnold Schwarzenegger is author Robert E. Howard’s savage swordsman in this 1982 action-fantasy directed by John Milius (8 p.m. Encore).

SPORTS

Winter Olympics: Curling (2 p.m. MSNBC); hockey (3 p.m. NBC, 4 p.m. CNBC); skiing, bobsled, speed skating (8 p.m. NBC); speed skating (12:05 a.m. NBC).

Pro basketball: The Lakers meet the Dallas Mavericks (6 p.m. KCAL, ESPN) and the Clippers host Detroit Pistons (7:30 p.m. FS Prime).