Fireworks for the crowd averse? Catch 'em on TV

If you just don't feel like heading out to see fireworks on the Fourth of July, you have plenty of options to watch them from the comfort of your recliner. PBS airs "A Capital Fourth" concert from Washington, D.C., with Aretha Franklin, Natasha Bedingfield and Barry Manilow at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 4, on WTTW Channel 11. NBC has "Macy's 4th of July Spectacular" with Jewel and the latest cast of "West Side Story" at 8 p.m. on WMAQ Channel 5. CBS answers with the "Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular" at 9 p.m. on WBBM Channel 2. ... WGN Channel 9 gets a jump on things with "Chicago's Summer Blast: Fireworks and the Taste of Chicago" at 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 3.

'Malcolm' in the Nite

The excellent, iconoclastic, long-running Fox family sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle" joins Nickelodeon and extends the hours of Nick at Nite to a 7 p.m. start when reruns of the single-camera comedy debut on the kids' cable channel Sunday, July 5. One can only hope they kick things off with the pilot, which includes Malcolm's immortal line that TV doesn't make you stupid, "no, TV makes you normal."

Wiz of a 'Wiz'

Truth be told, Frank Baum's original text of "The Wizard of Oz" is a bit dreary, an allegory about science and agriculture being reconciled for the sake of progress. The movie, however, is something else entirely: one of the best, funniest, scariest, wittiest movie musicals ever made. It's part of Turner Classic Movies' monthlong celebration of Hollywood's banner year of 1939 at 5 p.m. today, July 3.