TV3: ESPN celebrates 30th, 'Glee' makes its debut

Varied anniversaries

ESPN celebrates its 30th anniversary with a special "SportsCenter" at 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6. It will feature the cable sports giant's three most veteran anchors: Chris Berman, Bob Ley and John Saunders. ... The History Channel goes back 10 years beyond that to mark the 40th anniversary of the Charles Manson "family" slayings with "Manson," debuting at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7.

'Glee'-ful series bow

"Glee," the Fox network's lampoon of Disney's "High School Musical" franchise, becomes a series with its formal premiere at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, on WFLD Channel 32. The pilot aired back in May, but now it's back in its regular series time slot for the fall TV season. It was created by Mount Prospect native Ian Brennan.

Still more vampires

The CW tries to hop on the bandwagon of the vampire craze from the "Twilight" series and HBO's "True Blood" when "The Vampire Diaries" debuts at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, on WGN Channel 9. It seems fairly formulaic stuff - morose teens beset by vamps - but it makes a fine lead-in for the returning "Supernatural," which follows at 8 and deserves whatever added audience it can get.

Superior sequel

"Aliens" is one of those rare sequels superior to the original (like "The Road Warrior," "The Godfather: Part II" and "Toy Story 2"). It clarifies the feminist subtext in bringing Sigourney Weaver to the fore against the title creatures. It's at 7 p.m. today on AMC.