Where to be and what to watch...

A panel discussion called “The Other Side of News: Journalism in the Age of Terrorism” at the Foreign Press Center in New York today might actually turn kinda feisty, given that the participants include lefty journo Amy Goodman, media critic Rory O'Connor of Mediachannel.org, Fox News producer Camilla Webster and U.S. Army Public Affairs Specialist Chet Marcus. The invitation from the organizers, New York Women in Film & Television, bears a yellow-highlighted warning: “All Press Must Be Confirmed in Advance.” Not to worry! Nobody's coming—they've all been deployed to the Santa Barbara County courthouse in California for that highest-priority journalistic matter in these days of war and terror: The Michael Jackson trial.

Ten years ago, when the Consumer Electronics Association began hosting an HDTV Summit, high-definition television was just pie in the sky—although you could see the crumbs in amazing detail. Now HD's really, truly rolling across the land (OK, still kind of slowly) and the CEA's two-day conference beginning today at the Washington Convention Center is understandably tinged with nostalgia. There's the Digital Television Pioneer Awards luncheon today, and the first annual Digital Patriots dinner (Digital Patriots: heroes of the consumer-electronics industry, or an NFL cable package in New England?). Tonight: Glenn Close takes over as new precinct captain Monica Rawling on The Shield (FX premiere, 10 p.m. ET). Don't push that Michael Chiklis character too far, Glenn. At his house, boiled bunny is just another name for rabbit stew. Shameless B&C plug: Our own Executive Editor Mark Robichaux moderates panel discussion “Court TV: Guilty Pleasure” at Fordham Law School in New York at 7 p.m. (for details, call 212-686-5005). The all-Court TV talkers include on-air talent Catherine Crier and CEO Henry Schleiff. And it's free!

Now that Discovery Channel has been repositioned as the Boys With Toys Network (Monster Garage! American Chopper!), National Geographic Channel can virtuously claim to be the preeminent TV home for the wonders of the natural world. Or at least they'll probably be selling that line tonight at the advertising upfront at the Metrazur restaurant in Grand Central Terminal in New York.

Put your pencils down and quit filling out brackets for the office NCAA pool. March Madness begins today, when CBS begins broadcasting at noon (ET) for five hours, then takes a two-hour break to towel off before returning for a 7 p.m.-to-midnight run. (If you don't have the Sean May-equipped University of North Carolina in the Final Four, you're nuts.) Also tonight: The premiere of E! Hollywood Hold 'Em (10 p.m. ET), which involves actors playing poker. Wait, “Hollywood Hold 'Em”—wasn't that the working title for E! Entertainment's Michael Jackson trial re-enactments?

Reality-show dragnet alert: USA Network begins trolling today for participants in a new “unscripted” show called Made in the U.S.A. Premise: Inventors. Make things. Face challenges. Eliminations. One team wins. Gets to sell stuff on Home Shopping Network. The first open call is in Chicago today, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Brody, Tenner & Paskal Casting. Just think of how far Thomas Edison could have gone if he'd had HSN's wind in his sails.

E-mail info for B&C Week to b&cweek@reedbusiness.com