TVSquad

• CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, C-SPAN, and some PBS stations have coverage of the Democratic National Convention all night, and ABC, CBS, and NBC join in at 10.
• At 7, USA has coverage of The U.S. Open.
• At 8, NBC has the season premiere of Deal or No Deal., followed by the premiere of America's Toughest Jobs.
  
• ABC has a new High School Musical: Get in the Picture at 8.
• ESPN has Preseason Football at 8, the Chargers vs. the Seahawks.
• BBC America has a new Top Gear at 8.
• Also at 8: TCM has a marathon of Ingrid Bergman films, including Notorious, Spellbound, Intermezzo, and Indiscreet.
• At 8:30, Food Network has a new How'd That Get On My Plate?
• At 9, TNT has a new episode of The Closer, then a new Saving Grace.
• Sci-Fi has a new Monday Night RAW at 9.
• GSN has a new World Poker Tour at 9.
• At 10, Showtime has a new Weeds.
• ABC Family has a new Middleman at 10.
• Discovery has Into the Unknown with Josh Bernstein at 10.
  
• There's a new Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on Travel Channel at 10.
• MTV has a new episode of The Hills at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

If you're a political junkie -- guilty -- you're likely looking forward to the upcoming conventions. Just the prospect of an election with no incumbent running sets 2008 up as an exciting election, and with only 24% of the country believing that America is going in the right direction, this is definitely a time for change.

NBC News is opting to insert an element of change in its convention coverage. The network announced today that the late Tim Russert's son, Luke, has been hired by NBC News and will be put on his father's beat, politics.

Luke Russert's first assignment is Decision 2008, where he will be correspondent-at-large at both the Democratic and Republican conventions. While this hiring smacks of nepotism -- or allegiance to the memory of Tim -- Luke is not without some journalistic skills. He's a Boston College graduate, majoring in History and Communications, and has been co-hosting a sports talk show on XM Satellite Radio. He shares the microphone for that program, 60/20 Sports, with political analyst James Carville.

Now that the Democratic party has decided to present the final night of their convention from Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver before as many as 80,000 enthusiastic voters -- a venue that will underscore Senator Barack Obama's skill as a speaker -- the networks are deciding how they want to cover the event. Will the big three give the Democrats the entire night? One hour, two hours?

Will ABC and CBS be compelled to cover the night, when NBC and Fox have the option of using their cable outlets and keep entertainment on the broadcast side?