Thursday’s TV highlights

SERIES

Extreme Cuisine With Jeff Corwin: Your host offers up a taste of Louisiana in this new episode (8 p.m. Food).

Nikita: Maggie Q assumes the role of the rogue assassin in this new action drama based on the 1991 film “La Femme Nikita” (9 p.m. KTLA).

Rookie Blue: The police drama starring Missy Peregrym ends its rookie season (9 p.m. ABC).

Destination Truth: The series visits the lava-encased ruins of Pompeii in the season premiere (9 p.m. Syfy).

POV: A high school track star, the adopted black daughter of white Jewish lesbians, ponders her identity in the new documentary “Off and Running” (9:30 p.m. KCET).

The Day Before: Fashion mogul Donatella Versace is featured in this new episode (10 p.m. Sundance).

Beast Legends: This series debuts with a look at the mythical sea creature known as the kraken (10 p.m. Syfy).

SPECIALS

NFL Opening Kickoff 2010: This preview of the upcoming pro football season includes musical performances by the Dave Matthews Band and Taylor Swift (4:30 p.m. NBC).

9/11 State of Emergency: Former Bush administration officials recall the events of that terrible day in this new special (9 p.m. History).

MOVIES

Just Married: Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy tie the knot in this 2003 comedy (8 p.m. MyNet).

SPORTS

Tennis: The U.S. Open continues in Flushing, N.Y. (8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ESPN2; 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tennis).

Baseball: The Reds visit the Rockies (noon MLB); the Cardinals battle the Braves or Rangers play the Blue Jays (4 p.m. MLB); and the Dodgers face the Astros (5 p.m. KCAL).

Football: The defending Super Bowl champion Saints host the Vikings in the first game of the regular season (5:30 p.m. NBC).