"My Name is Earl," 8 p.m., NBC. This comedy had a good start and keeps getting better. At the core is Earl (Jason Lee), who won the lottery and decided to make amends for a life of sins. Tonight, he makes up for all the times he's mocked immigrants. There are some hilarious moments as the clueless Earl teaches a class in English as a second language. Still, that's just a warm-up for the best parts. An old friend (Giovanni Ribisi) is out of jail. Earl likes the guy and kind of misses the old days. Then come the twists, big and brash and — as usual — very funny.

"Frontline: The Torture Question," 9 p.m., PBS. This documentary lays out the chilling details of the torture charges in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison and beyond. Some of this is from official records, but there are also fresh interviews, including some with the officers involved. Army Reserve Gen. Janis Karpinski, who was demoted, insists that the tortures were a policy ordered by commanders. "I will not be silenced," she says.

OF NOTES

"Nip/Tuck," 7 p.m., FX. Christian is suddenly being charged as the "carver" — a stretch, since he's also one of the victims. Still, the guy is so cold and cruel that it's difficult to care; by the end of this hour it will be even more difficult.

"Commander in Chief," 8 p.m., ABC. As Mac prepares for her first summit with the Russian leader, her husband prepares his first state dinner. There's another issue: Their teen daughter wants to skip the dinner and snuggle with a guy.

"The Office," 8:30 p.m., NBC. The Halloween party isn't upbeat because Michael has been told he has to fire someone.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," 9 p.m., NBC. A murder case may be linked to anger over the spread of a deadly new strain of AIDS.

"Boston Legal," 9 p.m., ABC. While Shore is busy defending Catherine (Betty White) in a murder case, Crane is in a controversial gun-rights case.