TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE

"The Black Donnellys" debut, 9 p.m., NBC. Here is the season's second-best pilot film. Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco — who crafted the Oscar-winning "Crash" — created a rich tale of four likable brothers enmeshed in a tough crime world. The bad news? It replaces "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," which had the season's best pilot. OK, quality doesn't always win. It might in this case, though, because "Donnellys" has violence, romance and youthful optimism. Tommy Donnelly is the earnest brother, trying to keep the others in line. Jimmy is volatile; Kevin is quiet, loyal and addicted to gambling. Sean keeps attracting women while attracting trouble. All are played by gifted newcomers. Only Olivia Wilde ("Skin," "The O.C.") has done much TV; she plays a no-nonsense neighbor. The real stars are Haggis (who also directed the pilot) and Moresco. They've crafted a passionate and involving story.

OF NOTE

"My Life as a Child" debut, 7 p.m., TLC. Twenty kids videotaped their thoughts and lives; here are the first three: Joshua Bynum, 7, shuttles between his mother's tough Baltimore neighborhood and his grandmother's home. Cole Massie, 8, doesn't let cerebral palsy keep him from karate lessons. Marc Yu, 7, is a classical pianist, already performing at recitals and orchestra concerts.

"Prison Break," 7 p.m., Fox. Michael and Linc have a crucial recording that could expose the plot. Now they must figure out how to get out of there with it.

"How I Met Your Mother," 7 p.m., CBS. When Marshall's car breaks down, the friends exchange stories that involve it.

"Women on Death Row 2," 7 p.m., WE. This documentary admits that the crimes involved were horrendous. Christa Pike, at 18, led the beating and stabbing of someone she thought wanted her man; Elizabeth Green murdered a kindly old Cincinnati man. Still, the documentary gives them a human face. And in another case (Melanie Anderson), it stirs doubt about whether she's really guilty.

"The Class," 7:30 p.m., CBS. A week before the season finale, this terrific comedy nudges sunny Ethan closer to the acerbic Kat.

"Two and a Half Men," 8 p.m., CBS. Charlie and Alan go too far telling their mother that no one would mourn at her funeral.

"Heroes," 8 p.m., NBC. Eager for answers, Matt and the radioactive Ted Sprague take the horned-rim-glasses guy hostage, along with his wife and their adopted daughter Claire. Disaster follows.

"Great Performances: Sting: Songs From the Labyrinth," 10 p.m., PBS. Maybe we should admire Sting for mastering the 400-year-old songs of John Dowland. A few minutes into this, however, it becomes clear that these are drearily awful songs, of interest to few people.