TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE

"Murder by the Book" debut, 8 p.m., Court TV. James Ellroy was 10 when his mother was murdered. He did not react in some trite way, he says. He enjoyed the attention, savoring the chance to live with his low-key dad. He later became a novelist with murder tales set in the time and place (1950s Los Angeles) of her death. Almost 40 years later, Ellroy finally hired a retired cop to re-visit the case. Don't expect any revelations here, but do expect a fascinating visit to a dark mind. This starts a five-week series in which crime authors look at true-crime stories. This opener is powered by Ellroy's frankness and by his dark brilliance.

OF NOTE

"How I Met Your Mother," 7 p.m., CBS. Now that Marshall and Lily are back together they want to make up for lost time: They plan to elope to Atlantic City.

"Prison Break," 7 p.m., Fox. Linc must split from his son again. Meanwhile, Michael heads to where he hopes the plane will be.

"Justice," 8 p.m., Fox. Usually, the team works for big-money clients. Now Tom (Kerr Smith) wants to defend the parking attendant who is charged with killing his wife.

"The Bachelor: Rome," 8 p.m., ABC. It's time for all-day dates with the final three women. That could be complicated for Sadie, 23, a publicist from California who plans to remain a virgin until marriage.

"Heroes," 8 p.m., NBC. Viewers keep hearing that message, "save the cheerleader, save the world." The cheerleader, however, would like to just step aside. Tonight, she tries to focus on a homecoming game.

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," 9 p.m., NBC. Tom is still in jail with show time getting closer. Jack tries to persuade a small-town judge (John Goodman) who doesn't like the show. Also, emotions are heating up between Matt and Harriet.