TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE

"Boston Legal," 9 p.m., ABC. As Hurricane Katrina neared, this show says, doctors fled. One (Ann Cusack) stayed and did the unthinkable, deliberately giving her patients a deadly dose of sedatives. Now Alan Shore (James Spader) goes to New Orleans with a new lawyer (Nia Long) to defend her. Denny Shore comes along to party. Mix in several Boston stories and you have a giant gumbo. Some plot twists are overwrought; some are deep and complex. Shore's summation is beautifully written and delivered, a "Boston Legal" classic.

"Nova" 8 p.m., PBS. A Guatemalan expedition had dragged on leaving an archaeologist parched and desperate. He ducked into a cave - and found history's oldest Mayan paintings. Now he returns, aided by satellite technology. It helps find ruins that were hidden for centuries. That report is fascinating; so is the opening one, dealing with research into longevity. Two others - dealing with a "space elevator" and with biologist Bonnie Bassler - sometimes bog down in detail.

OF NOTE

"Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" (2004), 6 p.m., FX. Sports films are spoofed in this tale of a lowly gym that needs a winning team. There are some top comedy people involved, including Ben Stiller, his wife Christine Taylor and Vince Vaughn.

"House," 7 and 8 p.m., Fox. First is a rerun in which Dr. House refuses to cut a deal with Tritter, the cop who nailed him on drug charges. Then comes a new hour; House has sharp words for Tritter, then makes a surprising choice.

"Ghostbusters" (1984), 8 p.m., ABC Family. Ivan Reitman skillfully directed a terrific cast, led by Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and Sigourney Weaver.

"People's Choice Awards," 8 p.m., CBS. Some of life's more meaningless awards will be handed out. The good news is that there will be bright lights, gowns and Queen Latifah hosting.

"Big Day," 8 and 8:30 p.m., ABC. This fun comedy continues its hectic wedding day. The bride's mother (Wendie Malick) has summoned her ex-boyfriend, who arrives with drugs. Also, the wedding planner needs a new photographer; she hires the fiance who dumped her. As things deteriorate, the bride and groom consider eloping.

"Dirt," 8 p.m., FX. In last week's opener, nasty magazine editor Lucy Spiller (Courteney Cox) damaged the lives of a basketball star and an actress; the latter promptly died of an overdose. The actor who conspired with Lucy was so overwrought that he crashed his car - then was considered a hero for rescuing his girlfriend. Tonight, Lucy remains cruel, with a schizophrenic photographer doing her dirty work. This would be fun, except that so much if it is relentlessly one-dimensional.