TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE

"American Idol," 7 p.m., Fox. Here's the final face-off, in a battle of opposites. Jordin Sparks is 17, with a gorgeous voice, a warm personality and the ability to project rich layers of emotion. Blake Lewis is 25. He has an average voice, but makes up for it with energy, originality and a knack for "beat-box" sounds. They'll do several songs tonight and then the viewers will vote. On Wednesday, one becomes the sixth champion.

"Jesse Stone: Sea Change," 8 p.m., CBS. Here's a logical counterpunch to the "Idol" flash. In its slow, deliberate way, "Sea Change" is well made. This is the fourth film with Tom Selleck as a former Los Angeles cop, now a New England police chief. His ex-wife wants him to quit phoning, so he's more morose than ever. The cases (a long-ago shooting, a current rape charge) are adequate. The film's strength is in its layered portrait of a decent, troubled guy.

OF NOTE

"The Secret Lives of Women," 5 p.m., WE. First are reruns, dealing with "Munchausen moms" (deliberately making their children ill) and with polygamous marriages. Then is a new hour, with fairly interesting profiles of two women accused of killing their husbands. The first involves a Las Vegas millionaire, the second a small-town preacher; the latter was also turned into a 1993 TV movie with Elizabeth Montgomery.

"NCIS," 7 p.m., CBS. Agents are being asked to take lie-detector tests. Meanwhile, Tony and Jeanne are held captive.

"Dancing With the Stars," 8 p.m., ABC. Who knew that athletes would be the winning dancers? This fall, football star Emmit Smith won; tonight's finale has boxer Laila Ali and speed-skater Apolo Ohno, plus Joey Fatone of 'N Sync.

"On the Lot" debut, 8 p.m., Fox. Fox's reality competition has 50 filmmakers going for a million-dollar studio deal. Early on, they must pitch a project, audition; they also must make a film within 24 hours.

"Law & Order: Criminal Intent," 8 p.m., NBC. Current plans call for a quick rerun of Monday's episode, in which a police recruit is killed shortly after breaking up a robbery.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," 9 p.m., NBC. Chris "Ludacris" Bridges returns to his role as the bad-news nephew of Detective Tutuola (Ice-T).