TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE

"Independent Lens: Wordplay," 10 p.m., PBS. From the simple subject of crossword puzzles, Patrick Creadon has made a documentary that's fun, funny and involving. This isn't one of those snarky films that mocks geeks. Creadon clearly respects them. We meet Will Shortz, who created his own major (enigmatology) at Indiana University and now edits the New York Times crossword puzzles. And we meet people who do those puzzles daily — Bill Clinton, Jon Stewart, Ken Burns, the Indigo Girls and pitcher Mike Mussina. One great segment cuts to many of them, battling the same puzzle. Also included are warm portraits of competitors. "Wordplay" peaks with three of them going for the championship.

Baseball, 2 p.m., Fox. After the early playoff games shuffled off to cable, Fox gets the big ones. Tonight, the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox have the fourth game of their best-of-seven series.

OF NOTE

"Five Days," 5 p.m., HBO. David Oyelowo continues his subtly layered portrayal of a man whose wife and kids disappeared. The kids are back now, the man who picked them up along the road has been arrested, but their mom is still missing. Tonight, the dad tries to celebrate his birthday, realizing he's a prime suspect. This is the midsection of a strong, five-week British drama.

"NCIS," 7 p.m., CBS. Ducky (David McCallum) is working on a research cadaver, when he sees signs of murder.

"The Unit," 8 p.m., CBS. Americans must be rescued from the embassy in the Ivory Coast. Meanwhile, Jonas' daughter enlists.

"Frontline: Cheney's Law," 9 p.m., PBS. Long before he was in the White House, this documentary says, Dick Cheney was pushing to expand presidential power. After the Sept. 11 attacks, he moved quickly to add powers to detain, interrogate and wiretap. At one point, 30 lawyers in the attorney general's office threatened to resign; Cheney was temporarily rebuffed.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," 9 p.m., NBC. Aidan Quinn plays a man whose wife has been beaten into a coma. The only witness is their mentally y Smits) faces the first disagreement since he took over the family sugar-cane operation. He argues with his adoptive father (Hector Elizondo), who has a secret.

"Boston Legal," 9 p.m., ABC. Shirley helps a military man who is a friend of Denny's and has had trouble since acknowledging he's gay.