I thought I could go the entire summer without writing a column about “American Idol: The Search for a Superstar” (8 p.m., Fox). It’s not that I don’t like the show. Who can resist the sight of fresh young faces vying for a shot at the big time? The contestants deserve nothing but credit for their enthusiasm and sense of camaraderie. But once you get beyond the effervescent kids, “Idol” has the unmistakable aroma of badly recycled plastic.

The much ballyhooed squabbling among judges Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell seems about as genuine as a live performance by Milli Vanilli. And, speaking of forgettable acts from the late 1980s, how excited can I get about a Paula Abdul comeback when I completely ignored her talents the first time around? Cowell has made himself a household name as just another Brit who likes to say nasty, condescending things to an American audience. Didn’t Anne Robinson blaze that trail about five minutes ago?

Tonight’s match-up among Nikki, Justin and Kelly will probably come down to a battle between looks and talent. So far, Justin and Kelly have survived despite some less-than-stellar performances. But the fact that they look like pop stars is clearly in their favor. Nikki gets the Joan Crawford Award for using her kid as a sympathy-generating prop. Remember how tightly she clutched her 4-year-old son after her noticeably weak rendition of “Always Something There to Remind Me”? She’s the least talented of the three and cannot hold a candle to last week’s evictee, Tamyra, but she seems to possess an intangible quality that the audience loves. If I cared enough to let my fingers do the walking, I’d vote for Kelly. And that probably means that she’ll be eliminated.

Tonight’s other highlights

Note: Highlights and listings may vary due to local baseball and pre-season football coverage.

Al-Qaida members goes on trial before a military tribunal on “JAG” (7 p.m., CBS).

Kirsten Dunst stars in the 2000 drama “The Virgin Suicides” (7 p.m., Showtime), written and directed by Sofia Coppola.

Still mourning his wife, Monk feels tempted by a beauty who is also be a suspect on “Monk” (8 p.m., ABC).

Scheduled on “Dateline” (9 p.m., NBC): A woman is murdered after she challenges her family and culture by resisting an arranged marriage.

The art heist unfolds on the conclusion of the four-part drama “Widows” (9 p.m., ABC), starring Mercedes Ruehl, Rosie Perez and Brooke Shields.

The documentary “Escuela” on “P.O.V.” (PBS, 9 p.m.) examines how high schools try to educate the children of migrant farm workers who sometimes move several times during the academic year.

Series notes

All are repeats … Clips galore on “20 Years of Must See TV” (7 p.m., NBC) … Donna is smitten by Casey on “That ’70s Show” (7 p.m., Fox) … On back-to-back episodes of “According to Jim” (ABC, TV-PG), Cheryl squanders the Christmas kitty (7 p.m.), Jim shares an intimate picture of Cheryl (7:30 p.m.) … Anya’s rage grows on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (7 p.m., UPN) … Lorelai is furious with Luke and Jess on “Gilmore Girls” (7 p.m., WB) … Sean steals a Christmas tree on “Grounded for Life” (7:30 p.m., Fox).

Nick protects the paternal rights of an ex-convict on “The Guardian” (8 p.m., CBS) … Frasier’s syndication deal threatens his radio hero (Joe Flaherty) on “Frasier” (8 p.m., NBC) … William gets wobbly at the altar on “Girlfriends” (8 p.m., UPN) … A brutal Bee attack on “Smallville” (8 p.m., WB).

Finch meets his mentor (Amy Sedaris) on “Just Shoot Me” (8:30 p.m., NBC) … Nikki seeks help on “The Parkers” (8:30 p.m., UPN) … Amy worries that Maxine is working too hard on “Judging Amy” (9 p.m., CBS).