“Tempted” (8 p.m., Lifetime) begins as all Lifetime movies must, with a woman in peril. No, Emma (Virginia Madsen) is not being chased by a deranged madman or stalked her husband’s secret lover. But she is in deep risk of vanishing into the bottomless pit of her boring life. Her workaholic husband (Andrew McFarlane) takes her for granted. So do the selfish lawyers she works for.

But these petty annoyances are put on hold when Emma learns that Lily, the Hawaiian woman who raised her as a mother, has died. As her last request, Lily asks Emma to return her ashes to the Aloha State. There she meets Kala (Jason Momoa of “Baywatch Hawaii”), a muscle-bound Hawaiian hunk who looks like a cross between Fabio and Keanu Reeves. And for reasons most mysterious, this handsome beachcomber falls madly in love with our dowdy heroine, re-awakening her long-buried passions. Blah, blah, blah.

Early on in “Tempted,” the buttoned-down Emma looks very much like a mid-career Barbara Stanwyck. Now there was a woman for “women’s pictures.” But those glorious black-and-white B movies helped viewers identify with their heroine’s hysterical state by means of frantic music, deep shadows and stimulating camera angles. Like most Lifetime fare, “Tempted” is flat and forgettable, shot with all the visual panache of an infomercial.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ Juliet poses as a reporter on “Veritas: The Quest” (7 p.m., ABC).

¢ Ray gives Robert some tips on wedding-work avoidance on “Everybody Loves Raymond” (8 p.m., CBS).

¢ Jimmy and Eugene’s client threatens Helen on “The Practice” (8 p.m., ABC). Postponed from an earlier date.

¢ “VH1 News Special: Terror in the Front Row” (9 p.m., VH1) looks at the stampede tragedies in Rhode Island and Chicago.

Series notes

Doug insults a contractor, who leaves his house in a shambles on “King of Queens” (7 p.m., CBS) … Joe Rogan is host of “Fear Factor” (7 p.m., NBC).

Late night

Jessica Lange and Ben Harper appear on “Late Show with David Letterman” (10:35 p.m., CBS) … Jay Leno welcomes Benicio del Toro, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Everclear on “The Tonight Show” (10:35 p.m., NBC).

Tina Fey, Joe Pantoliano and Coldplay are on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Craig David is booked on “The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn” (11:37 p.m., CBS).