If you build it, they will come. Or at least watch it on television. The Athens Games have not turned out to be a “Field of Dreams” for the Greek Olympics Committee. They’ve had trouble just finding spectators for some events. But NBC may not want to wake up from their Olympics ratings dream. Last week’s opening ceremony attracted more than 50 million viewers, making it the second-most-watched event of 2004, after the Super Bowl. It even outscored the much-hyped “Friends” finale.

So far, Olympics coverage continues to outdraw all of its network competition combined. Some estimate that more than 126 million Americans have watched some part of the first three days and nights of the Olympic Games on NBC or its cable affiliates. It is only a slight exaggeration to compare this to broadcasting the Super Bowl every night for two straight weeks. That’s why some nonsports-minded viewers may find the competing network fare a tad skimpy.

Tonight’s scheduled primetime Olympics coverage (7 p.m., NBC) includes men’s and women’s swimming finals; men’s track and field; women’s diving; women’s gymnastics; and women’s beach volleyball.

• Nobody could be further from an Olympic athlete than Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub), the obsessive-compulsive detective of “Monk” (9 p.m., USA) fame. On tonight’s third-season finale, Monk takes a medication that alleviates his mental ticks. Unfortunately, the pills also rob him of his incredible intuitive skills.

Fans who want to catch up with this season’s shows can watch a six-hour mini “Monk” marathon on USA, beginning at 4 p.m. and concluding with the season finale.

Tonight’s other highlights

• The Philadelphia Eagles meet the Baltimore Ravens in preseason NFL action (7 p.m., CBS).
• A lonely surfer girl adopts an odd looking puppy with secrets of his own in the 2002 animated musical “Lilo & Stitch” (7 p.m., Disney).
• Scheduled on “20/20” (9 p.m., ABC): a family unites to solve a gruesome murder in their midst; a mob fund-raiser tries a novel approach.

Late night

Larry Brown, Sean Hayes and Phish appear on “Late Show with David Letterman” (10:35 p.m., CBS) … The Libertines are booked on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (11:05 p.m., ABC).