“Survivor: Guatemala” (7 p.m., CBS) marks the 11th installment of the reality game. Funny, it feels like the 111th. I’m not afraid to admit that I find this show’s longevity and popularity completely mystifying. Don’t get me wrong – I like the occasional oddball cast member. But for every Rupert Boneham there have been dozens of dullards, preening egotists and aerobicized airheads. Look for this season’s muscle-headed melodrama to heat up with a cast that includes both a sports talk radio host and a former NFL quarterback.

“Survivor” now seems interesting only to those viewers who are dedicated members of the “Survivor” fan club. Like the worst elements of our popular culture, the show has become entirely self-referential. This became painfully obvious a few seasons back when the teams had to compete in a board game of “Survivor” trivia. Why do you have to spend sweaty nights in the tropics to do that?

Even the promotion for this season’s “Survivor” appears to depend on your knowledge of prior installments. How difficult will Guatemala be? According to host Jeff Probst, Palau was a “cakewalk” in comparison. What if you never watched Palau?

Many critics have gone out on a limb predicting the demise of this sturdy series, or wondering when audiences will tire of its contrivances. But even the most popular shows peter out and become dated and irrelevant to an audience with shifting tastes and priorities. Will viewers who have just spent three weeks watching tragedy unfold on America’s Gulf Coast really get all that upset about game-players contending with 120 degree temperatures? Jeff Probst promises that this “Survivor” will showcase the “dark side of some contestants” as they face heat, physical stress and hunger. I think after a few weeks of civil unrest, unattended corpses, political dithering and gas-price hikes, Americans may have had their fill of the “dark side.”

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ A team member falls prey to a twisted kidnapper on the two-hour season finale of “CSI” (8 p.m., CBS), directed by Quentin Tarantino.

¢ Kirsten’s rehab does not go smoothly on “The O.C.” (7 p.m., Fox).