Adam Arkin rises through the ranks

Adam Arkin guest stars on “Commander in Chief” (9 p.m., ABC) as Carl Brantley, Mac’s choice for attorney general. Nothing comes easily for the first female president, particularly when House Speaker Nathan Templeton (Donald Sutherland) has his way. Brantley faces a cold reception in Congress and takes a beating for being “soft on crime.”

While it’s hard to comment on the resume of a fictional attorney general, Arkin’s TV characters have certainly gained some gravitas over the years. Ten years ago, he was a doctor on “Chicago Hope” and, five years after that, Dr. Stanley Keyworth on “The West Wing.” He’s progressed from being a mere lawyer on “The Practice” to acting as an assistant district attorney on “Boston Legal,” with a few pit stops on “Law & Order” along the way. And fans of “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter” will remember him as Principal Ed Gibb. Not a bad track record for a guy who was once part of the local color on “Northern Exposure.”

For all of his experience, some still see Adam as the young son of Alan Arkin (“Catch-22,” “Slums of Beverly Hills”). So, in this generational context, it’s fitting that his “Commander in Chief” nemesis be played by Donald Sutherland, the senior half of another father-son acting team. Sutherland is, of course, father to Kiefer Sutherland, Jack Bauer of “24” fame.

¢ Three finalists compete on “Celebrity Cooking Showdown” (7 p.m., NBC).

¢ Three semifinalists take center stage on “American Inventor” (8 p.m., ABC), as Ed serves as their creative mentor. A repeat (7 p.m.) recap of the audition phase precedes this “Inventor.”

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ Jeff Probst hosts “Survivor Panama: Exile Island” (7 p.m., CBS).

¢ Chris studies the martial arts on “Everybody Hates Chris” (7 p.m., UPN).

¢ The documentary “Rome: Engineering an Empire” (7 p.m., History) discusses how the spread of Roman power had as much to do with aqueducts and good roads as military might.

¢ Catherine has a close romantic encounter of the dangerous kind on “CSI” (8 p.m., CBS).

¢ Earl meets a girl he once faked his own death to avoid on “My Name Is Earl” (8 p.m., NBC).

¢ A martial-arts lunch break on “The Office” (8:30 p.m., NBC).

¢ The family of a missing 5-year-old tell their tale on “Without a Trace” (9 p.m., CBS). Laurie Metcalf (“Roseanne”) guest stars.

¢ Intensive care for a very important patient on “E.R.” (9 p.m., NBC).