I’ve been writing this column for more than nine years, and I can attest, from some desperate experience, that Independence Day Eve qualifies as the slowest TV night of the year. After nine Third of July columns, one gets to learn the signs and signals. Believe me, any night Fox jettisons its regular lineup for an old Adam Sandler comedy is a slow night of television. And tonight is the slowest of all, even slower than late August and with leaner pickings than the week after Christmas. If you want to spend the evening cleaning off your grill or keeping your fireworks dry for the big day, be my guest. There will be plenty of television tomorrow.

¢ Ready for a summer road trip? “Drive Thru History” (8 p.m., History Channel International) celebrates the roads and highways of ancient Europe. Host Dave Stotts takes a tiny European two-seater over ancient Roman roads and provides a breezy history of the Eternal City along the way.

“Drive Thru” airs every night this week, exploring ancient cities in Italy, Greece and Turkey. Based on a nice premise, “Drive Thru” is often marred by the host’s smug demeanor and delivery. He spends about five minutes getting lost, or pretending to get lost, in Rome. Given the opportunity to discuss thousands of years of history and culture, he can talk only about himself. This may cement his credentials as a TV Every Dude, but I quickly lost respect for Stotts and lost patience with his routine.

¢ Chandra West (“NYPD Blue”) stars in the 2005 mystery “The Last Trimester” (8 p.m., Lifetime). A couple agrees to adopt the infant of a woman named Gabby (Lara Gilchrist). When Gabby is found murdered soon after giving birth, the wife (West) suspects her husband of foul play and cooperates with police to determine his complicity. A review copy was not made available.

¢ “History Detectives” (8 p.m., PBS) examines artifacts including a Civil War map, an early Coca-Cola advertisement and a billy club linked to a historic strike.

¢ “How Art Made the World” (9 p.m., PBS, part two of five) examines ancient cave paintings found in Europe, South Africa and California. While separated by half a world and more than 10,000 years, the primitive illustrations share many patterns and attributes. After sifting through several theories, acclaimed Cambridge University lecturer Nigel Spivey indicates that current scholars believe that they are the works of shamans, often in a trance state or under the influence of tobacco or intoxicants.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ Symbols loom large on two hours of “Treasure Hunters” (7 p.m., NBC).

¢ Adam Sandler stars in the 2002 comedy “Mr. Deeds” (7 p.m., Fox).

¢ Brits and brats clash on “Supernanny” (8 p.m., ABC).

¢ A fancy restaurant hosts a murder on “The Closer” (8 p.m., TNT).

¢ A shocking incident upstages Horatio’s wedding on “CSI: Miami” (9 p.m., CBS).

¢ Allison imagines government agents are hunting her on “Medium” (9 p.m., NBC).

¢ T-shirt auctions and uncommon scents on “How to Get the Guy” (9 p.m., ABC).

¢ Fog shrouds all on “Saved” (9 p.m., TNT).