Monday nights have become the night of the ticking clock on Fox. “Prison Break” (7 p.m., Fox) joins “24” in two solid hours of nail-biting paranoia, conspiracy and claustrophobia.

For the uninitiated, “Prison Break” stars Wentworth Miller as Michael Scofield, an upstanding architect who commits a botched robbery with the intent of being incarcerated in the same facility as his brother, Lincoln (Dominic Purcell), wrongly convicted of killing the vice president’s brother. Michael plans on busting his brother out of the joint, and he gets the blueprints of the facility tattooed on his body.

The first half-season concluded with his escape plans foiled – at least temporarily – and with Lincoln facing execution within a matter of hours. In what seems to be the most porous prison facility in the country, Michael tries to devise a new way to stave off his brother’s date with the electric chair.

In addition to the ticking clocks, “Prison Break” shares a lot with “24” (8 p.m., Fox). Both stories involve characters presumed dead, and both feature vice presidents as heavies. The CTU headquarters has often resembled a posh variation on a prison, or at least a place where they can’t afford decent lighting. And last week’s episode, in which Jack and the team were locked in glass to avoid nerve-gas contamination, was the most locked-down hour of the season. Tonight, the first lady (Jean Smart) continues her attempts to locate her husband’s backbone.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ Two very different approaches to fitness on “Wife Swap” (7 p.m., ABC).

¢ On two episodes of “Related” (WB), Dad departs (7 p.m.) and the girls remember Mama (Dana Delany) (8 p.m.). The second episode marks the season finale and, in all likelihood, the series conclusion for “Related.”

¢ The teams compete to launch a new breakfast cereal on “The Apprentice” (8 p.m., NBC).

¢ A soldier’s family needs help on “Supernanny” (8 p.m., ABC).

¢ Marisol becomes an endangered witness to a violent crime on “CSI: Miami” (9 p.m., CBS).

¢ A dancer’s dream is reborn on “Miracle Workers” (9 p.m., ABC).

¢ Kristi Yamaguchi hosts “Skating’s Next Star” (9 p.m., WE) with help from judges, including Elvis Stojko, Oksana Grishuk and Rudy Galindo.