Oh, that Mick St. John (Alex O’Louglin). He’s not your father’s vampire. Mick’s conflicted and moody, handsome and brooding, bloodthirsty yet caring. He was transformed into an undead entity some 60 years ago – by his wife, of all people. Marriage will do that sometimes. But over the decades he’s found a way to cope without killing thanks to a steady supply of hospital blood that he consumes like a cocktail (don’t dare think Bloody Marys!) or injects with a needle. Hey, it’s a life.

Did I mention Mick’s also a private eye? This line of work may not make a lot of sense for a creature who shuns the sunlight, but it offers “Moonlight” (8 p.m., CBS) the chance to mingle the gothic atmosphere of vampire lore with the doom-laden dialogue of film noir detective movies. And unlike polyester, it’s a mighty nice blend.

Mick’s story introduces us to a whole demimonde of vampires in Los Angeles. He scores his blood and vital information from a pal at the morgue. Mick’s also chummy with Josef (Jason Dohring), a financial wizard and master-of-the-universe type who makes the most of his killer instincts but encourages Mick to keep the whole vampire scene on the Q.T.

When local Internet reporter Beth Turner (Sophia Myles) stumbles upon a coed corpse with suspicious bite marks on her neck, Mick fears the worst. And that’s before we realize this is not the first time he’s crossed paths with the fetching Turner.

Like a lot of private-eye fare, “Moonlight” is heavier on the voice-overs and atmospherics than action. And the pilot spends so much time introducing the real and wannabe vampires that it never ties up its loose ends. We sort of discover the identity of the bad guy, but we never see that person brought to justice or that thread resolved. That’s rather odd for a detective show. But, then again, vampires have all the time in the world.

¢ A journalist discovers that he can become part of the story on “Expose: America’s Investigative Reports” (9 p.m., PBS, check local listings). After a court reporter on an independently owned Idaho newspaper discovers that a local judge has been sealing the many convictions of a local pedophile, his paper reveals that the local Boy Scout authorities and elders in the Mormon church have been conducting a major cover-up over several decades. After the story breaks, the powers-that-be go out of their way to ruin the life of the young reporter who broke the story. This segment, “In a Small Town,” continues next Friday.

¢ Sometimes the things you take for granted are based on complex histories and years of research and development, as evidenced on “Secret History of the Bra” (9 p.m., National Geographic). “Secret” has many “did-you-know?” moments. It turns out the average bra has more than 40 components, and more than 4 million are manufactured every day to supply the average woman with her closet of 6-1/2 bras. That adds up to a $16 billion industry.

Tonight’s season premieres

¢ Melinda meets a spirit who holds a grudge against her on “Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m., CBS).

¢ Questions about the murder of Mary’s father remain on a two-hour episode of “Las Vegas” (8 p.m., NBC).

¢ Colby breaks out of prison on “Numb3rs” (9 p.m., CBS).

¢ Scheduled on “20/20” (9 p.m., ABC): an interview with Jenna Bush.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ Saxon becomes prime minister on “Dr Who” (7 p.m., Sci Fi).

¢ The folks at Animal Planet promise a “Meerkat Manor” (7:30 p.m., Animal Planet) not to be forgotten. Have your hankies ready.