Brooke Shields may not be your average office employee, but she played one on “Suddenly Susan.” So that qualifies her to judge this week’s “Project Runway” (8 p.m., Bravo) challenge to create an outfit for working women.

After last week’s debacle, I can’t imagine what they will come up with. Sooner or later, even the best reality shows succumb to the fact that they are reality shows, and their contestants begin to act not like normal human beings but like creatures that will attract the most attention. How else do you explain Suede’s obvious use of the third person or Blayne’s obsession with tanning and his insistence on creating his own catchphrases?

Season 4’s Christian (“Fierce!”) may have resembled an overcaffeinated cartoon character, but at least he had talent. The ratio of annoying characters to actual skill is way out of balance this season. There hasn’t been one outstanding design to date.

And if last week proved anything, this bunch is not only self-absorbed, they’re possibly hard of hearing. When asked to design an outfit appropriate for the Olympic opening ceremony (and to plug NBC’s broadcast of same), only about two or three of the group actually listened. The mangling of styles and mashing of period fashions was interesting, at least. Several designers seemed to think that if they evoked the past, it made a patriotic statement. The nervous Daniel disregarded sportswear entirely and designed a cocktail dress, and the overconfident Jerell seemed to think that the Olympic challenge somehow involved eveningwear on Mars.

Jennifer got the boot last week and not a moment too soon. She was timid and tentative and had the annoying habit of calling herself a “surrealist,” while appearing to have no grasp of the word’s meaning. Perhaps Brooke Shields can talk some sense into this group. All but a few of them should be marooned on the Blue Lagoon.

¢ With billions of eyeballs turned toward the Beijing games on NBC, competing networks have to get imaginative. That’s why it’s canine IQ night on “Greatest American Dog” (7 p.m., CBS). I think this one has something to do with dog paintings. As in paintings by dogs. Who can resist fine art?

¢ The “Mythbusters” (8 p.m., Discovery) guys put viral videos to the test, particularly a popular one about a car being levitated by the power of fire hoses.

¢ “Taboo” (9 p.m., National Geographic) returns for a fifth season exploring behavior considered traditional and reverent by some and bizarre by outsiders. Tonight: self-mutilation in Malaysia and a cult of rat worship in rural India.

¢ A repeat “Nova scienceNOW” (8 p.m., PBS, check local listings) looks at the future of “sociable robots” designed to interact with and help human beings. We’ve seen robots sent into space and working on assembly lines. But according to some experts, we’re entering the era of the domestic robot. “Your living room is the final frontier for robots,” roboticist Cynthia Breazeal says.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ Scheduled Summer Olympics (7 p.m., NBC) events include men’s gymnastics, swimming, beach volleyball and cycling.

¢ A tip leads to a warehouse confrontation on “CSI: NY” (9 p.m., CBS).

¢ Organs out of tune and limos off course on “Scare Tactics” (9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Sci Fi).