NBC premieres its second prime-time game show in a week, “Amne$ia” (8 p.m., NBC) hosted by “SNL” star-turned radio talk-show host Dennis Miller. On this show, a single contestant has a chance to win a lot of money for correctly answering questions about his or her own life. As Miller’s “SNL” co-star Dana Carvey used to say, “Isn’t that special?”

I detect a trend here, and it’s a bad one. This is the third recent game show to center around personal biography. The Fox game “Moment of Truth” straps contestants to a lie detector and asks them a series of increasingly squirm-inducing queries about their pasts and feelings. Torture for both the guest and the audience, “Moment” seems to reward people who value money over their friendships and marriages. It has done well in the ratings, but this can be attributed to its post-“Idol” spot.

On Monday, NBC introduced “My Dad is Better than Your Dad.” Audiences showed remarkable indifference to “Dad,” which lost more than half the audience of the preceding game show, “Deal or No Deal.” It’s a small wonder, since “Dad” is an extremely dull affair. After a series of childish challenges, participating fathers were challenged to answer a series of questions about their own children, such as, “What is Tommy’s favorite snack?”

If there’s even an outside chance that Dad doesn’t know, then why should we care?

These intimate narcissism festivals stand in stark contrast to successful game shows including “Jeopardy!” and “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” which put the emphasis on general knowledge.

While one can make too much of a game show, these ventures say much about who we are. Do we want to engage in a conversation about general knowledge or culture? Or do we only want to talk about ourselves?

¢ In other game show news, Drew Carey and “The Price is Right” (7 p.m., CBS) returns to prime time. It’s interesting to note that both Dennis Miller and Carey have ventured from comedy to more political territory.

Miller makes frequent appearances on “The Factor with Bill O’Reilly” (7 p.m., Fox News). Carey has become a spokesman for the libertarian magazine Reason and hosts short films on its Web site Reason.TV on such subjects as privatized highways, legalizing marijuana and curious stories, including a police raid on a friendly poker game at a VFW hall and small town where “Footloose” is not a fantasy.

¢ After the shooting that seemed to send him to a watery grave, Monk hunts for the truth on the winter season finale of “Monk” (8 p.m., USA).

You weren’t really expecting the series star to die, were you? Not to give too much away here, but Monk follows the murder conspiracy to the highest levels and confronts a “Mr. Big” type who is very big indeed. In fact, this villain may remind some of Jabba the Hut.

Look for an amusing interlude with Monk on the lam when he works under an alias at a car wash, where his eye for details make him an outstanding, if exasperating, employee.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ A chemistry test for George and Izzie on “Grey’s Anatomy” (7 p.m., ABC).

¢ Hogarth makes an epic return on “Lemur Kingdom” (7:30 p.m., Animal Planet).

¢ A mother and newborn fight for survival on “House” (8 p.m., Fox).

¢ Scheduled on a two-hour “20/20” (ABC), the allure of drugs in young Hollywood (8 p.m.), everyday ethics (9 p.m.).

¢ Scheduled on “Bill Moyers Journal” (8 p.m., PBS, check local listings): how congressional earmarks work.

¢ Scheduled on “Larry King Live” (8 p.m., CNN): Randy Jackson.

¢ Gina and Paul question the distance between doctors and patients on “In Treatment” (8:30 p.m., HBO).