Sometimes the next best thing to creating a solid adaptation of a beloved novel is to offer a biography of the woman behind the book. “Masterpiece Theatre” aired “Miss Austen Regrets,” a historical profile of Jane Austen, and Anne Hathaway starred as the “Pride and Prejudice” author in the feature film “Becoming Jane.”

Now, “American Masters” (8 p.m., PBS, check local listings) presents “Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women.” The film stars acclaimed Off-Broadway actress Elizabeth Marvel as Louisa May Alcott and Jane Alexander as her biographer, Ednah Dow Cheney.

“Woman” uses the actual words from personal correspondence and historical accounts of conversations to debunk the long-held view of Alcott as a moralizing spinster. It paints a woman ahead of her time, raised among iconoclasts like Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, who held very progressive ideas about women, work and career. It also focuses on the many works of popular, even pulp fiction that she published under the pen name A.M. Barnard. Her literary alter ego wrote lurid tales of cross-dressers and opium addicts and other melodramatic pot-boilers. Her double life as Alcott/Barnard was not unveiled until the 1940s, six decades after her death.

• Having conquered America and recently appeared on the British talk show “Graham Norton Show,” Cesar Millan goes on to become the pack leader of a new continent. “Dog Whisperer: Cesar Down Under” (7 p.m., National Geographic) follows him as he helps some notable Australians get their pets under control. This is the first episode of “Dog Whisperer” filmed outside the United States. “Down Under” kicks off a week of original installments.

• “Men of a Certain Age” (9 p.m., TNT) continues to amble rather effortlessly through mid-life misery. Tonight’s episode should be a turning point of sorts for Joe (Ray Romano) when Owen (Andre Braugher) discovers some unsettling news about the reasons for the end of Joe’s marriage. Only Joe and the audience discover that it’s hard to reach a turning point when you’re intent on treading water.

Joe continues his odd, bleak friendship with his bookie, a character who often seems like he’s from another show entirely. And Terry (Scott Bakula) comes face-to-face with his image as a callous womanizer, and doesn’t really like what he sees. Character actor Michael Hitchcock (“Best in Show”) has a memorable turn as Dave, Terry’s boss and a hen-pecked guy who’s more than a little jealous of Terry’s bachelor status.

Tonight’s other highlights

• On four repeats of “Community” (NBC), Jeff wants an easy course (7 p.m.), statistics sag (7:30 p.m.), debating skills (8 p.m.), Jeff confronts a bully (8:30 p.m.).

• Johnny Depp returns in the 2007 sequel “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” (7 p.m., ABC).

• Ethical questions abound when an evil despot (James Earl Jones) becomes a patient on “House” (7 p.m., Fox).

• Chicago hosts Minnesota on “Monday Night Football” (7 p.m., ESPN).

• More “Golden Girls” (7 p.m. through midnight, WE) episodes unfold.

• Charlie Sheen’s brother Emilio Estevez guest-stars as a fellow cad, whose early death forces Charlie to take stock on “Two and a Half Men” (8 p.m., CBS)

• A football star stands accused of rape on “Lie to Me” (8 p.m., Fox).

• A personal chef cooks up controversy on “CSI: Miami” (9 p.m., CBS).