Super Bowl weekend begins early with a pigskin-themed episode of “Monk” (8 p.m., USA).

The precinct house has playoff fever, a contagion not shared by the finicky detective. But he shocks the crew when he announces casually that he has press-box tickets, courtesy of announcer Bob Costas, who guest stars as himself. Or rather a cat-obsessed version of himself.

A football stadium — or rather the testosterone-drenched tailgate-partying parking lot of a stadium prior to a game — is the perfect venue to show off Adrian’s aversion to irrational enthusiasm and the drunker and huggier aspects of male bonding. And leave it to Monk to discover a crime scene and a cover-up on the outskirts of the gridiron action.

In the curious world of cable scheduling, we are currently in the midst of the second half of the seventh season of “Monk.”

Season 8, which is scheduled to begin sometime this summer, is slated to be the final season for “Monk,” a series that seems like it could run forever. And that is probably as good a time as any to call it a day.

Football fever continues on “Psych” (9 p.m., USA) in an episode in which Shawn and Gus discover a football player’s missing foot.

• Some years back, “The Simpsons” featured a gory spoof video called “Football’s Greatest Injuries.” Proof that one man’s parody is another’s programming inspiration can be found on “Adrenaline Rush Hour” (8 p.m., Discovery), a 60-minute collection of gasp-inducing footage of accidents, explosions, botched stunts and desperate rescues.

Tonight’s other highlights

• A blogger haunts the spirit realm on “Ghost Whisperer” (7 p.m., CBS).

• A big test puts Chris on edge on “Everybody Hates Chris” (7 p.m., CW).

• Who can resist “20 Best and Worst Celebrity Plastic Surgery Stories” (7 p.m., E!)? Nobody asked me, but I nominate Mickey Rourke and Axl Rose for the latter category.

• Atom and Aquaman get real tiny to tangle with a mutant virus on “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” (7 p.m., Cartoon Network).

• Animal Planet offers viewers five chances to catch “Planet Earth” (7 p.m. through 1 a.m., Animal Planet).

• Designers and builders find innovative ways to remain eco-friendly in the special “Brilliant Green” (7 p.m., Ovation).

• A head game unfolds between rival quarterbacks on “Friday Night Lights” (8 p.m., NBC).

• Rock climbers flee with a stolen gem on “Numb3rs” (9 p.m., CBS).

• Earth’s shattering is earth-shattering to members of the crew on “Battlestar Galactica” (9 p.m., Sci Fi).

Cult choice

Diane Lane and Laura Dern star as members of a punk trio in the theatrically unreleased 1982 feature “Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains” (1:30 a.m., TCM).

Look for Christine Lahti, ex-Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul Cook, and Paul Simonon from The Clash.

An inspiring film to many female rockers and a midnight-movie classic to others, this film seemed “strident and unappealing” to critic Leonard Maltin.