TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas," 7 p.m., ABC. After being confined to cable for years, one of TV's great shows returns to a network for its 40th anniversary. It leads a strong night for ABC. Here is Dr. Seuss' wonderful story translated by Chuck Jones, the genius behind Road Runner and Bugs Bunny cartoons. Boris Karloff added the droll narration. To stretch this into an hour, a making-of documentary is attached.

"Help Me Help You," 8:30 p.m., ABC. On "Desperate Housewives," Brenda Strong has been a key force and, usually, an invisible one. She offers the irony-filled narration of the late Mary Alice Young. Now she gets an extended stay on this show with at least four guest episodes. She's Linda, the neighbor of Bill (Ted Danson), who is just re-entering the dating scene. The six-foot Strong should make a good match for Danson. Meanwhile, each of his therapy patients has a problem.

OF NOTE

"The Lost Room," 5 and 7 p.m., Sci-Fi Channel; concludes Wednesday. First is a rerun of Monday's terrific opener in which a cop (Peter Krause) finds the key to a mysterious room. Then is a new chapter in which he searches desperately for his daughter.

"Friday Night Lights," 7 p.m., NBC. Jason Street, the paralyzed quarterback, finally returns home. Meanwhile, his ex-girlfriend faces fierce harassment because of her affair with Tim Riggins. And the coach tries hard to separate his daughter from the sweet-spirited new quarterback, Matt Saracen.

"House," 8 p.m., Fox. Wilson desperately tries to arrange a compromise between Dr. House and the cop (David Morse) who is trying to get him on drug charges. Meanwhile, House is off Vicodin and off the team during a tough case.

"Big Day," 8 p.m., ABC. As the day of the outdoor wedding continues, there's a new crisis — the weather. Meanwhile, the groom is appalled to learn that the bride once made out with his friend, the best man. It's another funny episode.

"The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2006," 9 p.m., ABC. Barbara Walters' annual special includes the usual odd variety. Brad Pitts and Angelina Jolie are on the list, of course, along with Patrick Dempsey. So are Sacha Baron Cohen and, surprisingly, Terri Irwin (Steve's widow) and John Ramsey (the late JonBenet's dad).

"Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride: Hunter S. Thompson on Film," 8 p.m., Starz. It would be silly to have a standard biography for Hunter Thompson, the wonderfully non-standard writer. So we shouldn't be surprised that this one begins with Gary Busey being bizarre, ends with Harry Dean Stanton singing "Danny Boy," and is narrated by Nick Nolte. Along the way, we get glimpses of a guy who used words brilliantly and sometimes shed his gonzo image to show his roots as a Southern gentleman. Johnny Depp and Bill Murray, who portrayed him in movies, describe him lovingly.