TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE

"Grey's Anatomy," 8 p.m., ABC. Here's the final piece of the brilliant three-parter. Meredith is hovering near death. In this show's terms that means she's in a hospital way station, talking with people who have died previously on the show. That includes Izzie's old fiance and Meredith's mom, and even the fireman (played by Kyle Chandler of "Friday Night Lights") who carried a bomb that exploded. In other hands, this could have been silly sentiment. However, "Grey's Anatomy" brings humor and richly drawn character portraits.

"I Hate My 30s" debut, 7:30 p.m., VH1. Who knew it would be so funny to turn 30? As Carol's birthday nears, her grandma keeps phoning to remind her that her life is being wasted. Her young co-worker brings a crowd straight from the rave, making her feel ancient. One co-worker grasps at romance; others try to reassure her that she'll be fine as their own post-30 lives crumble. Then there's Dr. Rod at the coffee shop, dispensing dour advice. "I Hate My 30s" is one of the happier surprises of the summer. Partly a low-budget situation comedy and partly Dr. Rod talking to the camera, it works because it has a clever script (by Brice Beckham and David Fickas), delivered well by an amiable cast of unknowns.

"Who Wants To Be a Superhero?" season opener, 6 p.m., Sci Fi. A fresh batch of 10 hopefuls has been assembled. It's a varied and interesting bunch. There's a solid, authoritative police detective, 38, from Austin, Texas; he calls himself The Defuser. And a leaping circus performer, 21, from Plainfield, Vt.; he's Hyper-Strike. One contestant (Mr. Mitzvah) has inherited a fortune. Another (Whip-Snap) grew up amid trouble. Then there's the bosomy Basura, tidy Hygena, pudgy Mindset, colorful Braid. Ms. Limelight is 19 and flashy; Parthenon says he has a thing for diamonds. Stan Lee, the Marvel comics boss, judges them and will feature one in a comic book. First, however, there's a lot of flash and fun.

OF NOTE

"The Blood of Yingzhou District," 4 p.m., Cinemax. Amid the abject poverty of rural China, this Oscar-winning documentary says many people sold their blood under unsafe conditions. Now 75,000 rural children have been orphaned by AIDS and shunned by their villages. This heartbreaking film follows some of them for a year.

"Ugly Betty," 7 p.m., ABC. In this rerun, Betty (a freshly Emmy-nominated America Ferrera) deals with the aftermath of the Fashion Week chaos.

"My Name is Earl," 7 p.m., NBC. Earl tries to make amends to a foreign-exchange student he mocked.

"Welcome to the Parker," debut, 7 p.m., Bravo. The Parker Palm Springs is a 13-acre luxury resort where Gene Autrey's former residence is just one of the spots to rent. The hotel manager is Samir Chraibi, a 6-foot-6 Moroccan and a former pro basketball player. In the opener, the Parker hosts a snooty food critic and some hard-drinking Hollywood guys who have their own pingpong tournament. By the end of the night, they'll be zipping around the expensive suite on a tricycle. It's an odd night and sort of a fun one to watch.

"Mad Men," 7 p.m., AMC. Don keeps being urged to get involved with Richard Nixon's 1960 presidential campaign.

"30 Rock," 7:30 p.m., NBC. This rerun has Jenna waiting anxiously for the opening of "The Rural Juror," an independent film that her colleagues can't even pronounce.

"The Office," 8 p.m., NBC. It's time for Phyllis' wedding in this rerun.

"Soundstage," 10 p.m., PBS. It's the second half of the Jewel concert in Joliet, Ill.

"Burn Notice," 10 p.m., USA Network. Michael must infiltrate a family of gunrunners.