TONIGHT'S MUST-SEES

"The Trials of Ted Haggard," 6 p.m., HBO. Ted Haggard was a powerful force in conservative Christianity — pastor of New Life Church and president of the National Association of Evangelicals. Then he admitted he had bought a massage and methamphetamine from a male prostitute. Banished from his church (but given free housing for two years), Haggard tried to rebuild his life. His wife and five children stuck with him; potential employers shunned him. This documentary shows the usual deft touch of filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi. With nothing in common with Haggard — her mother is Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi — she shows empathy, getting us to root for a guy whose life has fallen apart.

"Hell's Kitchen" season-opener, 8 p.m., Fox. Our new hero might be Colleen, 41. Gordon Ramsay spit out her food, insulted her and bemoaned the fact that she teaches other chefs. Her reply: "I also teach manners." Mostly, though, Ramsay is brutally in charge. Starting with a bigger pool, he chose 16 contestants and declared this the best field ever. The guys have the blue team, named "Blues Brothers." The women's red team is called Saffron, although Ramsay liked the alternate suggestion, Spice Racks. Then things fell apart, as usual. For at least the third time on a season-opener, the restaurant closed with most of patrons unserved. In many ways, "Hell's Kitchen" is terribly repetitious

OF NOTE

"American Idol," 7 p.m., Fox. This is the final hour of auditions. It's transplanted to a Thursday — which may be why ABC, CBS and NBC have reruns for most of the night.

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," 7 p.m., CBS. In a new episode, the team helps an FBI agent whose partner was killed working undercover,

"The Office," 8 p.m., NBC. In a rerun, an ethics seminar gets out of hand, when everyone speaks freely.

"30 Rock," 8:31 p.m., NBC. In a night with too many reruns, here's one that's definitely worth seeing. Liz, the former high school nerd, reluctantly goes to her reunion, with surprising results.

"Toughest Cowboy" debut, 9 p.m., Spike. Here's a fresh twist on the rodeo — with "Survivor" boss Mark Burnett producing it for TV. Over seven weeks, cowboys will compete in seven different cities; that starts tonight in Mesquite, Texas. They'll ride bareback, ride on saddles, ride on bulls; the winner will get a Wyoming ranch in the Rocky Mountains.

"Burn Notice," 10 p.m., USA Network. Leading into the Super Bowl, USA's original shows have football-themed episodes today and Friday. In this one, the link is mild — Michael helps a football coach when one of his teen players is threatened. (Former Dallas Cowboy great Michael Irvin is the guest star.) The good guys pretend to be a car-theft ring — giving viewers helpful tips on stealing, disabling and bulletproofing cars. There are also some tender moments, especially after a fierce fire.