TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE

"American Idol," 7 p.m., Fox. In the show's journeys to the north, the "Idol" people mostly ended up grumbling. They complained about Minneapolis. They complained even more about Seattle. Now "Idol" heads to the South where it has always found its best prospects. Tonight's auditions are in Memphis, the home of great music and, perhaps, top "Idol" contenders.

"President Bush's State of the Union Address," 4 p.m., ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox and cable news channels, plus follow-up coverage. Even in an average year, the president's annual talk is of high interest. This year, however, it comes in the middle of news turmoil — a new war strategy, a transformed Congress, an emerging presidential race. Pick your network and settle in.

OF NOTE

"The Princess Bride" (1987), 5 p.m., Bravo. Director Rob Reiner beautifully merged romance, adventure and comedy for this fun movie. The wondrous supporting cast includes great turns from Mandy Patinkin, Fred Savage, Billy Crystal and even Andre the Giant.

"NCIS," 7 p.m., CBS. When a Marine's body is found, the investigation turns to Mamoun Sharif, a bomb-maker the agents have faced before. Joining the investigation is Lt. Col. Hollis Mann, played by the talented Susanna Thompson. She promptly resumes flirting with Gibbs.

"Circle of Friends" (1995), 7 p.m., WE. In a logical world, every Maeve Binchy novel and short story would be filmed. This one catches her sense of small-town Irish life. Minnie Driver, then a newcomer, added weight for the role of a young village woman hoping to go to college. In support are Chris O'Donnell, Alan Cumming, Saffron Burrows and Colin Firth.

"Big Fat Liar" (2002), 8 p.m., ABC Family. A nasty Hollywood guy steals a story idea from a teenager, so the kid (Frankie Muniz) and his friend (Amanda Bynes) head to Hollywood for revenge. It's a light, fairly fun show. Ironically, it includes two stars, Paul Giamatti and Sandra Oh, who went on to do "Sideways."

"Dirt," 8 p.m., FX. This series keeps finding ways to dive deeper into human agony. Don, the schizophrenic photographer, has a romance with a dead woman and heads out to photograph a star's detached head. Lucy (Courteney Cox) spies on her brother and grumbles about her mom's wedding. In small doses, these moments would be fine; piled atop of each other, they provide a monotone mountain. You may find yourself trying to lighten up by returning to political coverage.