TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE

"House," 8 p.m., Fox. After stepping aside for the State of the Union and an expanded "American Idol," the terrific "House" is back. Dr. House survived his drug charges, mainly because Cuddy (his boss) perjured herself. Now he's back from rehab, and she demands something in return: He'll do some full-time work in the clinic. There, he meets a rape victim who refuses to talk to a psychiatrist. Instead, she pulls House into unfamiliar territory, tackling her personal story.

OF NOTE

"American Idol," 7 p.m., Fox. Birmingham, Ala., has been the home of two "Idol" winners (Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard) and a runner-up (Bo Bice). Chances are, we'll see some strong talent during these Birmingham auditions.

"NCIS," 7 p.m., CBS. In this rerun, the death of an American who was working undercover leads to a Russian spy.

"America's Funniest Home Videos," 7 p.m., ABC. Here's an appropriate show to precede "Big Day." It includes things going wrong during wedding proposals.

"Big Day," 8 p.m., ABC. This funny show has never really found an audience, but now it's wrapping up. Danny and Alice (Josh Cooke and Marla Sokoloff) consider eloping, while their families continue the chaos of a wedding day.

"Road Rules" season-opener, 9 p.m., MTV. This time, the show won't be neatly taped in advance. Instead, viewers will decide who will be in the elimination round.

"Knights of Prosperity," 8:30 p.m., ABC. In a transplanted rerun, Eugene is jealous when Esperanza hires a self-defense instructor.

"Bam's Unholy Union" debut, 9:30 p.m., MTV. Brandon "Bam" Margera, 27, is known for the macho life of skateboarding and doing "Jackass" stunts. This reality show plunks him into an opposite world. He and Missy Rothstein prepare for their wedding.

"Boston Legal," 9 p.m., ABC. Denny's new love Bella (Delta Burke) is attacked by animal-rights activists. In court, they're represented by his ex-love, Bethany.

"Dirt," 8 p.m., FX. This one-note show manages to go beyond its past cruelty and brutality. There's the usual celebrity stalking, plus some hideous tortures, both threatened and performed.

"Wrestling Society X" debut, 10:30 p.m., MTV. Does the world really need a less-civilized form of pro wrestling? That's what it gets here. The event claims to be in an underground bunker; it also has a musical guest each week.

"King of Cars" season-opener, 11 and 11:30 p.m., A&E. In a night of reality overload, we return to this series, which looks at a high-energy auto dealership in Las Vegas.