By Kevin McDonough
For all of the hoopla about “Lost” and the epoch-ending conclusions of “Law & Order” and “24,” three of the most popular shows on television wrap up proceedings tonight. When did Tuesday night become the biggest night of the TV week?
OK, “American Idol” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) doesn’t announce a winner until Wednesday, but the last singing competition occurs tonight on the most-viewed show of the year. And the decade. Not far behind in the ratings, “Dancing With the Stars” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) crowns another champion this evening. A repeat of the final competition (8 p.m.) also airs. I know I’m in the business of writing about television and entertainment, but I can’t even pretend that I watch this show, like this show or care who wins. I prefer contests that turn obscure people into stars and help them along on their careers. A show that makes the famous more famous, or famous again, strikes me as celebrity culture run amok. Always more sizzle than steak, “Dancing” is a vapid time-waster that frequently leaves me feeling emptier and a little dumber for having watched it.
Tonight also marks the end of the seventh season of “NCIS” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG, V), often the most-watched scripted show on television. While many viewers gravitated toward the distraction of reality fare, talent shows or dramatic shows with long story arcs and baffling mysteries, “NCIS” has been the little show that could, attracting a consistently large audience season after season. Its summer repeats are often more watched than original summer fare. And repeats of “NCIS” often rank as the most-watched shows on cable, too. More than even “CSI,” “NCIS” has become the “Law & Order” of the 21st century, appearing almost wall-to-wall, vanquishing the competition, and even competing against itself without a dent in its armor. And like “Law & Order,” it has been spun off successfully. “NCIS: Los Angeles” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14), often the second-most-watched scripted series of each week, wraps up its freshman season tonight. Not only has this show performed well; it has done so in the face of “American Idol.”