Best Bets on TV

"American Idol" (8 p.m., Fox): Break out the earplugs! Prime time's musical juggernaut, "American Idol," returns for its fifth season and, as usual, things get started with the audition sessions, which deliver some of the most horrendous crimes against melody you can imagine. Judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul return to lend their expertise and snarky comments.
"Love Monkey" (10 p.m., CBS): This is one of the more promising new midseason series debuting this month. It's a romantic comedy starring Tom Cavanaugh ("Ed") as a New York record-label rep dealing with the ups and downs (mostly downs) of his career and love life. Tonight's opener is bolstered by clever writing and engaging performances.