Best Bets on TV Tonight

"Frontline: The Age of AIDS" (9 p.m., PBS): Doctors were puzzled when they saw the first cases of AIDS in the United States a quarter-century ago. This four-hour documentary over two nights presents a comprehensive look at the virus that was a scientific mystery when it was first seen in Los Angeles in 1981. The film looks at the how the disease developed, how its spread was tracked and the politics and public debate that ensued. Part 2 airs Wednesday at 9 p.m.
"Last Comic Standing" (8 p.m., NBC): It's another season of "Last Comic Standing," as Anthony Clark ("Yes, Dear") hosts this competitive laugh-off. After a nationwide talent search for professional and aspiring comedians, celebrity judges Kathy Griffin, Garry Marshall and Tim Meadows help choose the top contenders who will make it into the "house" -- but this go-around, the Queen Mary luxury liner, docked in Long Beach, Calif., will be the home these rivals cohabit. The series premieres with a special two-hour edition.
"Rescue Me" (10 p.m., FX): This drama series starring Denis Leary as a Manhattan firefighter, is smoking as it returns for a third season. Tommy Gavin (Leary) and his firehouse fraternity continue to exhibit a kind of towel-snapping, locker-room camaraderie, as well as a bounty of male hang-ups. Tommy has a lot of personal fires raging. In particular, at the end of last season he had patched things up with his wife after a long estrangement, only to have the marriage shattered anew when their young son was killed by a drunk driver while the child was in Tommy's care. His wife blames him. At the same time, Tommy is battling alcoholism and other addictions.