MONDAY
SEPTEMBER 2712:35-1:35AM The Late Late Show (CBS) Michael Ian Black (left) is the third in a series of guest hosts for the recently departed Craig Kilborn. Wait, Michael who? The voice behind the sock puppet in commercials for Pets.com, that's who. You may also know Black from NBC's Ed and from his recurring appearances on VH1's I Love the '80s -- he's one of those funny guys who talk about pop culture ephemera as if they actually remember them. Appropriately, his guests tonight, in addition to Judging Amy's Amy Brenneman, are Meat Loaf and Tears for Fears. If Black keeps repeating, ''I love the '80s!'' he should be fine. Black will also host Tuesday night.
8-9PM The Benefactor (ABC, TV-PG-L) Mark gives the players $1,000 to spend on a dream idea. Dude, dreams start at $20K.
8:30-9PM Listen Up (CBS, TV-PG) Tony uses ''tough love'' on Megan. She retaliates by ''terrorizing'' the entire family. That's the problem with kids today: They have CNN and al-Jazeera. They know things.
9-9:30PM Girlfriends (UPN, TV-14-L) Toni says she's pregnant, but the girls think she's lying to save her marriage. If her own pals don't trust her, then her marriage isn't the only thing that needs saving.
SERIES DEBUT 9-10PM Christopher Lowell: Wall to Wall (Discovery Home) Similar show, different title. In his third TV series, the design guru and author transforms one room per episode -- a concept reminiscent of Lowell's latest book, Small Spaces. First up: ''Drama in the Powder Room.'' Isn't there always?
9-11PM McCallum (BBC America, TV-14) It's hard to buy that sweet bobblehead John Hannah as the boozing, motorcycle-driving, tattooed forensic pathologist Iain McCallum. And it's difficult to get psyched about a mystery involving civilized murders at a nursing home. Heck, it can be tricky just figuring out what the Scottish actor is saying: ''Well, I can seize the date''? Or is that ''All I can see is the dead''? That's more suspenseful than the medical series' Murder, She Wrote-style second-season opener, which, unlike McCallum, plays by all the rules. C --Gillian Flynn
10-11PM LAX (NBC, TV-14) The plane is going down. But guess what? Blair Underwood is on board and he's an airline engineer. Wow. It's like they saw it coming.
10-11PM CSI: Miami (CBS, TV-14-V) Miami is so bling . . . (How bling is it?) Miami is so bling, they do their drive-bys from yachts.
(Additional reporting by Annie Barrett)
