"How I Met Your Mother," 7:30 p.m., CBS. Sure, it's been great to see new comedies escape the old shackles. Some of the best ("Everybody Hates Chris" and "My Name is Earl") shun studio audiences and other cliches. Still, let's make this clear: CBS' Monday night comedies are traditional, but they're also crisp and clever. This one is the story of a courtship. Josh Radnor stars as Ted, with great comic support from Neil Patrick Harris as his slick friend Barney and Alyson Hannigan as another pal's giddy fiancee, Lily. Tonight, Barney tricks Ted into being on a double date on an airliner.

"Las Vegas," 8 p.m., NBC. As Sunday's "Crossing Jordan" ended, Woody (Jerry O'Connell) woke up with Sam (Vanessa Marcil) in Las Vegas. They were shocked to find a wedding ring. Now we get an explanation. The romantic interplay between the characters — Woody and Jordan from "Crossing Jordan" like Sam and Danny from "Las Vegas" — is great fun. The serious stories — a kidnap scheme and someone with multiple personalities — are so-so.

OF NOTE

"Surface," 7 p.m., NBC. Here's a fresh explanation for global warming: Maybe it's caused by the aliens digging into the ocean floor.

"King of Queens," 7 p.m., CBS. It's usually fun when married characters flash back to their dating days. Tonight, Doug tells Carrie how he really got his job driving a delivery truck.

"Arrested Development," 7 p.m., Fox. Now that Michael knows the beautiful Rita (Charlize Theron), he doesn't want her to meet his odd family. Tonight, that gets more difficult.