TONIGHT'S MUST-SEE:

"ER" finale, 8-10 p.m., NBC; preceded by a retrospective at 7.

When "ER" began in 1994, Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle) was a nervous resident, needing the nurses' help for a simple procedure. Michael Crichton had recalled his own med-school days when creating the character.

The show soared quickly, finishing second to "Seinfeld" in the annual Nielsen ratings. It would have three seasons at No. 1 and two more at No. 2.

The show has outlived Crichton and now wraps up its 15th and final season. Among dramas, that's topped only by "Gunsmoke," "Lassie" and "Law & Order."

Appropriately, Carter is here for the finish. He opens a Chicago clinic for the underprivileged; he also works with a young mother who gives birth to twins.

NBC promises that some of his old colleagues will be back. Meanwhile, the current cast is busy: Gates (John Stamos) helps a teen who has alcohol poisoning; he also helps surprise his girlfriend Sam (Linda Cardellini).

Guest stars include former "Gilmore Girls" star Alexis Bledel, 27, and Oscar-winner Ernest Borgnine, 92.

TONIGHT'S MIGHT-SEE:

"In the Motherhood," 7 p.m., ABC.

Here's the episode ABC scheduled for last week's debut, then switched.

The subject is vacations: Emily (Jessica St.Clair) plans a stay-at-home one with her husband and kids. Her sister Jane (Cheryl Hines) does the same, spending the week with her baby.That gives her nanny (Horatio Sanz) a vacation; Rosemary (Megan Mullally) pushes for other nannies to get similar benefits.

As in the first week, the Rosemary story is lame, the Emily one is so-so, but the Jane one has great moments. Her problems build in broadly funny ways.

OTHER CHOICES:

-- "Survivor," 7 p.m., CBS. Hunger becomes a factor. Also, someone has created a fake idol.

-- "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," 8 p.m., CBS. William Friedkin won an Academy Award for directing "The French Connection" and a nomination for "The Exorcist." Now he's directed this episode, the show's 200th. When a former student is killed, Langston (Laurence Fishburne) probes Mexican wrestling.

-- "The Entrepreneurs," 3, 7 p.m., CNBC. On a trip to Argentina, Blake Mycoskie was struck by the number of people who need shoes and by the availability of low-cost shoes. He created a business (Tom's Shoes) that sells shoes and has given away 115,000 pair. That story is told here, along with the development of Frontera Foods and Frontera Grill.

--"Treasure Quest" season finale, 7, 10 p.m. Discovery. On a routine treasure-searching mission in the Atlantic, Odyssey Marine Exploration had a historic find -- 17 tons of coins, worth an estimated $500 million. Spain insists it has rights to the coins, because they were on a Spanish frigate blown up during war, in 1804; Odyssey says this isn't certain and the issue lingers in court. Meanwhile, a documentary crew was there from the moment of discovery. It's a fascinating hour, even though it lacks a finish.