The Presidential Address is running live at 4 p.m. here, but because it airs tonight on the Mainland it pre-empts several prime time shows, but TV critic Mike Hughes points out an alternative.

TODAY'S SHOULD-SEE

Presidential address, 4 p.m. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, plus news channels.

By tradition, presidents give their first "State of the Union" address after a year in office. Lately, they haven't waited that long; tonight's address will be similar to a State of the Union, without that title.

Afterward, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will give the Republican response. It will be one sign that America has (belatedly) embraced its melting-pot status -- a president whose father was born in Kenya, a governor whose parents were born in India.

Most networks expect to stick with follow-up until 5:30 p.m.

TONIGHT'S ALTERNATIVE

"Leverage" season finale, 8 p.m., TNT; reruns all day.

The first season of this smart show ends with a tangled two-parter. If you missed the first half, don't worry; it reruns at 7 p.m.

Timothy Hutton is Nathan Ford, a former insurance investigator, enraged when his company refused to fund treatments that might have saved his son. He sank into alcohol; then linked with thieves to scam bad guys.

Now he's trying his ultimate goal -- revenge against Ian Blackpoole, the insurance mogul who let Nathan's son die. The first half (the 7 p.m. rerun) brought complications from Nathan's arch-rival ... and from his ex-wife (played by Kari Matchett, who was also Hutton's "5ive Days to Midnight" co-star ... and even from the hidden agenda of a colleague.

As the new hour begins, the team has disbanded. The strength is in the dead-serious moments; the weakness is a familiar one: "Leverage" makes the obstacle so huge that any victory lacks believability.

Still, Nathan's scheme is a smart, fun one. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride.

OF NOTE

• "Bones," 7 p.m., Fox. "American Idol" has moved to Wednesday and Thursday this week, to avoid bumping into the presidential speech. Instead, we get this episode: An artist's body has been found inside a crumpled car. Now the car is supposed to be displayed as a work of art; first, the team quickly probes it for clues.

• "NCIS," 7 p.m., CBS. Gibbs and Tony head into the desert, searching for a woman who may have information about the murder of a federal agent.

• "The Biggest Loser," 7 p.m., NBC. Instead of the usual two-hour episode, there will be hours tonight and Wednesday. Tonight, contestants are split into two teams, with some people switching trainers.

• "Privileged," 8 p.m., CW. This well-made show may get some extra attention from speech-avoiders. Tonight, in the season's last new episode, Marco the gay chef is marrying Keith; Kathy Griffin plays their new wedding planner. Meanwhile, it's a tough time for Megan (Joanna Garcia, the show's star). She fights with Will and tries to confront her father about his drinking.

• "Two and a Half Men," 8 p.m., CBS. Here's a rerun of the season-opener, a fairly good episode in which the son of Charlie's long-ago girlfriend looks a lot like Charlie.

• "Independent Lens: The Order of Myths," 10 p.m., PBS. In an integrated world, the Mardi Gras in Mobile, Ala., brings surprise. Blacks and whites have separate parades, parties and royalty. Margaret Brown -- whose mother was a Mardi Gras queen in the 1960s -- views the traditions without judging them. We meet the teachers who are king and queen of the black celebration. We meet white queen Helen Meaher, whose grandmother reigned in 1935; she's descended from the man who reportedly diverted a slave ship to Mobile, more than 50 years after slavery was abolished. We also meet Brittain Youngblood, a Brown University student and self-described liberal who hesitantly becomes a Mardi Gras debutante.