By MIKE HUGHES
Gannett News Service

Must-see

Next Action Star, 8 p.m., Channels 5, 22.

The seven duos each film a complex rescue scene. Also, an "emotional recall" exercise in acting class causes two people to crumble.

Worth watching

P.O.V. Bill's Run: A Political Journey in Rural Kansas, 10 p.m., Channels 16. Burdick is a shrinking Kansas town. The grocery stores and high school closed; the town has 60 people, a meat market and only one gas station, which is closed evenings and noon hours.

It's also where Bill Kassebaum works his farm with his wife and two young daughters. His mother (Nancy) spent 18 years in the U.S. Senate; his grandfather (Alf Landon) was governor and a Republican presidential candidate.

The biggest surprise came when Kassebaum decided to run for the state legislature. To win, he would have to beat the House majority leader in the Republican primary.

It was a long shot, especially with a campaign that called for raising taxes. People will keep leaving Kansas, he said, if it can't promise a good education.

That race was filmed by Richard Kassebaum, who is Bill's brother and the gifted producer of PBS films on Woodrow Wilson and John Brown. This isn't an unbiased portrait; instead, it's a richly detailed portrait of rock-solid people.

BET Awards, 8 p.m., BET. This show annually mixes comedy and music, drawing strong ratings. Mo'Nique hosts, with special awards to Danny Glover and the Isley Brothers. Performers include OutKast, Usher, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson and Ludacris.

Last Comic Standing, 9 p.m., Channels 5, 22. Last week, housemates singled out Bonnie McFarlane for the challenge; she chose to face John Heffron. He had a great stand-up set and promptly drew more than 90 percent of the votes from a studio audience; she was out. That leaves the show with only two women and seven men.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 10 p.m., Channels 5, 22. A rape arrest leads to the discovery of the body of a 16-year-old girl.

Real World, 10 p.m., MTV. Here's the finale for the San Diego group.

Nip/Tuck, 10 p.m., FX. This dark-spirited show has its two plastic surgeons falling apart. Christian (Julian McMahon) can't stand the fact that he's 40 and physically imperfect; Sean (Dylan Walsh) is worried about his emotionally-caused hand tremors.

Those problems deepen tonight, with a couple of horrifying scenes; still they're overshadowed by Sean's son's problems. This is one awesomely pessimistic show.