Movies Just as the newest Trek series, Voyager, is launching on UPN (see story on page 21), Leonard Nimoy embarks on a mission to make us forget about Mr. Spock. The ex-Vulcan plays outlaw Frank James in bonanza: under attack (NBC, Jan. 15, 9-11 p.m.), the second TV movie starring Ponderosa progeny Michael Landon Jr. and Dirk Blocker. (Think Bonanza: The Next Generation.) One night later, Richard Thomas breaks out of his John-Boy mold to play a Texan accused of poisoning his wife in death in small doses (ABC, Jan. 16, 9-11 p.m.), a true-crime story smoothly directed by Sondra Locke (Impulse). Waltons fans needn't despair: The Mole Man will return for the Feb. 7 CBS reunion movie, John-Boy's Wedding.
Talk Shows It's Oscar season, so expect to see lots of nominee wannabes turning up on TV. Two Best Actor contenders clash as Pulp Fiction's John Travolta guests on the tonight show with jay leno (NBC, Jan. 12, 11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m.), and Nobody's Fool's Paul Newman hits late show with david letterman (CBS, Jan. 12, 11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m.), where he's a semi-regular ("Where the hell are the singing cats?"). Later, on the late late show with tom snyder (CBS, Jan. 12, 12:35-1:35 a.m.), Emmy-winning Best Actor Kelsey Grammer helps the CNBC vet celebrate his first week on CBS. You were expecting Tom Hanks?
Kid Stuff The best thing about Fudge (ABC, Jan. 14, 10:30-11:30 a.m.), a sort of Saturday-morning version of The Wonder Years, is Fudge, played by Luke Tarsitano. His raspy voice and Claymation-like facial expressions make the flimsy story lines easy to bear. Based on the book by expert kidhood chronicler Judy Blume, the G-rated series trails little Fudge as he makes life a living heck for older brother Peter. The Jan. 7 debut movie, Fudge-A-Mania, reunited Brady Bunch stars Florence Henderson and Eve Plumb, though only Plumb stays on as Fudge's mom for the series. Not for viewers out of grade school, Fudge should catch on, provided its star remains forever adorable. You know, like the Brady kids. -Heather Keets
Choice Reruns If Linda Bloodworth-Thomason's Women of the House doesn't do it for you, Lifetime offers four daily doses of her original designing women (weekdays, 1-2 p.m.,7-8 p.m.). The sitcom's cycle begins again for the evening shows on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. with its 1986 pilot, in which Suzanne (Delta Burke) starts dating her gynecologist (Scott Bakula), who just happens to be the ex-husband of Mary Jo (Annie Potts).
