TV Article

THE WEEK

A GUIDE TO NOTABLE PROGRAMS. (TIMES ARE EASTERN STANDARD AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Sitcoms As Roseanne (ABC, March 29, 8-8:30 p.m.) moves to its new time slot, Mark (Glenn Quinn) and Becky (Sarah Chalke) vacate the Conner house for a trailer park, where their neighbors include a zany drunkard. Shifting in tandem, Ellen (ABC, March 29, 8:30-9 p.m.) offers an episode about an animal rights group, guest-starring Christine Elise from 90210 (which Ellen now airs opposite) and Clyde Kusatsu of All-American Girl (which Ellen is replacing). Finally, Grace Under Fire (ABC, March 29, 9-9:30 p.m.) may be under fire as it leaves its longtime home after Home Improvement-for six weeks, at least. Grace (Brett Butler) travels to Graceland and meets a man (Paul LeMat) who could be the King. Serials In recent weeks Beverly Hills, 90210 (Fox, March 29, 8-9 p.m.) has tried to be every show but 90210. The recent Real World rip-off-in which the gang pretended to be roommates for a video project-was embarrassing, with Jason Priestley imitating a mountain-biker named Tuck (har-har) and Tori Spelling doing the worst English accent in TV history. Now Priestley's Brandon goes brain-to-brain with Clare (Kathleen Robertson) and Andrea (Gabrielle Carteris) to get on College Jeopardy! You'll never catch Melrose Place's residents competing on Alex Trebek's show. Or watching it.

Medical Shows While a full moon rises over the doctors of ER (NBC, March 30, 10-11 p.m.), Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) treats a man who can't stop hiccuping (Matt Borlenghi), Carter (Noah Wyle) tends to an expectant astrologer (Twin Peaks' Kimmy Robertson), and Ross (George Clooney) and Greene (Anthony Edwards) meet their demanding new boss (Michael Ironside). For an even more realistic view of hospital life, catch the season premiere of the docu-series the operation (The Learning Channel, April 1, 10-11 p.m.). Identical-twin physicians Robert and Rafael Mendez perform a son-to-dad kidney transplant. Coming soon: prostate surgery!

Sci-Fi FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) have been freaked out on the X-Files (Fox, March 31, 9-10 p.m.) by aliens, vampires, and giant bloodsucking worms. But they meet real freaks when they investigate the bizarre death of an escape artist in a town populated by human oddities (played by such sideshow stars as Jim Rose and Enigma of Lollapalooza tour fame). The dimension-hopping adventurers on Sliders (Fox, March 29, 9-10 p.m.) also find themselves surrounded by outcasts when they visit an antibiotic-free world where ill people are ostracized. For budding cultists already keeping track of Sliders trivia, please note that William McDonald plays the medical moonsuit guy, while David L. Gordon plays the tactical moonsuit guy.

Celeb Specials There's a smarmy quality to A Comedy Salute To Andy Kaufman (NBC, March 29, 10-11 p.m.) that the late stand-up pioneer and Taxi star would have loved. Cohosts Marilu Henner and Bob Saget mouth platitudes (''There's never been anybody like him'') and introduce equally insincere sound bites from Jay Leno, Lily Tomlin, and Jim Carrey (''Andy always took it to the next level, man''). Yet the clips of Kaufman's performances-impersonating Elvis, wrestling women, lip-synching the Mighty Mouse theme-show how he reveled in such showbiz schlock. As outrageous as the clips from SNL and Letterman are, Salute's highlights are from Kaufman's avant-garde appearances on cheeseball shows like The Dating Game. You'll never forget the look of abject horror on the faces of fellow Mike Douglas Show guests Robert Goulet and Carol Channing as they watch Kaufman banging on a pair of cymbals and wailing ''You'll Never Walk Alone.''

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