THE HIGH 'ROAD'

The networks will unveil 36 new series in the next few weeks, but they'll be hard-pressed to come up with as instant a hit as CBS' 2000 Malibu Road. On Aug. 23, the two-hour premiere of Aaron Spelling's beach-house melodrama got off to one of the fastest starts for any series in years; don't be surprised if CBS, which has ordered only four more hours, speeds the series back into production. Malibu's popularity is just the latest good news for producer Spelling, who is enjoying a remarkable comeback this year. Public appetite for his Beverly Hills 90210 seems inexhaustible; on Aug. 19 90210's final new summer show finished 9th, and the next night a rerun of a first-season episode finished 20th. And Spelling's Melrose Place is holding its spot in the top 30, ! although ironically it could be hurt by its new Wednesday competition-2000 Malibu Road. VIEWERS* TOP TEN LAST WEEK

1 23.5 ROSEANNE 1 ABC, Tuesday, 9 p.m. 2 23.0 2000 MALIBU ROAD - CBS, Sunday, 9 p.m. 3 19.3 STEP BY STEP 34 ABC, Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. 4 18.8 60 MINUTES 6 CBS, Sunday, 7 p.m. 5 18.4 ARRESTING BEHAVIOR - ABC, Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. 6 18.0 FULL HOUSE 6 ABC, Tuesday, 8 p.m. 18.0 HOME IMPROVEMENT 2 ABC, Wednesday, 9 p.m. 8 17.6 CHEERS 20 NBC, Thursday, 9 p.m. 9 17.1 BEVERLY HILLS 90210 17 Fox, Wednesday, 8 p.m. 10 17.0 BLOSSOM 5 NBC, Monday, 8:30 p.m.

BOTTOM FIVE

89 5.9 REPUBLICAN CONVENTION - NBC, Tuesday, 10 p.m. 90 5.7 VINNIE & BOBBY - Fox, Saturday, 9:30 p.m. 91 5.3 REBUBLICAN CONVENTION - CBS, Tuesday, 10 p.m. 92 5.2 TRUE COLORS 83 Fox, Sunday, 7:30 p.m. 93 4.6 BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURES 86 Fox, Sunday, 7 p.m. *In millions week of Aug. 17-23