Déjà View

Somewhat surprisingly, the original sitcom stars are giving tacit approval to ''The Rerun Show'''s irreverence by popping up for cameos. Gary Coleman will play a security guard -- a job he's had in real life -- on ''The Facts of Life'' (''Diff'rent Strokes'' may have hit too close to home). Danny Bonaduce will reprise his ''Partridge Family'' role, Fred ''Rerun'' Berry will show up for ''What's Happening!'' and Florence Gibbs will return to ''The Jeffersons.''

Also, Dustin ''Screech'' Diamond will embrace his career-defining (or -ruining) part on ''Saved by the Bell,'' while Dennis Haskins will reprise his role on that show as principal Mr. Belding -- except that he'll be playing him as Obi-Wan Kenobi in an episode randomly set in the ''Star Wars'' universe.

Although the shows' original scribes won't be involved in the remakes, they'll be paid as if they had written brand-new scripts. That windfall aside, ''The Rerun Show'''s treatment of classic programs is unlikely to bother the writers, says Grace Reiner, a senior director at the Writers Guild of America, which negotiated a compensation deal with ''Rerun'''s producers and helped convince them not to change the scripts. ''These are comedy shows, and most of these people have a sense of humor,'' she says. 'How dare they' is not often a phrase they use.''

The show's producers are hoping that equally open-minded TV audiences will embrace ''The Rerun Show,'' letting it survive past the seven episodes that NBC has ordered for August. It remains to be seen whether the oddball concept will play in primetime, but at least the network picked the right season: Summer has always been ripe for reruns.