The fight for Nielsen ratings reaches a fever pitch this month as networks declare open season on viewers (a.k.a., the November sweeps). Here are some notable highlights among the upcoming free-for-all prime-time stunts:

• Party of Five (Fox) Daphne (Jennifer Aspen) and Charlie (Matthew Fox) encounter complications with the birth of the baby. Bailey (Scott Wolf) and Sarah (Jennifer Love Hewitt) get into the abortion debate in the show's 100th episode. And the family loses little Owen in a shopping mall during the Thanksgiving holiday.
• NYPD Blue (ABC) A special 90-minute episode on Nov. 24 spotlights Jimmy Smits' departure from the cop drama.
• The Simpsons (Fox) In the Nov. 8 episode, Homer bumps into, then becomes the personal assistant to Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger. Then on Nov. 15, George Carlin and Martin Mull voice the hippie friends of Homer's long-lost mother.
• The X-Files (Fox) Mimi Rogers reprises her role as a fellow Fed in the long-awaited season premiere of the show next Sunday (Nov. 8).
• The Practice (ABC) Tony Danza plays a savvy lawyer in a three-episode story starting Nov. 15.
• Ally McBeal (Fox) In the Nov. 9 episode, guest star Rob Schneider isn't behaving badly but is relentless in his pursuit of Ally. Not to be outdone, the following episode finds litigious spitfire Ling roping Ally's firm into the ring for her fight to maintain control of her mud-wrestling club.
• Martial Law (ABC) Shannon Lee, daughter of late martial arts legend Bruce Lee, guest-stars on Nov. 14. Then Arsenio Hall joins the series for at least three episodes, playing a fast-talking carbon copy of Chris Tucker's "Rush Hour" character.
• Beverly Hills 90210 (Fox) In addition to Jason Priestley's farewell this Wednesday, the veteran Spelling soap celebrates its 250th episode, and Dylan (Luke Perry) drops in on the gang for the Thanksgiving episode.
• The Nanny (CBS) Ex-"Saturday Night Live" cast member Nora Dunn returns as Fran's obstetrician while comedian Margaret Cho visits the series to offer Fran advice on motherhood.
• Guinness World Records: Primetime (Fox) The show that brought you the 300-lb. tumor offers these exhibits for your November-sweeps pleasure: "Mr. Lifto" -- a man who lifts large objects off the ground using only his body piercings as tethers; The "Human Pincushion" -- his shtick is to stick himself with 100 needles one by one; and a man who'll try to blow the world's longest piece of spaghetti through his nose.

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