Guest Stars

It's a big night for guest stars, but that's about all that qualifies it as a big night.* "Under One Roof" (8-9 p.m., Channel 13) -- Thomas Carter, who learned the TV business under Bruce Paltrow (by starring in "The White Shadow" and directing episodes of that series and "St. Elsewhere"), went off to create "Equal Justice" and now takes the star of that series, Joe Morton, and puts him in another quality series, this one co-starring James Earl Jones and Vanessa Bell Calloway. It's a modern family drama, but the pilot contains lots of light moments as well -- and boasts an appearance by another "St. Elsewhere" veteran, Terence Knox.

John Waters, and a few familiar Baltimore eating spots, guest-star on Friday night's episode of "The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia" "The Stomach Rumble of Baltimore, MD" airs at 10 p.m. on the Cooking Channel, which has provided this   description: Ah, to be young and in love!  Baron and his best girl, Shanaye, couldn't be happier… until Shanaye's jealous ex-boyfriend JW gets out of jail. Baron is oblivious to the threat, engrossed in Ethiopian specialties and Korean soup, but JW is out for blood and finally catches up to the lovebirds as they enjoy BBQ Bill's infamous ribs.

Tonight offers the chance to see lots of people in roles from before they became famous, plus a reminder of why Baltimore dTC and New York can't seem to get along.* "The Cosby Show" (5 p.m.-5:30 p.m., WNUV, Channel 54) -- Stevie Wonder guest stars as the man whose limo dented Denise's (Lisa Bonet) fender. Rather than get angry, however, she can't believe her good fortune when Stevie invites all the Huxtables to a recording session.* "Seinfeld" (7:30 p.m.-8 p.m., WBFF, Channel 45) -- Lois Lane herself, Teri Hatcher, plays Jerry's new girlfriend.

Duff "Ace of Cakes"Goldman joins Guy Fieri on Monday's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" episode featuring Baltimore's Joe Squared restaurants.  Here's the listing from the Food Network website : "This trip, Guy's cruisin' down the path less traveled. In Dallas, Texas, Guy turns tex-mex into mex-tex, with savory soups. In Baltimore, Maryland, local rock star baker Duff Goldman stops by to seek out the secrets of the square pizza. And in Santa Barbara, California, a restaurant turnin' turkey into fritters and a business into a family affair.

Lots of intriguing guest stars on the tube tonight."Promised Land" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13) -- Chris Burke, the Down syndrome actor who was so winning in "Life Goes On," guest stars as an adult whose condition tries his family's patience. But never fear, it's Gerald McRaney and clan to the rescue. CBS.Figure skating (8 p.m.-10 p.m., WBFF, Channel 45) -- Tonight's "Rock and Roll Skating Championships" features Kristi Yamaguchi, Scott Hamilton, Victor Petrenko, Debi Thomas and others skating as the up-tempo music moves them.

Tonight's sitcoms go to great lengths to attract viewers with guest stars and hot-button plot lines, but the two TV offerings not to miss are other genres: a documentary on the Dionne quintuplets and a variety compilation of video stunts from David Letterman's "Late Show."* "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." (8-8:30 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- Tonight's guest star is NBC's crown prince of Burbank: Jay Leno, who appears as himself in a plot line that has him suing Will (Will Smith). I'd reveal more about the story, but I've been advised to consider it the intellectual property of NBC.* "Dave's World."

What does the term "sweeps month" mean? Among other things, a whole bunch of cameo guest stars, most of whom have only to make the acting stretch of being themselves. (The May ratings period will officially begin tonight.)* "The Maryland Hunt Cup" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., channels 22, 67) -- The 101st running of the steeplechase race is scheduled for Saturday in the rolling Worthington Valley near Glyndon. This special traces the history of an event that ranks highly in the international equestrian world.

It's guest-star mania, a typical symptom of sweeps month."Roseanne" (8 p.m.-8: 30 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- Maybe Dan and Roseanne can get back together. ABC."Mad About You" (8 p.m.-8: 30 p.m., WBAL, Channel 11) -- You want guest stars? How about Sid Caesar, Shecky Greene, Fred DeCordova and David Steinberg? One of Paul's uncles dies while being interviewed for the "Buchman" documentary, and his last words cause all sorts of consternation. NBC."Cool Runnings" (8 p.m.-10 p.m., WBFF, Channel 45)

Guest stars from other series both present and past appear in a handful of shows tonight. One of TV's series legends, Elizabeth "Bewitched" Montgomery, also returns for a second time in a movie series based on the adventures of a crime reporter.* "Marker" (9 p.m.-10 p.m., WNUV, Channel 54) -- Shannon Tweed, star of the Cinemax erotic series "Hot Line," guest stars as an attorney who calls in a favor from Marker (Richard Grieco) on behalf of a rock star (Marc Riffon) who has been targeted by a killer.

America says goodbye tomorrow night to Cabot Cove, Maine's most beloved citizen and faithful viewers of "Murder, She Wrote" are definitely not happy.Bad enough, they say, that CBS has canceled a show they still enjoy, even after 12 seasons. But even worse, the network is taking away a show that's one of the last of a dying breed -- a show you could watch without fear of being offended, an old-fashioned murder-mystery that emphasized the mystery over the murder, a star vehicle for Angela Lansbury, a woman who's been making movies since the 1940s.

More singing, more dancing, and a guest appearance by Nick Jonas kept me interested in the fourth episode of"Smash" -- but the continued lackluster performances of Katherine McPhee's Karen make it hard to root for her over casting-couch Ivy (Megan Hilty). The workshop for "Marilyn the Musical" finally gets under way, fueling Karen and Ivy's growing rivalry. Ivy stays true to the character she's set to play and is the last to arrive on day one of rehearsal. However, her confidence and star power immediately take a hit upon learning Karen has been cast in the ensemble.

Two guys co-starring in different prime-time series -- one a sitcom, the other a drama -- step onto other stages tonight to demonstrate their abilities in different venues. John Goodman of "Roseanne" is guest host for "Saturday Night Live," while Richard Belzer of "Homicide: Life on the Street" returns to his stand-up roots in a solo HBO comedy special."My Girl 2" (8 p.m.-10 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- This 1994 movie sequel has two things going for it: Anna Chlumsky is back, and Macaulay Culkin isn't.

It's guest-star mania, a typical symptom of sweeps month."Roseanne" (8 p.m.-8: 30 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- Maybe Dan and Roseanne can get back together. ABC."Mad About You" (8 p.m.-8: 30 p.m., WBAL, Channel 11) -- You want guest stars? How about Sid Caesar, Shecky Greene, Fred DeCordova and David Steinberg? One of Paul's uncles dies while being interviewed for the "Buchman" documentary, and his last words cause all sorts of consternation. NBC."Cool Runnings" (8 p.m.-10 p.m., WBFF, Channel 45)

Lots of intriguing guest stars on the tube tonight."Promised Land" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13) -- Chris Burke, the Down syndrome actor who was so winning in "Life Goes On," guest stars as an adult whose condition tries his family's patience. But never fear, it's Gerald McRaney and clan to the rescue. CBS.Figure skating (8 p.m.-10 p.m., WBFF, Channel 45) -- Tonight's "Rock and Roll Skating Championships" features Kristi Yamaguchi, Scott Hamilton, Victor Petrenko, Debi Thomas and others skating as the up-tempo music moves them.

The Tuesday night lineup looks fairly normal tonight, without many concessions to the frenetic competition of the November sweeps. But look closer, and you'll see that many series have recruited guest stars, while Fox is showcasing what may be its biggest movie of its entire season."

America says goodbye tomorrow night to Cabot Cove, Maine's most beloved citizen and faithful viewers of "Murder, She Wrote" are definitely not happy.Bad enough, they say, that CBS has canceled a show they still enjoy, even after 12 seasons. But even worse, the network is taking away a show that's one of the last of a dying breed -- a show you could watch without fear of being offended, an old-fashioned murder-mystery that emphasized the mystery over the murder, a star vehicle for Angela Lansbury, a woman who's been making movies since the 1940s.

Leaving aside O. J. Simpson preliminary hearing coverage (I'm bypassing O. J., OK?), there's still an above-average selection of watchable offerings on TV tonight.* "Live From Lincoln Center" (8 p.m.-10 p.m., WMPT, Channels 22 and 67) -- This marks the 28th season of the Mostly Mozart Festival, a welcome summer breeze of concerts devoted to -- well, mostly to Mozart, but tonight to Tchaikovsky, Gluck and Haydn also. Headliners are pianist Shura Cherkassky, soprano Korliss Uecker and baritone Thomas Hampson.

Tonight's recommended lineup is simple, yet exciting: "VR.5" at 8, "The X-Files" at 9, "Picket Fences" at 10. Three excellent series; three new episodes. With "VR.5," since it's the premiere, you can't get any newer.* "VR.5." (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WBFF, Channel 45) -- Make plans to watch, and to tape, this new series, because after a few weeks -- when the series really launches into high gear and gets darker and stranger -- you may not only be hooked, but be wanting to go back and ferret out clues from earlier episodes.

Those lucky enough to have New Jersey's WOR on their cable system can pull out the love beads and watch "The Mod Squad" every day. The rest of us, unfortunately, may have to make due with this afternoon's showing of the 1979 reunion movie.* "Step by Step" (11:30 a.m.-noon, WBFF, Channel 45) -- Here's your chance to see Elizabeth Berkley, whose naked body was the star of "Showgirls," without having to sit through two hours of bad cinema. Rated G.* "World Professional Figure Skating Championships" (8 p.m.-10 p.m., WBAL, Channel 11)

Tonight offers the chance to see lots of people in roles from before they became famous, plus a reminder of why Baltimore dTC and New York can't seem to get along.* "The Cosby Show" (5 p.m.-5:30 p.m., WNUV, Channel 54) -- Stevie Wonder guest stars as the man whose limo dented Denise's (Lisa Bonet) fender. Rather than get angry, however, she can't believe her good fortune when Stevie invites all the Huxtables to a recording session.* "Seinfeld" (7:30 p.m.-8 p.m., WBFF, Channel 45) -- Lois Lane herself, Teri Hatcher, plays Jerry's new girlfriend.