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May, the month when the television season ends, is reserved for supposedly important programs. Few, however, can match the power, humanity and true value of Baghdad ER. This splendid documentary, making its debut tonight on HBO, follows U.S. soldiers injured in the Iraq war and the medical personnel who care for them. Baghdad ER treats the topic with a remarkable mix of respect, intelligence and understatement. BAGHDAD ER / / Tonight at 8 / / HBO

Have you found Tintin yet? The cowlicked cartoon character from France has finally found America -- or at least the America that can watch cable television."

Et tu, HBO? The nation's premium channel titan has commendably refrained from the rush to reality. This is not to say that HBO hasn't done its share of verite video shows. The titillating Real Sex, Taxicab Confessions and G-String Divas fit within the genre. But they play in late night and are not series in the conventional sense. However, with Family Bonds, HBO descends into the muck that is tarnishing prime-time television. It's interesting that the documentary-style exploits of a family of bail bondsmen is making its debut tonight opposite the Emmys, traditionally HBO's proudest night.

HBO & Co., which makes patient care, clinical and financial software, has agreed to acquire Rockville-based Amisys Managed Care Systems Inc. in a stock deal worth about $159.4 million, the companies said yesterday.Under the definitive agreement, Amisys shareholders would receive 0.35 of an HBO common share for each share of Amisys. Amisys shares jumped $4 to $19.875, while HBO fell $4.063 to $58.813 on the Nasdaq Stock Market yesterday.Amisys develops information systems for providers of managed health care products and services.

Ed Begley Jr. will play former CBS late-night chief Rod Perth, and Peter Jurasik ("Babylon 5") has been cast to play former CBS Broadcasting president Howard Stringer, in HBO Pictures' dramatization of the late-night talk show wars, "The Late Shift," HBO announced.Treat Williams will play the role of Michael Ovitz, the head of Creative Artists Agency and agent for David Letterman who put the deal together with Mr. Stringer for Mr. Letterman to move to CBS.Two unknowns have been cast for the central roles of Mr. Letterman and Jay Leno: John Michael Higgins and Daniel Roebuck, respectively.

LOS ANGELES -- It looks like a case of the hot getting hotter for Billy Crystal.Crystal, riding high on the success of the movie "City Slickers," became the buzz of the television critics summer press tour yesterday when HBO previewed his new TV series, "Sessions." Crystal writes and produces but does not act in the series, which will debut Oct. 14. The comedy series centers on the relationship of a man (Michael McKean) and his psychotherapist (Elliott Gould).It looks like "Session" will be controversial.

LOS ANGELES - HBO has ordered 13 episodes of Deadwood, a Western that will blend fictional and real-life characters from the post-Civil War era. The series, created by former NYPD Blue and Hill Street Blues writer-producer David Milch, is set to begin production in the spring. It will likely premiere in 2004. The series begins in Deadwood, S.D., in 1876, two weeks after Custer's defeat at Little Big Horn. Timothy Olyphant stars as Seth Bullock, a former marshal who's trying to set up a mercantile business in the town.

The word "epic" just seems to follow Kevin Costner around these days.Mr. Costner, who won an Academy Award in 1991 for directing the sprawling, three-hour "Dances With Wolves," will direct, star in and produce "The Kentucky Cycle," a six-hour HBO miniseries spanning 200 years of American history. The project was adapted by Robert Schenkkan from his own Pulitzer Prize-winning play, co-produced in 1992 by the Mark Taper Forum."In a business of superlatives, this is an amazing day in the history of television," said Bob Cooper, senior vice president of HBO Pictures, who signed off on Mr. Costner's deal Wednesday morning.

"Strapped," an HBO Showcase film directed by actor Forest Whitaker ("Bird," "The Crying Game"), won the award for best first feature in the category of First Cinema at the Toronto Film Festival.It beat 27 other pictures by first-time directors, including "Menace II Society," "Boxing Helena" and "Kalifornia.""Strapped" was broadcast on HBO as recently as last Saturday. No more broadcasts have been scheduled, but that could change with this surprise award."Strapped" is about a young African-American man trapped in a world of poverty and crime.

"Dream On," "National Geographic Explorer" and "Barbra Streisand: The Concert" were among the multiple winners Sunday night at the 16th Annual CableACE Awards.Among channels, HBO was the biggest winner with 23 awards, including four for "The Larry Sanders Show." A&E was a distant second with eight trophies, the Disney Channel and TNT each received seven, and CNN and ESPN took home six apiece.The top award, for best movie or miniseries, went to A&E's "Cracker: To Say I Love You," whose Robbie Coltrane also was honored as best actor in the genre.