James Woods

"Eddie Dodd" is a dud.That's the bottom line on the new series starring Treat Williams, which ABC is subbing for "thirtysomething" starting tonight at 10 on WJZ-TV (Channel 13).The series, which will run six weeks before "thirtysomething" returns, stars Williams as the title character, a defense attorney who takes cases nobody else wants. Dodd is a former student activist from the 1960s who has not lost the idealism or the fire in his belly. The series is based on the 1989 feature film, "True Believer," which starred James Woods.

Terminal illness can make for great television melodrama."An Early Frost" and "Brian's Song" are two memorable made-for-TV movies that dealt with the certain death of the leading character."

Donald Engen,75, head of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, died Tuesday near Minden, Nev., when his glider broke apart and crashed. William Ivans, an internationally known pilot who was flying the motorized glider, was also killed. Mr. Engen, of Arlington, Va., had been director of the Air and Space Museum in Washington since 1996. He was administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration from 1984 to 1987, and earlier served for two years on the National Transportation Safety Board.

On ABC tonight, it's the return of the return of John, Paul, George and Ringo."Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13) -- Dr. Quinn's about to have her baby, so of course Mom and Sis arrive to help. Meanwhile, the Army gets orders to move the Indians to another reservation and Sully (Joe Lando) is injured trying to help his friend Cloud Dancing (Larry Sellers). CBS."Ushuaia: The Ultimate Adventure" (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WBAL, Channel 11) -- French adventurer Nicholas Hulot performs all sorts of derring-do, including: swimming with a 45-foot whale shark in Australia, hang-gliding in the Alps and walking atop a Manhattan construction site.

The hands-down best thing on TV tonight is a 19-year-old miniseries airing all week on the Family Channel. Beyond that, you're on your own."Cosby" (8 p.m.-8: 30 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13) -- Hilton takes his wife's advice and enters group therapy, where he ends up giving lots of advice himself, most of it bad. CBS."John Tesh: The Avalon Concert" (8 p.m.-10 p.m., repeats 10 p.m.-midnight, MPT, Channels 22 and 67) -- In a concert from October, Tesh and his orchestra, with Catalina Island as their venue, perform songs from his most recent album, "Avalon."

The second jewel in the Triple Crown takes over a whole television station today. And tonight, "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," gets herself hitched.* "Preakness Day" (9 a.m.-6 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- The celebrated horse race itself, from Pimlico Race Course, is not scheduled until around 5:30 p.m., on "ABC's Wide World of Sports" (beginning at 4:30 p.m.). But through the day, Channel 2 offers its own features, interviews and even live coverage of earlier races.* "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" (8 p.m.-10 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13)

Cub Scout Pack 269, sponsored by the Four Seasons Women's Club, recently held its annual Blue and Gold Banquet.Cubmaster Mark Hagensick presented the following advancement awards: Bobcat rank -- Stephen Tourville; Wolf rank -- Joey Frykman, Craig Maley, Patrick Price, Andy Walther, Matthew Yates, Lovett Roberson, Freddy Downing, Kevin Zoblisein, Sean Danahy, Lance Bell, Devon Hof, and Michael Strang; Bear rank -- Billy Bergbauer, Tim Anderson and Matt Hagensick....

THE HARD WAY( MCA/Universal Home VideoNo retail price givenThis film, about an arrogant, annoying Hollywood movie star who tags along with a real-life New York detective to get inspiration for a cop movie, could have been an enjoyable, risk-taking send-up of both the movie biz in general and cop movies specifically. Instead, it's a tame, lame, uneven mix of action and comedy that is entirely predictable when it needs to be innovative.Michael J. Fox was a perfect choice to play young Hollywood action movie star Nick Lang, who wants to toughen up his screen image.

The East Baltimore neighbors were beating each other with sticks and a bat Tuesday night.By the time Alvin Holt turned the corner of Chase Street and Patterson Park Avenue with an ice cream about 10 p.m., the fight had erupted into gunfire and young Alvin took a bullet in the leg."A [man] and girl were fighting. A man was hit in the head with a bat and then there was shooting," the 10-year-old said yesterday. "Everyone ran into their houses."Alvin, who lives in the 2200 block of E. Chase St., was shot in his left calf, one of four bystanders -- three children and an adult -- hit by bullets during the neighborhood fracas that had been brewing between two families for more than a year.

Some films succeed by creating exciting, exotic worlds that filmgoers could never visit. Others introduce audiences to characters they will never forget. Then there are those rare movies that entrance us by the emotional tone they capture and sustain. This is the rarefied air in which "The Virgin Suicides" makes its considerable impact. This dreamy tone-poem to the longing and frustration of adolescence doesn't unfold as much as materialize, ethereally, on screen, and it hovers in the imagination long after the lights have gone up. This is not to suggest that Sofia Coppola, who makes her feature directorial debut here, hasn't created some unforgettable characters or, for that matter, failed to orchestrate a gripping story.