Picket Fences

It's a slow Monday, but with fresh episodes of all of the night's dramatic series -- "Melrose Place," "Party of Five" and "Northern Exposure" -- there's at least one decent alternative per hour of prime time."

Maggie speaks! Niles flirts! George gets caught doing something ELSE embarrassing! It's all on tap tonight, on repeats of "The Simpsons," "Frasier" and "Seinfeld," respectively. The best rerun of all, though, comes courtesy of "Picket Fences."* "The Simpsons." (8-8:30 p.m., WBFF, Channel 45, and WTTG, Channel 5) -- Nice work if you can get it: Elizabeth Taylor gets a guest-starring vocal role on tonight's episode, but only has to say one word. However, it comes from the mouth of a babe -- and is Maggie's first, surprisingly touching word.

There's not much on TV tonight, but the two things that shouldn't be missed -- Fox's "The X-Files" and CBS' "Picket Fences" -- are on back-to-back, even though their backs are on different networks.* "Bugsy" (8 p.m.-11 p.m., Channel 2) -- You know what really "Bugsy" me? The fact that this movie pre-empts "Homicide: Life on the Street" which is superb. Then again, this 1991 movie is directed by Barry Levinson, who's also one of the creative forces behind "Homicide," so who am I to complain?

The "big event" tonight is that Zack and Kelly are getting married in a new prime-time telemovie version of "Saved By the Bell." That being the case, stick with smaller but undoubtedly more enriching events: a Bill Moyers discussion on PBS, or episodes of "The X-Files" and "Picket Fences" on Fox and CBS, respectively.* "Saved By the Bell -- Wedding in Las Vegas" (8-10 p.m., Channel 2) -- My kids watch this show so religiously in reruns that it's become my personal cathode-ray equivalent of kryptonite: The merest of exposure to this show makes me a little green around the edges.

"What's on TV tonight?" "Not much. It's New Year's Eve."* "Picket Fences." (10-11 p.m., WBAL, Channel 11) -- There are two sides to the "Fences" tonight -- or, at least, two episodes of "Picket Fences" on view. Beginning tonight, CBS is using the late-night slot to repeat some of "Picket Fences" creator David E. Kelley's favorite episodes. In prime time, there's a repeat from just a few weeks ago, the superb one about the potential of a "virgin birth" in Rome, Wis, Then, in late night, comes last year's holiday episode, one that takes on the still-current controversy about religious pageantry on public (as in school)

Friday nights are an easy call these days: Fox for "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr." and "The X-Files," then CBS for "Picket Fences." But Comedy Central has big, big plans tonight -- a mock documentary about "The Remake of the Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman," followed by a "Mystery Science Theater 3000" dissection of "The Amazing Colossal Man." Matchmaker, matchmaker, make them a match . . . If they get married, they could have real people standing on top of their wedding cake.* "Charles Dickens' David Copperfield" (8-10 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2)

Not to be missed tonight: a new episode of "Picket Fences," starring Louis Gossett Jr.* "Washington Week in Review" (8 p.m.-8:30 p.m., WMPT, Channels 22 and 67) -- This is the farewell to an era for fans of this series, which tonight says farewell to Paul Duke. And viewers won't be the only ones saying goodbye: In taped pieces, others offering their best to Mr. Duke include Dan Rather, Tim Russert, Robert MacNeil and Jim Lehrer, the entire "This Week With David Brinkley" cabal, and some well-connected guy named Clinton.

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.

"The X-Files." "Homicide: Life on the Street." "Picket Fences." Who can complain?* "Diagnosis Murder." (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13) -- In the 1989 horror film "Fright Night Part II," Julie Carmen played a beautiful woman suspected of being a vampire. On tonight's "Diagnosis Murder," a series of male bodies drained of blood leads Dick Van Dyke's Dr. Sloan to suspect something, and someone, supernatural. Is it purely coincidental that the featured guest star is Ms. Carmen? CBS.* "The X-Files."

Let's not kid ourselves. Unless you're interested in basketball, or reruns, there's nothing on. As for the best rerun, it's easy to "Picket." It's "Picket Fences."* "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr." (8 p.m.-9 p.m., WBFF, Channel 45) -- Remember when Chevy Chase lurked around "Saturday Night Live" as a "land shark"? Well, on tonight's "Adventures," Brisco (Bruce Campbell) has to deal with "land pirates." On land, apparently, their timbers don't shiver as much, and their buckles swash more easily.