Remote patrol

Two years ago, we thought we had seen the most bizarre State of the Union Address in the history of the republic: a president waiting to deliver the year's premier domestic policy speech while the nation awaited a verdict in the O.J. Simpson civil case. But this year's address, which begins at 8 tonight on various channels, could outdo that one. Just the notion of the president reeling off two or three dozen new initiatives - as he is wont to do during the State of the Union - will make the event surreal since the Congress isn't doing anything right now except trying his impeachment case. Look for the TV cameras to avoid Ted Kennedy, Robert Byrd and other policy mavens and instead zero in on key players in the impeachment. Before all that, a fascinating "Nova" brings to the surface the Cold War secrets behind U.S. and Soviet submarine fleets. At 7 p.m. on Channel 19.