Networks break the bank for fall; But can big budgets and bigger stars bring better ratings?

NEW YORK - If one axiom held true during the TV networks' annual unveiling of their fall schedules last week, it was that sometimes you have to spend money to make money. And we're not just talking about the decision by ABC to expand "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" to a fourth night. Nearly every network is forking over big bucks for new TV series with spectacular production values and big-name Hollywood talent. Meanwhile, the low-rent staples of recent years - reality specials, game shows not named "Millionaire" and newsmagazines - will be much less of a presence in the fall. The pilot episode of "The Fugitive," based on the 1960s TV series, cost a cool $6 million. And neither James Cameron, the "Titanic" director who's behind the new Fox series "Dark Angel," nor Joel Silver, whose 1999 hit "The Matrix" was the inspiration for his new UPN series "Freedom," appear to have spared any expense with their pilots. In another attempt to keep viewers, ABC and WB are experimenting with "no-repeat" time periods where new episodes will air nearly every week all season - even though that means spending millions more than on a standard time slot. Although TV critics got to see only a few minutes of each new network series last week, it was clear the investments have a chance of paying off. "Dark Angel," which takes place in a post-apocalyptic Seattle, was dazzling with its frenetic action and elaborate sets. "The Fugitive" looks as exciting as the movie with Harrison Ford. (The same people behind the 1992 film are behind the CBS show.) It's less certain whether NBC was wise to cancel two hours of its inexpensive newsmagazine "Dateline" in favor of dramas. Dick Wolf, who already oversees two hours of "Law & Order" for NBC, was asked to create "Deadline," starring Oliver Platt as a cross between Jimmy Breslin and Lt. Columbo. "Deadline," however, will occupy a tough time period on Mondays, against "Ally McBeal," "Everybody Loves Raymond" and football. On Wednesdays NBC has scheduled yet another Aaron Spelling soap opera featuring glamorous people in impossibly upscale digs. But "Titans" is going against not only Regis Philbin and "Millionaire" but also Bette Midler's new comedy on CBS (which presumably also shelled out serious moolah to lure Midler to network TV). So who's footing the bill for all this new entertainment? The advertisers. This season all four major networks made money, something that hasn't happened in years. Viewership for network TV stabilized, ending the steady decline of recent years. And with the economy still cruising along, the networks are expected to hike their advertising rates by at least 10 percent and be profitable once more. Here's what else to watch for in the 2000-01 schedule: "Gideon's Crossing." It will not be easy for Andre Braugher to convince audiences he's no longer the moody, enigmatic Lt. Pembleton of "Homicide" but a warm, charismatic doctor who only speaks words of encouragement. If Pembleton ever met such a fellow, he'd immediately suspect the worst of him. The return of Kramer. The preview clip of "The Michael Richards Project" was long on physical humor and short on dialogue. Enjoyable as it was to see the old "Seinfeld" star clowning around on screen again, I realized that on "Seinfeld," Kramer was usually administered in small doses. The return of Dan Conner. On the other hand, "Don't Ask," with John Goodman as a recently outed gay dad sharing his house with Anthony LaPaglia and several kids, showed promise. Aaron Barnhart's expanded coverage of the 2000-01 season announcements is online at the TV Barn Web site (www.tvbarn.com) @ART CAPTION:Jessica Alba stars in Fox's new fall TV show "Dark Angel," set in a post-apocalyptic Seattle. @ART:Photo (color) @ART CREDIT:Fox >>>