An (almost) event-free sweeps

How tough has it been for the TV networks this autumn? They canceled the World Series after just five episodes! Seriously, there's a reason this year's fall classic was the lowest-rated ever, and it had nothing to do with the two teams' overlapping area codes. There are more shows for a wider variety of tastes on TV than ever before, which means baseball - once a "television event" - has become just another option for channel surfers. Nor will there be many more "events" between now and the end of the year. Tonight is the beginning of the November "sweep," usually a time when the networks air big-budget specials to super-size their audience and impress advertisers. But with few exceptions - notably two mini-series Nov. 12, including one about the O.J. Simpson murder trial - there will be relatively few sweep "events" this month and even fewer pre-emptions of existing shows. There's another reason this November may seem less than special: The fall season started so late - the delay caused, of course, by NBC's coverage of the Sydney Olympics. Now there's a show they should've pulled after five episodes. All that said, there's not exactly a shortage of sweep-related programming. Below are the highlights, summarized week-by-week: Week 1 Week 1 of the sweeps is highlighted by the return of Fox's Sunday-night lineup, with new episodes of "The Simpsons," "Malcolm in the Middle" and "The X-Files" (Sunday); a Babs-gabs edition of "20/20," in which Barbara Walters interviews Barbra Streisand (ABC, Friday); and a four-hour CBS miniseries, "Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis," adapted from a biography of the same name (Sunday and Wednesday). Also, NAACP president Kweisi Mfume appears on a special "Moesha" on election eve to urge civic participation (UPN, Monday). And TV demonstrates once again its appetite for high and low culture when a two-part documentary on the life of Napoleon begins Wednesday on PBS, while "The Growing Pains Movie," a reunion of the dopey '80s sitcom, airs Sunday on ABC during "The Wonderful World of Disney." Week 2 Week 2 features what may be the month's most talked-about special: "American Tragedy," a fact-based account of what happened behind the scenes at O.J. Simpson's murder trial (CBS, Nov. 12 and 15). Ving Rhames plays defense lawyer Johnnie Cochran in the miniseries based on a Norman Mailer adaptation of Lawrence Schiller's book. Because "American Tragedy" focuses on the strategies and rivalries of Cochran and his fellow defenders - Bob Shapiro (Ron Silver), F. Lee Bailey (Christopher Plummer), Alan Dershowitz (Richard Cox) and Barry Scheck (Bruno Kirby) - we actually won't hear much from Raymond Forchion, the actor who sort of looks like O.J. "American Tragedy" will compete against "In the Beginning" (NBC, Nov. 12-13), a four-hour epic that re-enacts famous stories from the books of Genesis and Exodus. The cast includes Martin Landau as Abraham and Jacqueline Bisset as Sarah. Tag-team horror shows "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" stage a crossover-episode stunt (WB, Nov. 14) that marks the return of Drusilla (Juliet Landau, daughter of Martin). Week 3 Week 3 sees Cher dropping in on "Will & Grace" and, later that same night, Sally Field beginning a multi-episode guest turn on "ER" (NBC, Nov. 16) as Maura Tierney's mom. Warm up the VCR for Nov. 19 when the much-missed "Christy" series returns for three TV movies, the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" returns, and someone finally casts Leslie Nielsen in the role of Santa Claus (we thought they never would). A new cast stars in "Christy: Return to Cutter Gap" (PAX), based on the 1994 CBS show. "Hall of Fame" presents "The Lost Child," starring Mercedes Ruehl as an adopted Navajo woman who rediscovers her roots (CBS). And "Santa Who?" puts the bumbling star of the "Naked Gun" films in a big red suit (ABC). Week 4 Week 4 leads off with two specials, one featuring the boyish aardvark "Arthur" on PBS, the other with country superstar Faith Hill on CBS (both Nov. 23). The three or four of you who missed "Titanic" can catch it again on NBC (Nov. 26). And NBC airs its "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" special Nov. 29. To reach Aaron Barnhart, phone (816) 234-4790 or visit the TV Barn Web site at www.tvbarn.com @ART CAPTION:Clockwise from top: Ruben Santiago Hudson, Ving Rhames and Darryl A. Reed in "American Tragedy"; Martin Landau, "In the Beginning"; "Napoleon"; Leslie Nielsen, "Santa Who?"; Joanne Whalley, "Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis." @ART:Photos (5, color) @ART CREDIT:KATHY AMERMAN @ART CREDIT:NBC @ART CREDIT:Reunion Des Musees Nationaux @ART CREDIT:PETER STRANKS @ART CREDIT:JOHN SEAKWOOD/CBS >>>