The Lone Gunmen

Airs: 8 p.m. Sunday for three weeks, then 8 p.m. Fridays starting March 16 on Fox (Channel 4). Yes, this means the final Sunday airing will be after the first Friday broadcast. Confused? Well, it is an "X-Files" spin-off Stars: Bruce Harwood, Tom Braidwood, Dean Haglund, Zuleikha Robinson In brief: Klutzy conspiracy buffs hack their way to the highest echelons of global terrorism - then jump in their old VW bus to chase the bad guys. But is it any good? Computer geeks will howl at the lame attempts at cybercool (a "top-secret" password, for instance, that can be found in the dictionary). And the idea that these three goofs could even arrest their own development is a stretch. Still, there were enough story twists in the two episodes I saw to keep me interested. The visual aura of "The Lone Gunmen" is "X-Files" creator Chris Carter and his production team at their cloak-and-dagger best. Is it a survivor? Launching in the "X-Files" time period for three weeks won't hurt. But then "The Lone Gunmen" moves to Fridays, where many a Fox show has mysteriously vanished. @ART CAPTION:Bruce Harwood (from left), Tom Braidwood, Dean Haglund, Stephen Snedden and Zuleikha Robinson star in "The Lone Gunmen." The "X-Files" spin-off airs at 8 p.m. Sunday. @ART:Photo @ART CREDIT:Fox >>>