You don't need to know this 'Jack'

These may be the dog days of June, but you wouldn't know it from the TV listings. There's a lot on that's new and interesting this week. Best of all, none of these shows involves communing with rats: "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" was a TV show that inspired a CD-ROM and Internet play-along. "You Don't Know Jack," a frenetic new game show, is just the opposite. It's a TV show based on a popular CD-ROM and online game. It airs at 7 p.m. Wednesday on ABC (Channel 9) and then moves to 7:30 p.m. next week. The show, which tries to turn every question into a mini-comedy routine, is produced by, among others, the former head honcho at "Late Night With David Letterman," the head writer of "Dennis Miller Live," the guy behind "Win Ben Stein's Money" and the production company Carsey-Werner-Mandabach, which brought you "That '70s Show" and "3rd Rock." And it has 14 writers. For all that, it should be a lot funnier than it is. That's not to say "You Don't Know Jack" doesn't have its moments. The host, "Troy Stevens," aka Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman), is lovably obnoxious. Questions range from the conceptual ("What is the name of the first person to buzz in?") to the usual (scads of celebrity and TV references). Among the many distractions are a mariachi band and track star Carl Lewis. This may also be the first game show in history that vaporizes losing contestants. One show about high school ends this week and another begins. We say goodbye to "American High," the remarkable documentary series about 10 real-life high school students during 10 months in their real lives. Fox began airing episodes of "American High" last summer, then canceled it. PBS came to the rescue and has aired the whole season. To fill the time that was supposed to be for commercials, PBS added behind-the-scenes shorts narrated by series creator R.J. Cutler. They're almost as fascinating as the episodes themselves. In the finale airing at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday on KCPT, Channel 19, the seniors look forward to graduation, though it's not clear all will make it. If you missed any episodes, KCPT will re-air "American High" beginning in July; if you'd like to see more episodes, write a letter; PBS hasn't decided whether to order a second season. "Go Fish," meanwhile, is a fictional show about a fictional high school. It's a comedy without a laugh track that stars Andy Dick ("NewsRadio") as a maniacal drama teacher and Kieran Culkin (Macaulay's kid brother) as a freshman with delusions of greatness. This is a must-see show ... if you consider Dick a comedic genius. It airs at 7 p.m. Wednesdays on Channel 41. About the only memory I have of Martin Short's low-rated talk show last year was seeing the former "SCTV" player put on a fat suit and prostethic chin and play Jiminy Glick, a cheerfully inept Hollywood reporter-type who bumbled hilariously through interviews. Short's show is gone, but his blobby alter ego is back as "Primetime Glick." The spoofy talk show airs at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday on Comedy Central, after the fifth season premiere of "South Park." With a bow to Martin Mull's classic "Fernwood 2Night," Short has a fake bandleader, played by Michael McKean, who jams on the harp. There also are fake commercials (including a spot-on send-up of PBS-style Britcoms). The guests, however, are real, and what guests: Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, Dennis Miller and Jerry Seinfeld for starters. Fellow "SCTV" alumni Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas and Andrea Martin also will pop up during the first season. (Speaking of "SCTV," chopped-up repeats of the cult classic are airing Tuesday through Friday mornings at 12:35 a.m. on NBC, Channel 41.) The channel formerly known as BET Movies is now Black Starz! and commemorates the switch with the television premiere of "A Huey P. Newton Story," 8 tonight. The movie, directed by Spike Lee, is a one-man play created by and starring Roger Guenveur Smith as the Black Panther leader. Ten years ago, "Rugrats" premiered on Nickelodeon. Coincidentally, the first "Rugrats" repeat aired later that same day. Celebrate either event with an all-new hourlong episode at 7 p.m. Saturday on Nick. You can reach Aaron Barnhart through the TV Barn Web site at www.tvbarn.com @ART CAPTION:Paul Reubens @ART CREDIT:NBC @ART CAPTION:Kieran Culkin (clockwise from top left), Katherine Ellis, Kyle Sabihy and Taylor Handley star in NBC's "Go Fish." @ART:Photos (2, color) >>>