Fall Premieres
In the new sci-fi series Now and Again (9 p.m. Fri., CBS), an insurance exec (John Goodman) ostensibly dies after being pushed in front of a train but, in reality, a shadowy government group has transplanted his uninjured brain into the buff bod of an experimental superhuman warrior (Eric Close), warning him that he can have no contact with his family or anyone from his previous life. Co-stars Margaret Colin and Heather Matarazzo. The sitcom Odd Man Out (9:30 p.m. Fri., ABC) is basically the sitcom "Ladies Man" for kids: a teenage boy (Erk von Detten) lives in a houseful of women. A Seattle single woman and her attached friends ponder love & stuff in the romantic comedy Cold Feet (10 p.m. Fri., NBC), which, may I remind you, is what NBC has chosen as a replacement for "Homicide: Life on the Street." Vote with your remote. One of the more affecting series of the new season, Freaks and Geeks (8 p.m. Sat., NBC), has a terrible time slot, but that's what VCRs are for. Judd Apatow ("The Ben Stiller Show") and Paul Feig ("The Larry Sanders Show") co-created this affectionate comedy-drama about suburban high school outcasts, circa 1980. David E. Kelley's latest, Snoops (9 p.m. Sun., ABC), is a wisp of action-babe fluff starring Gina Gershon (the movie "Bound") and Paula Marshall (the TV series "Cupid") as private investigators, and if you're thinking "Kelley's Angels," you're not far off the mark. Yet another romantic comedy, Jack and Jill (9 p.m. Sun., WB), stars Amanda Peet and Ivan Sergei as relationship-wary Manhattan singles.
Series
Providence (8 p.m. Fri., NBC) has its season opener, in which Syd is warned by her dead mom of trouble coming in threes. On the season opener of The Hughleys (8 p.m. Fri., ABC), the family debates the wisdom of keeping a gun in the house. Sabrina the Teenage Witch (9 p.m. Fri., ABC) begins a new season with Sabrina celebrating her 18th birthday (yeah, right), with help from Britney Spears. The WB expands prime-time programming to Fridays with season premieres of The Jamie Foxx Show (8 p.m. Fri., WB), The Steve Harvey Show (9 p.m. Fri., WB) and For Your Love (9:30 p.m. Fri., WB). 20/20 (10 p.m. Fri., ABC) bids farewell to anchor Hugh Downs, who retires after 21 years on the show. Nash and Caitlin cohabitate as Nash Bridges (10 p.m. Fri., CBS) creaks into its fifth season. New seasons begin for Early Edition (8 p.m. Sat., CBS), Martial Law (9 p.m. Sat., CBS) and Walker, Texas Ranger (10 p.m. Sat., CBS). Not to mention, The Pretender (9 p.m. Sat., NBC) and Profiler (10 p.m. Sat., NBC). Mad TV (11 p.m. Sat., Fox) opens its new season with (what else?) a parody of "The Blair Witch Project" (starring Diane Sawyer, Ted Koppel and Bernard Shaw). Pamela Anderson Lee kicks off her second season on the suddenly cool private eye show V.I.P. (check local times and days, syndicated). Did Peggy survive the sky-diving accident? We find out on the season premiere of King of the Hill (7:30 p.m. Sun., Fox). Homer advises Mel Gibson on how to make his new film a crowd-pleaser on the season opener of The Simpsons (8 p.m. Sun., Fox). On the season opener of Touched by an Angel (8 p.m. Sun., CBS), a senator (Lindsay Crouse) searches her conscience when her young son learns that her corporate backers support slavery in the Sudan. Noel or Ben? Berlin or California? We finally find out what Felicity (8 p.m. Sun., WB) did last summer, as her saga moves to Sundays. The crew sets sail aboard the ill-fated space cruise ship, the Titanic, on the season premiere of Futurama (8:30 p.m. Sun., Fox). Henry Winkler guests as a dentist accused of a kinky murder in the season premiere of The Practice (10 p.m. Sun., ABC).
Specials
The 1997 film bio Selena (8 p.m. Sat., ABC) makes its network debut. Jennifer Lopez stars. The Teenage Witch has a fling with a merman while vacationing in Australia in the new "Wonderful World of Disney" movie Sabrina Down Under (7 p.m. Sun., ABC). In the new cable movie Sirens (8 p.m. Sun., Showtime), Dana Delany plays a widow determined to nail the bad cop who killed her husband, who was black. With Keith Carradine, Brian Dennehy and Vondie Curtis-Hall. NBC celebrates Saturday Night Live -- The 25th Anniversary (9 p.m. Sun., NBC) with a two and a half hour special featuring some live segments with former cast members and hosts and lots of film clips. By the way, "SNL" premiered in October 1975, which means that it's only 24 years old. Doesn't Lorne Michaels expect the show to be here next year? In A Song from the Heart (9 p.m. Sun., CBS), Amy Grant makes her TV movie debut as a blind cellist loved by two men -- the widower next door (Keith Carradine, again) and a famous New Age-y composer (D.W. Moffett).
Sports
Baseball:
Braves at Expos (7 p.m. Fri., TBS)
A's at Rangers (7 p.m. Sat., FX)
Golf:
Ryder Cup (8 a.m. Sat., 10:30 a.m. Sun., NBC)
Football:
Falcons at Rams, Eagles at Bills, Lions at Chiefs or Redskins at Jets (1 p.m. Sun., Fox)
Bengals at Panthers, Browns at Ravens, Broncos at Buccaneers or Seahawks at Steelers (1 p.m. Sun., CBS)
Bears at Raiders or Vikings at Packers (4 p.m. Sun., Fox)
Colts at Chargers or Titans at Jaguars (4 p.m. Sun., CBS)
Giants at Patriots (8:15 p.m. Sun., ESPN)
Talk
Rosie O'Donnell (syndicated) Ashley Judd
David Letterman (CBS) Kelly Preston, Sugar Ray
Jay Leno (NBC) Dennis Rodman, Britney Spears
Chris Rock (HBO) Allen Iverson
Politically Incorrect (ABC) Janeane Garofalo, Leora Tanenbaum
Conan O'Brien (NBC) Adam Sandler, Chris Eigeman
Shares