ALL TIMES ARE EDT UNLESS NOTED CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS. - - - - - - - - - - - - RECENTLY IN BLUE GLOW Review: Tom Hanks' epic "From the Earth to the Moon" (04/03/98) - - - - - - - - - - - - ENTERTAINMENT THIS WEEK Mercury Rising Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin and an autistic cryptology prodigy Mike van Diem An interview with the Academy Award-winning director - - - - - - - - - - - - BROWSE THE ARCHIVES MOVIES TELEVISION INTERVIEWS FEATURES

blue glow SALON'S TV PICKS FOR MONDAY, APRIL 6, 1998 BY JOYCE MILLMAN S P E C I A L S The "Frontline" special From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians (check local times, PBS) is a four-part examination of the life of Jesus and the origins of Christianity, based on some new and controversial theories of New Testament scholars. The miniseries Tom Jones (9 p.m. EDT/10 PDT, A&E) wends its bawdy way through hours three and four (of six). Max Beesley and Samantha Morton star. Kathy Baker stars in the new cable movie Oklahoma City: A Survivor's Story (9 p.m., Lifetime), a re-creation of one woman's horror as she lay trapped in the rubble of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. S E R I E S Today is the launch date for Teletubbies (check local times, PBS). You have been warned. Casanova is profiled on a new Biography (8 p.m. EDT/9 PDT, A&E). The new drama series Push (8 p.m., ABC) is a glossy soap with a difference: It's about buff young athletes at a California university training for the 2000 Summer Olympics. On 7th Heaven (8 p.m., WB), a French exchange student has the Camden women in thrall and minister Eric surfs the Net. The new sitcom Getting Personal (8:30 p.m., Fox) stars Vivica A. Fox as a Chicago ad agency boss who starts off on the wrong foot with employees Jon Cryer and Duane Martin. Debra breaks the snack rules at a T-ball game on a new Everybody Loves Raymond (8:30 p.m., CBS). Murphy Brown (9 p.m., CBS) returns to its old slot as the series prepares to end its run in May. Sally Field guests as the newest secretary, and there's a 50th birthday sock hop for Murphy. Ally faces a birthday and defends a foot-tickle fetishist on Ally McBeal (9 p.m., Fox), and you know that Ally's going to end up barefoot in this one. Dateline NBC (10 p.m., NBC) has an interview with Lorna Luft, author of a new tell-all book about her mother, Judy Garland. T A L K Rosie O'Donnell (syndicated) welcomes Meg Ryan; Matt LeBlanc, Natasha Henstridge and singers the Lynns guest on David Letterman (CBS); Nicolas Cage and Hanson appear on Jay Leno (NBC); a rerun of Politically Incorrect (ABC) features Eartha Kitt and Mark Curry; John Goodman and Steve Earle are featured on a rerun of Conan O'Brien (NBC). E T C Ellen DeGeneres will play the Buchmans' nanny on the May 19 season finale of Mad About You. No confirmation yet on rumors that ABC has canceled Ellen ... A nation breathes easier: The Simpsons voice crisis has ended with all actors on board for another season and $1 million bonuses for each ... Among the winners of this year's Peabody Awards: the coming out episode of Ellen, 60 Minutes and episodes of Nothing Sacred and Homicide. SALON | April 6, 1998 Blue Glow for < href="/ent/glow/1998/04/03glow.html">Weekend, April 3-5, 1998

ILLUSTRATION BY CATERINA FAKE