Date night, ABC
By Joyce Millman
Two new shows, "Cupid" and the updated "Fantasy Island," remind us of why saturday night is the loneliest night

Peckerhead
By Laura Miller
Gleeful depravity: An interview with John Waters
(09/24/98)

The Shadow sheds light
By Adam Heimlich
Josh Davis, aka DJ Shadow, goes on the record about the evolution of hip-hop and his latest project, "Psyence Fiction," the debut album from UNKLE
(09/23/98)

Sharps & Flats
Reviews of the latest releases from Hootie and the Blowfish, Cat Power, Amy Rigby and Marilyn Manson
(09/23/98)

You don't know Dick
By Hariette Surovell
"NewsRadio" co-star Andy Dick talks about the death of Chris Farley, Phil Hartman -- and of "NewsRadio"
(09/22/98)

Home Movies
By Charles Taylor
Paul Schrader's "Patty Hearst" tells the story Americans didn't want to hear
(09/22/98)

blue glow
SALON'S TV PICKS FOR
WEEKEND, SEPT. 25-27, 1998
BY JOYCE MILLMAN

N E W    S H O W S

Dennis Farina (remember him from Michael Mann's great NBC series "Crime Story"?) has the title role in Buddy Faro (9 p.m. Fri., CBS), a drama-comedy about a private eye who used to swing with the Rat Pack, but dropped out of sight for 20 years. Now Buddy's back, baby! The new action series Martial Law (9 p.m. Sat., CBS) stars Hong Kong martial arts movie star Sammo Hung as Sammo Law, a Shanghai cop who comes to Los Angeles looking for his kidnapped partner and ends up working with the LAPD. From the creator of "Nash Bridges." And the retro cheeseballs keep coming: Fantasy Island (9 p.m. Sat., ABC) is back, with Malcolm McDowell taking over the role of the mysterious Roarke. Alas, Tattoo is no longer with us. The romantic comedy-drama Cupid (10 p.m. Sat., ABC) stars Jeremy Piven ("The Larry Sanders Show," "Ellen") as a guy who claims to be Cupid and Paula Marshall as a psychologist who doesn't believe in romantic love. Arrows fly. Pamela Anderson Lee makes her triumphant return to syndicated television in V.I.P. (check local time and day this weekend); Pammy plays a bodyguard to the stars.

S P E C I A L S

Dateline NBC (8 p.m. Fri., NBC) has a two-hour report on violent children and teens. Sabrina the Teenage Witch (9 p.m. Fri., ABC) has its season premiere, as does Nash Bridges (10 p.m. Fri., CBS). Giancarlo Esposito and Michael Michele join the cast as Homicide: Life on the Street (10 p.m. Fri., NBC) opens a new season. Cameron Diaz hosts the season premiere of Saturday Night Live (11:30 p.m. Sat., NBC), with music from Smashing Pumpkins. Bart has a mishap with a BB gun on The Simpsons (8 p.m. Sun., Fox). The X-Files (9 p.m. Sun., Fox) reruns last year's season finale, about a child chess prodigy targeted for assassination. Mimi Rogers makes her first appearance as Mulder's former partner -- and former wife? This year's Emmy winner for best drama, The Practice (10 p.m. Sun., ABC), opens its new season with Bobby (Dylan McDermott) having career doubts.

S P O R T S

Baseball:
Mets at Braves (7:35 p.m. Fri., TBS)
TBA (1 p.m. Sat., Fox)
TBA (11 p.m. Sat., FX)
TBA (12:40 p.m. Sun., ESPN2)
TBA (4:30 p.m. Sun., ESPN2)

Football:
Packers at Panthers, or Cardinals at Rams, or Saints at Colts (1 p.m. Sun., Fox)
Falcons at 49ers, or Vikings at Bears, or Giants at Chargers (4:15 p.m. Sun., Fox)
Bengals at Ravens (8:15 p.m. Sun., ESPN)

T A L K

Rosie O'Donnell (syndicated) Kathie Lee Gifford, Billy Crudup
David Letterman (CBS) Jon Stewart, Jean Reno, Rob Zombie
Jay Leno (NBC) Sarah Michelle Gellar, Chris Isaak
Charlie Rose (PBS) TBA
Politically Incorrect (ABC) Gordon Clapp, George Hamilton
Conan O'Brien (NBC) Janeane Garofalo, John Waters
SALON | Sept. 25, 1998

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Blue Glow for < href="http://www.salonmagazine.com/ent/glow/1998/09/24glow.html">Thursday, Sept. 24, 1998