‘OUTRAGE’--OFFENSE AGAINST VIEWERS

Real heavy, man.

CBS is billing “Outrage” as one of those really significant movies that gives you lots to chew on. Instead, it gives new meaning to the word dumb .

Airing at 9 p.m. Sunday on Channels 2 and 8, “Outrage” stars Robert Preston as Dennis Riordan, who is so furious when charges are dropped against the animal who raped and murdered his daughter that he buys a gun and shoots the man dead. Beau Bridges plays Greg Gordon, the lawyer who defends Riordan.

Walter Grauman has directed and Henry Denker has written the script, based on his novel, for this absurd story, which portrays Gordon as some sort of genius lawyer even though he goes to court unprepared and argues his case off the top of his head. That includes implying that the black prosecutor is a racist.

When that shrewd tactic doesn’t work, Gordon comes up with an alternate plan that he tells his girlfriend (Linda Purl). “What if I could get the jury to feel Riordan’s outrage by putting the system of justice on trial?” he says.

“Brad, can you do that?” she asks. Can you, Brad, huh, huh? Sure he can, as soon as he learns how to tie his shoes.

Any legitimate points that “Outrage” tries to make about flaws in the legal system are obscured by a general witlessness in this Irwin Allen production that includes such trite characters as a grouchy-but-fair judge, played by Burgess Meredith, and a grubby literary agent, played by Anthony Newley. (That’s the bad news. The good news is that Newley doesn’t sing.)

Outrage? Viewers will be able to relate to that.

Here are other weekend programs:

TODAY: Who do teen-agers consider heroes? Find out on “Teen Talk,” 8 a.m. (9). . . .

Local officials, including Washington High School principal George McKenna, discuss the recent CBS documentary that reported on serious problems besetting many black families, on “At Issue/With David Garcia,” 3 p.m. (2). . . .

“Newsmakers” looks at the race for California governor between incumbent George Deukmejian and Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, 3:30 p.m. (2). . . .

Public television stations launch their spring fund-raising drives with music. KOCE Channel 50 is offering “Liberace in Las Vegas” at 6:30 p.m., “A Tribute to Country Greatness” at 8 p.m. and “Al Jarreau: Live in London” at 10:30 p.m. . . .

KCET Channel 28, meanwhile, is showing “Folk/Rock Crossroads” at 10 p.m., with John Sebastian, Jesse Colin Young and others, followed at 11:05 p.m. by the 1979 concert film “No Nukes,” with Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Carly Simon and others. . . .

Robert Redford narrates “Condor,” a documentary about the great California bird that is in danger of becoming extinct, at 7:05 p.m. on the WTBS cable channel. . . . There also are wildlife programs airing on Channel 28 from 5:10 p.m. until 10 p.m. . . .

“Valerie,” a new comedy series starring Valerie Harper, premieres at 8:30 p.m. (4)(36)(39). . . .

Barry Bostwick stars as a man caught up in a statutory rape case in “Betrayed by Innocence,” a new TV movie, 9 p.m. (2)(8).

SUNDAY: “Sunday Morning” looks at how Americans living in Haiti have been affected by the revolution there, 7:30 a.m. (2) (8). . . .

Keith Berwick and Janine Tartaglia host “Checkpoint,” a new series focusing on local moral, ethical and religious issues, 7:30 a.m. (4). . . .

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner will be interviewed on “Channel 4 News Conference,” 8:30 a.m. (4). . . .

The 31st annual “Stop Arthritis Telethon” to raise money for the Southern California chapter of the Arthritis Foundation will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tom Kennedy hosts with Jane Wyman, Lynn Redgrave, Lee Meriwether and Larry Van Nuys, who will be joined by celebrities throughout the day. . . .

“Meet the Press” is scheduled at 9:30 a.m. (4)(36)(39). . . .

“This Week With David Brinkley” will be seen at 11:30 a.m. (7) (3)(10)(42). . . .

Luciano Pavarotti sings in “Rigoletto,” 1 p.m. (28). He later turns up in “Pavarotti at Madison Square Garden,” 9:15 p.m. (50). . . .

“Face the Nation” will arrive at 4:30 p.m. (8) and 5 p.m. (2). . . .

“60 Minutes” reports on plastic surgery, looks at how a coal mining company deals with government regulations, and investigates charges that children in Woburn, Mass., died because there was toxic waste in their water supply, 7 p.m. (2) (8). . . .

“The Undergrads,” with Art Carney and Chris Makepeace as a grandfather and grandson who attend college together, is the “Disney Sunday Night Movie,” 7 p.m. (7)(3)(10)(42). . . .

“Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy” draws to a close on “Masterpiece Theatre,” 8 p.m. (50) (24), 9:05 p.m. (28)(15). . . .

“Acceptable Risks,” a new TV movie about the devastation that might ensue if there was a leak at a U.S. chemical plant, will screen at 9 p.m. (7)(3)(10)(42). . . .

Bill Honig, the state superintendent of public instruction, visits “School Beat,” 9:30 p.m. (9).