‘STARMAN’--ALIEN PRESENCE ON ABC

Can a bewildered outer space alien find happiness--and Nielsens--at 10 p.m. Fridays on ABC opposite hot competition from CBS and NBC?

ABC’s “Starman” will answer that question, with Robert Hays becoming the appealing alien Jeff Bridges played in the charming theatrical movie that inspired the TV series.

“Starman” has a special premiere at 9 tonight (on Channels 3, 7 and 10), thereafter to run in its regular time period as a big underdog against “Falcon Crest” on CBS and the new “L.A. Law” on NBC.

Tonight at 8, ABC also repeats “Last Electric Knight,” the hour pilot (originally run as a Disney movie) for its new half-hour series “Sidekicks.”

Meanwhile, this weekend brings the debut of a remodeled ABC Saturday lineup whose three new series include the sitcom “Life With Lucy,” Lucille Ball’s ticket back to prime time.

When “Starman” the movie ended, our alien hero had barely eluded those government vultures and was en route home after impregnating his girlfriend, Jenny Hayden. So it probably figured that ABC’s “Starman” would turn out to be an echo of “The Fugitive,” forever on the lam from the authorities.

It’s now 14 years later. Seeking to find the Starboy named Scott (C. P. Barnes), he left behind, Starman has returned to Earth and assumed the human form of high-living free-lance photographer Paul Forrester, who’s been killed in a chopper crash. He locates Scott, who’s been living in an orphanage since the death of the couple who adopted him when Jenny gave him up.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Scott, Scott Hayden”

“I must talk to you, Scott Hayden.”

Electrifying, isn’t it?

Starman wins over Starboy and also Forrester’s former girlfriend (Mimi Kuzyk), but runs afoul of George Fox (Michael Cavanaugh), the government toad who’s been “watching and waiting” all these years for Starman to return so that he can get him into a (gulp) laboratory and maybe even confiscate those little magic spheres he carries.

Brother, is this a drag.

Hays is an engaging actor whose major task here, though, is merely to speak haltingly (Starman’s still learning English) and wander around in a state of awe. It all has a flat, very contrived look in contrast to the mystery, wonder and naturalness of the movie character.

At episode’s end, Starman and Starboy had set out to find Jenny with the sneering Fox hot on their trail. Stay tuned. Stay awake.

Apparently fearing a bashing from critics, ABC did not make “Life With Lucy” available for review.

It couldn’t be worse than the comedy that follows at 8:30. “The Ellen Burstyn Show” stars the Oscar-winning Burstyn as author/writing teacher Ellen Brewer, who shares her Baltimore house with her mother (Elaine Stritch), daughter (Megan Mullally) and grandson (Jesse Tendler).

Burstyn’s a very good actress whose own company produced her series; hence she has only herself to blame. This is one of those sitcoms that’s dry and unfunny, but intelligent. Which is like saying a homely person has nice eyebrows.

At 9 comes the 90-minute premiere of “Heart of the City,” a series about a cop with two teen-agers whom he smothers with parenting. Robert Desiderio plays Wes Kennedy, a tough cop by night, a overbearing single parent by day.

Frankly, he gets on your nerves.

There are some nice moments on the premiere when Wes befriends the mother of a delinquent kid. Moreover, you have to like the honesty of Wes’ lingering grief for his dead wife. And the integration of rock music works.

Otherwise, the episode is grating and pedestrian, beginning with a murder at a rock club where Wes spots his 15-year-old daughter, Robin (Christina Applegate), and ending with a sugarcoated finale. In the meantime, Wes is a schmaltzy and unrealistic character, displaying the kind of pristine goodness that you can take only in minuscule doses. His heart doesn’t bleed, it gushes. In one boggling scene, he and his son, Kevin (Jonathan Ward) share stories about their first sexual experiences. It’s a typical family discussion, typical of families on Pluto.

Wes really slobbers over his kids. They can’t hiccup without his overreacting. “You could lighten up a little bit,” Kevin tells him. “You try too hard.” This entire show tries too hard.