Patrick Duffy, who plays Bobby Ewing on...

Patrick Duffy, who plays Bobby Ewing on “Dallas,” has the starring role in “Unholy Matrimony,” a movie for CBS. He portrays an Arizona detective whose investigation of a hit-and-run fatality turns up a string of unusual and deceptive people. Also starring in the film are Charles Durning, Michael O’Keefe and Alexandra Powers.

Due next week are two TV dramas about poverty and hunger. NBC’s “A Place at the Table” on March 20 stars Susan Dey, David Morse, Lukas Haas and Danny Glover. . . . Mare Winningham plays a young mother confronting the homelessness issue in “Children of Poverty,” a TV movie airing March 21 on ABC. Dorian Harewood plays a social worker.

NBC has ordered a four-hour miniseries about an alien trying to take over Earth. No, “Invader” doesn’t star ALF. In fact, no single person is portraying the alien, since it takes on a variety of human forms. Joe Cortese has the lead role as a detective trying to track down the creature. The movie is scheduled to air in May.

Anthony Franciosa, the former star of “The Name of the Game” and “Matt Helm,” among other series, will be a guest star on the March 23 episode of CBS’ “Jake and the Fatman.” He plays a former policeman who has become a successful author.

Pernell Roberts, formerly of “Trapper John, M.D.,” will turn up on the Disney Channel in April as the star of “The Night Train to Kathmandu,” a new TV movie filmed on location in Nepal. He plays a professor searching for a secret kingdom in the Himalayas.

Whoopi Goldberg has made a deal with Hanna-Barbera for the production of a cartoon series she has created. If they can sell it, the series would feature the comedian doing several of the characters’ voices, and she would be seen as herself at the beginning and end of each episode.

Briefly noted: “Late Night With David Letterman” will broadcast four programs from London during the first week in May. . . . CBS will broadcast all its programs in stereo beginning this fall. . . . The Disney Channel plans to show “Lady and the Tramp” in June.