TODAY’S NEWS, TOMORROW’S TELEVISION : Richard Crenna’s Janek returns to CBS; one more chance for ‘Generations’; Judge Stone in love ?

MOVIES

Emmy Award-winning actor Richard Crenna reprises his role as Lt. Janek in the CBS suspense drama “Murder Times Seven,” airing Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. In the sequel to the CBS miniseries “Double Take” and “Internal Affairs,” the New York City detective clashes with a special task force while investigating a grizzly mass murder in which the victim is one of Janek’s former partners. Cliff Gorman, Moses Gunn and Susan Blakely costar.

Back in 1985, wild and crazy Chevy Chase received the best reviews of his film career as investigative reporter and master of disguise I.M. Fletcher in the comedy “Fletch.” The 1989 sequel “Fletch Lives,” airs Oct. 23 at 9 p.m. on CBS. This time around Fletch is bequeathed an 80-acre Southern plantation. Julianne Philips, the ex-Mrs. Bruce Springsteen, Richard Libertini and Cleavon Little costar.

Yanni is set to score the upcoming ABC television movie “I’ll Take Romance,” starring Linda Evans. According to the Billboard Magazine Charts, Yanni is the No. 1 instrumental recording artist in the nation on the Adult Alternative Music Chart (new-age music). His sixth album, “Reflections of Passion,” was created based on Evans’ favorite selections of Yanni’s music.

A 13-year-old girl persuades Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) to defend her father, who is accused of murdering an evil blackmailer in the new NBC mystery thriller “Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter,” airing Sept. 30 at 9 p.m. Robert Culp, Robert Vaughn, Jere “Dear John” Burns and Ken Kercheval costar.

Treat Williams plays a famous Los Angeles defense attorney who is idolized by his 10-year-old daughter in TNT’s “Final Verdict.” Based on the book by Adela Rogers St. Johns, “Final Verdict” begins production this month in Houston and Galveston for airing at a later date.

Oct. 10 marks the fifth anniversary of the death of moviemaker extraordinaire Orson Welles. The Movie Channel is paying tribute to the man who gave the world “Citizen Kane” by airing at 8 that evening the restored version of his 1958 masterpiece “Touch of Evil,” which also stars Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh and Marlene Dietrich. The tribute continues at 10 p.m. with his 1948 thriller “Lady from Shanghai,” featuring then-wife Rita Hayworth and that shattering finale at a fun house.

SERIES

NBC’s low-rated daytime soap “Generations” is doing fall housecleaning and has eliminated a few key cast members: George Deloy (Rob), Gail Ramsey (Laura) and Rick Fitts (Martin). The buzz around the Peacock network is that the struggling year-old series, which airs Monday-Fridays at 11:30 a.m., has six months to improve in the Nielsen ratings or it’s history.

VH-1 has begun production of a new season of “Stand-Up Spotlight” comedy series hosted by comedian and on-air personality Rosie O’Donnell. Each of the new 13 episodes, taped at the Ice House in Pasadena, will feature one up-and-coming comic and two well-known comics. The series begins in October.

Judge Harry Stone (Harry Anderson) finally gets the girl. After eight seasons alone on NBC’s sitcom “Night Court,” Harry meets a beautiful reporter (Mary Cadorette) in an upcoming episode when she sneaks into his chambers to use his phone. Let’s hope she loves Mel Torme as much as Harry does. “Night Court” now airs Fridays at 9 p.m.

SPECIALS

This Saturday, Ha! The Comedy Network spotlights Oscar-winning actresses who appeared in classic comedies. Catch Diane Keaton on “Love American Style,” Sally Field on “Occasional Wife” and Maureen Stapleton in “Car 54, Where Are You?”