TODAY’S NEWS, TOMORROW’S TELEVISION : Larry King goes into overtime; AMC salutes French leading men

Best actor Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons, actors James Woods and Barbara Hershey and San Antonio Spurs’ David Robinson guest on the one-hour magazine special “Larry King TNT Extra,” airing April 29 on TNT.

Oooh, la la. American Movies Classics pays tribute to three of the cinema’s oh-so romantic French leading men the week of April 22.

First up is Jean Gabin (“Grande Illusion,” “Pepe Le Moko”) who made his American film debut in 1942’s “Moontide” (April 22).

Twenty-five years before he sang “Thank Heaven For Little Girls” in “Gigi,” Maurice Chevalier performed Rodgers and Hart’s “Isn’t It Romantic?” and “Mimi” in 1932’s “Love Me Tonight” (April 23).

Doe-eyed Charles Boyer is featured in the romantic dramas “Break of Hearts” and “Back Street” (both April 24), and “Flesh and Fantasy” (April 26).

Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis (“Moonstruck”) is set to star in “Fire in the Dark,” a CBS movie scheduled to begin filming in May for telecast during the 1991-92 season. The drama tells the story of an independent woman who must face old age and the effect it has on her children and those around her. A director and additional casting will be announced later.

Garth Brooks, the Judds, the Kentucky Headhunters and Reba McEntire head the list of performers of “The 26th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards,” April 24 on NBC.

“Star Trek: The Next Generation” has become the first non-network series to be endorsed by the Viewers for Quality Television. VQT was founded in 1984 to champion quality programming on network television. The list of shows endorsed in 1991 includes “China Beach,” “Cheers,” “Designing Women,” “L.A. Law,” “Life Goes On,” “Law & Order,” “Murphy Brown,” “Quantum Leap,” “60 Minutes,” “thirtysomething,” “The Wonder Years” and “The Trials of Rose O’Neill.”