TODAY’S NEWS, TOMORROW’S TELEVISION : Trio of actresses visit New England area to film a new ‘American Playhouse’

Blair Brown, Teresa Wright and Brenda Fricker (“My Left Foot”) are in New England filming “Lethal Innocence,” a PBS “American Playhouse” based on the life story of a young Cambodian refugee boy who was rescued from the Khmer Rouge and adopted by an entire New England town. The drama will premiere later this year or in early 1992.

TNT will pay tribute to Oscar-winning actor Henry Fonda with a retrospective featuring excerpts from his 47-year film career. It will be hosted by his Oscar-winning daughter Jane Fonda. The one-hour special, produced and written by Joan Kramer and David Heeley and directed by Heeley, is tentatively scheduled to air in January.

Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, who burned up the screen 18 years ago in Nicolas Roeg’s erotic thriller “Don’t Look Now,” will reunite for Turner Pictures production of “The Railway Man,” a contemporary romance that will be filmed this spring in Ireland. The film will air on TNT in early 1992.

The godfather of soul should be feeling good these days. Not only did James Brown get out of prison, he also is guest-starring as himself on the May 11 season finale of NBC’s comedy series “Amen.”

Mariel Hemingway, Peter Onorati and Debbie Mazar are currently in front of the cameras filming “Civil Wars,” a new drama for ABC from Steven Bochco Productions.

William M. Finkelstein (“L.A. Law,” “Cop Rock”) is creator and executive producer of the potential fall series about a pair of divorce lawyers and their legal secretary.

Jack Wagner, a.k.a. Frisco, is exiting ABC’s “General Hospital” for the second time. Word has it that ABC decided not to renew his contract, which is up in June. Wagner fans needn’t worry. It seems NBC’s “Santa Barbara,” which is in direct competition with “GH,” wants him for the Emmy-winning soap.

Tom Berenger, David Bowie and Mimi Rogers are featured in the one-hour premiere episode of the second season of HBO’s adult-comedy series “Dream On,” debuting July 7. The episode, “The Second Greatest Story Ever Told,” will be directed by John Landis and features returning cast members Brian Benben, Chris Demetral, Denny Dillon and Wendy Malick.

Snoopy and his seven brothers and sisters appear together for the first time in “Snoopy’s Reunion,” a new animated “Peanuts” special premiering May 1 on CBS.