SHOWS FOR YOUNGSTERS AND THEIR PARENTS TOO : ‘Masters of Illusion’ proves how special those effects really are

Sigourney Weaver battles the Queen Alien in the final scenes of “Aliens.” Patrick Swayze enters heaven at the end of “Ghost.” Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator morphs into molten liquid in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”

How’d they do that?

Sunday’s Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects reveals secrets behind Hollywood’s most spectacular special effects.

Hosted by “seaQuest DSV” stars Roy Scheider and Jonathan Brandis, the special also features Charlton Heston, Bob Hoskins, Robert Englund, Michael Dorn, Leslie Nielsen, Robert Patrick and George Lucas, who pay tribute to their favorite effects experts.

“Kids will be fascinated about the amount of time that goes into special effects,” Brandis says. “After completion, some of the effects only last 30 seconds on screen, but took days, sometimes longer, to put together.”

Brandis’ favorite sequence is a look at the building used in the upcoming feature “The Shadow,” where effects experts created a 1/24th-scale version of New York City. “It’s so impressive,” he says. “All the tiny windows--everything is so perfect. And all the time it took to put that together! I love model making, so it was great to see that done.

“Kids are gonna see the whole business involved, and realize how much people go through to get what’s on screen. A lot of what they do seems impossible and you are totally fooled by it.”

Scheider and Brandis’ “seaQuest DSV “--a show that’s no stranger to special effects--will offer its season finale immediately after “Masters of Illusions.”

“Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects” airs Sunday at 7-8 p.m. on NBC. The season finale of “seaQuest DSV” follows at 8-9 p.m. For ages 7 and up.

More Family Shows

Nick News Special Edition: Stranger Danger (Sunday 8-8:30 p.m. Nickelodeon) reports on one of parents’ greatest fears: child abduction. Linda Ellerbee hosts a discussion that will include interviews with families painfully affected by kidnapings--including the family of Polly Klaas, a 12-year-old who was murdered after being abducted from her home in Petaluma. The show hopes to give youngsters an opportunity to discuss fears and concerns in the wake of that highly publicized case. Also featured will be information for both parents and kids on how to stay safe. For ages 8 and up.

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A dark cloud hangs over the glitzy celebration of the Warner brothers--and sister Dot’s--65 years in show business on Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs (Monday 4-4:30 p.m. Fox). While a retrospective of their illustrious careers is presented, a dark-hooded figure attempts to make the anniversary their last. For ages 2 to 8.

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Batman and Robin form an uneasy alliance with villainess Harley Quinn, who becomes torn between her twisted love for the Joker and her promise to help Batman in “Harlequinade” on Batman: The Animated Series (Monday 4:30-5 p.m. Fox). As Harley gloats: “Batgirl, eat your heart out!” the dynamic duo battle the Joker. For ages 4 and up.

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There’ll be many shouts of “yabba dabba doo” this week. Featuring original voice actors Mel Blanc, Jean Vander Pyl and June Foray, 1966’s The Man Called Flintstone (Monday 1:15-2:30 p.m. Disney) reveals that there were secret agents in the Stone Age. Fred Flintstone and pal Barney Rubble are recruited to track down the evildoing Green Goose and Tanya. Talk about retro! Friday, the Family Channel airs four episodes of The Flintstone Kids (3-5 p.m.) featuring an animated look way back, with a 10-year-old Fred Flintstone. On Saturday, the past runs into the future in The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones (7-9 a.m. and 5-7 p.m. the Cartoon Network). For ages 3 to 12.