Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation’s press.

MOVIES

‘Apollo 13’ Tops Family Honors: Universal Pictures’ astronaut drama “Apollo 13” swept three of the top categories--best dramatic film, best actor (Tom Hanks) and best director (Ron Howard)--in the first Family Film Awards broadcast on CBS Thursday. Other movie honorees included Universal’s “Babe” (best comedy film) and Sandra Bullock (best actress for “While You Were Sleeping”). In the TV categories, the big winners were CBS’ “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”--which took home prizes for outstanding drama series as well as best actress (Jane Seymour) and actor (Joe Lando)--and ABC’s “The Canterville Ghost,” which swept the TV movie categories: best TV film, best actress (Neve Campbell) and best actor (Patrick Stewart). ABC’s “Home Improvement” was named best comedy series. Among other awards, entertainer Bob Hope, 93, received a special honor, which in future years will be named the Bob Hope Lifetime Achievement Award. The awards, held at CBS Television City, were presented by the World Film Institute. Winners were determined by a national poll conducted through the Internet and an 800 telephone number.

TELEVISION

Bent on Destruction?: Actor Ed Begley Jr., perhaps Hollywood’s most fervent environmental activist, will do an about-face in an upcoming episode of UPN’s “Star Trek: Voyager” when he portrays a character described as “Earth’s worst enemy.” In the two-part episode, scheduled to air in November, the Starfleet crew is thrown back in time to present-day Earth. Begley plays a maniacal computer mogul whose misuse of advanced technology threatens to destroy the entire planet. “He’s kind of Bill Gates’ evil twin,” Begley says, “and he’s about to use technology . . . that will risk billions of lives, but he goes along with it anyway.” Begley, a “longtime ‘Star Trek’ fan,” said that there’s no environmental message in the role. But he says of the “Star Trek” premise: “I’m hopeful that people would assume there will be civilization in the 24th century.”

New News Shows Fare Poorly: The debut of CBS News’ revamped “This Morning” didn’t have much impact with viewers, according to national Nielsen ratings for the Aug. 12-16 week. The morning program was seen in about 1.8 million homes, roughly what the show had averaged with its previous format. That compares with 3.9 million homes watching NBC’s No. 1-rated “Today” and more than 3.3 million viewing “Good Morning America.” “Fox After Breakfast,” launched the same week, also delivered paltry numbers: only about 1.1 million viewing homes.

STAGE

Hwang Goes East First: The premiere of David Henry Hwang’s “Golden Child” will now debut at New York’s Joseph Papp Public Theater, Oct. 29-Dec. 1, before crossing the country to open in its previously announced Jan. 3-Feb. 9 slot at Costa Mesa’s South Coast Repertory, which commissioned it. James Lapine, best known for his collaborations with Stephen Sondheim, will direct the co-production, but a later commitment required him to do his primary work on the show earlier than the South Coast time slot could allow, sources said. The plays of Hwang (“M. Butterfly”) have often been produced at the Public Theater. Hwang’s “Face Value,” which South Coast had also commissioned, went instead (in 1993) to Broadway, where it closed in previews.

POP/ROCK

Hendrix Auction: A rare early draft of a song by guitar legend Jimi Hendrix was sold for almost $17,000 Thursday at a London auction of some of the late musician’s favorite possessions. A Florida restaurant paid $16,935 for the draft of “Ain’t No Telling,” which Hendrix penned on a piece of London hotel stationery in late 1966. At the end of a January 1967 concert in the English city of Nottingham, he threw the sheet of paper into the audience, where it was retrieved by a fan.

QUICK TAKES

Despite a brief contract holdout earlier this summer by lead actors Malik Yoba and Michael DeLorenzo, Fox’s “New York Undercover” returns next Thursday with a two-part season premiere featuring a torn-from-the-headlines story line about a rash of African American church burnings. Gospel artists Kirk Franklin and the Family perform. . . . Larry Fortensky, Elizabeth Taylor’s estranged seventh husband, was arrested and charged with drug use Wednesday after police saw him coming out of an illegally parked luxury motor home in Hemet. Arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 20. . . . Rhythm and blues singer Aaron Hall (“I Miss You”) pleaded guilty in New York Thursday to assault for hitting his ex-girlfriend with a boot heel. He originally had been charged with rape in the Jan. 23 attack. Sentencing was set for Oct. 1, when he could get up to seven years in prison. . . . Pop star Michael Jackson is lending a hand to his teenage nephews Taj, TJ and Taryll Jackson, collectively known in the pop world as 3T. Jackson duets with the trio in “Why,” a new single due out next week from 3T’s debut album, “Anything.” . . . Horrormeister Clive Barker (“Hellraiser”) will sign his latest book, “Sacrament,” tonight at 7 at West Hollywood’s A Different Light bookstore.