TURN ON, TUNE IN OR MISS OUT : ‘Millennium’ approaches on Fox; fresh ‘Ink’ arrives on CBS; KCET picks up Miller’s ‘Broken Glass’

Sunday

“Blue Rodeo” / 9 p.m. CBS

Filmed in Arizona, this TV movie concerns a strained relationship between a mother (Ann-Margret) and the son (Corbin Allred) who was left almost entirely deaf as a teen because of an accident. Feeling partly to blame, mother Maggie Yearwood moves to a ranch near the school for the hearing-impaired attended by her son Peter. There she falls for a charming neighbor (Kris Kristofferson), a cowboy keeping a secret--his real identity.

****

“The Ring” / 9 p.m. NBC. Concludes Monday at 9 p.m.

A cut above the standard schmaltz from Danielle Steel, this two-part melodrama based on her novel (the final one to be adapted by NBC) centers on the travails of a privileged German woman (Nastassja Kinski) separated from loved ones at the start of World War II. The vibrant Kinski, a 36-year-old actress who plays Ariana from 19 to fiftysomething, is strong and sympathetic. The title refers to a piece of jewelry that eventually reunites the put-upon heroine with her long-lost brother.

****

“Talk to Me” / 9 p.m. ABC

“We don’t do issues. We do theater,” heartless Sadie Burns (Veronica Hamel) tells her naive producer Diane Shepherd (Yasmine Bleeth) in this TV movie taking viewers behind the scenes of a tawdry talk show. Considering that most viewers already know how low such sleazy daytime shows will go to rack up ratings, this film is not the hard-hitting expose it wants to be. The plot also involves a drug-addicted prostitute (a convincing Jenny Lewis) whose booking predictably leads to tragedy.

****

“Masterpiece Theatre” / 9 p.m. KCET

A change of pace finds the PBS series presenting an adaptation of “Broken Glass,” the acclaimed Arthur Miller play set in 1938 Brooklyn. This is the symbolic tale of a middle-aged woman (Margot Leicester) who has suffered a sudden paralysis possibly brought on by her obsession with news of Nazi atrocities in Europe. Mandy Patinkin plays a compassionate doctor who, after delving into psychological aspects of her marriage, discovers a deeply troubled relationship with her husband (Henry Goodman).

Monday

“Ink” / 8:30 p.m. CBS

Barring any last-minute glitches, this Ted Danson-Mary Steenburgen comedy will make its belated debut as a key component of the network’s Monday lineup. As viewers may recall, CBS postponed the sitcom’s September premiere when it signed “Murphy Brown” creator Diane English as the new executive producer. English, it is hoped, will imbue the show with a lively combination of wit and sophistication that was missing from the original pilot about a newly divorced couple working for a New York newspaper. If the series is as amusing as its most recent TV ads, they’re going to have something.

****

“Great Performances” / 9 p.m. KCET

“Carnegie Hall Opening Night” kicks off a new season of the PBS series as the Berlin Philharmonic returns to the venerable venue for a performance of the Brahms Symphony No. 2. The composer’s Piano Concert No. 2.

Tuesday

“Mother Trucker: The Diana Kilmury Story” / 5 and 9:30 p.m. TNT

Think of this as Diana vs. Goliath. Tough and tenacious, Kilmury is a Canadian driver who boldly tackled corrupt leaders of the Teamsters. The protagonist, played with grit and determination by Barbara Williams, is a skilled trucker who backs a local union rep (Nicholas Campbell) in British Columbia, a decision resulting in the protracted delay of her long-term disability benefits following a car accident. Ultimately, Kilmury is hailed as a folk hero who fiercely fights for a democratic union.

Friday

“Millennium” / 9 p.m. Fox

With Fox struggling in the prime-time ratings, it will need good Nielsen numbers from this new crime drama usurping the slot of “The X-Files,” which moves to Sundays on Oct. 27. Chris Carter, who conceived the latter hour of paranormal puzzlers, is also the creator of this dark and disturbing albeit intriguing series likely to elicit visceral reactions from viewers. Lance Henriksen stars as Frank Black, a former FBI agent with a penchant for tracking serial killers. “China Beach” alum Megan Gallagher co-stars as his wife.