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

TELEVISION

The Duchess of ABC: Sarah Ferguson, former wife of Prince Andrew of England, will be coming to prime time to anchor a one-hour interview special for ABC Entertainment. The network is expected to announce later this week that Ferguson will interview ordinary Americans in the special, tentatively titled “Adventures With the Duchess.” The program could be the pilot for a series of shows if it goes well, ABC said.

Seeking Latino Writers, Comics: Universal Television and the National Hispanic Media Coalition will accept scripts through Aug. 13 for the seventh annual Hispanic Film Project competition, after which the winner will be given the opportunity to make a feature film. . . . Latinos are also being sought by the Laugh Factory, which on Monday held a preliminary competition for “Latino Comedian of the Year.” The preliminaries continue on July 14, followed by the finals--hosted by Paul Rodriguez--on July 30. The winner performs later in the year at the 1997 Latino Laughs Festival in San Antonio, which will be broadcast on Showtime.

POP/ROCK

Rock on MTV: Comedian Chris Rock, whose stand-up style is often described as “obscenity-laced,” will host the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV announced Monday. The former “Saturday Night Live” cast member recently starred in two HBO specials, “Bring the Pain” and “Chris Rock: Big Ass Jokes,” which was recently released as both a home video and a CD recording by DreamWorks Records. The awards show will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall in New York Sept. 4.

Longing for Childhood: Michael Jackson, citing his “dream of returning to the world of childhood,” said he wants to build a $100-million amusement park at the old Bemowo military airport in northeast Warsaw. “We are treating it as a serious proposal, especially since there is no big amusement park in Warsaw or even in this part of Europe,” said city council spokeswoman Jolanta Kalka, noting the project is a long way from being approved. Last week, two of Jackson’s representatives inspected the airport, where 100,000 fans heard his first Polish concert in September.

PEOPLE

Minnie Meets Mickey: Speaking of theme parks: Over the weekend, Minnie Pepito, 27, of Concord became Disneyland’s 400 millionth guest since it opened July 17, 1955. She was personally welcomed by Mickey Mouse and whisked off to lunch at an exclusive members-only restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. Pepito and her family, who passed through Disneyland turnstiles at 9:12 a.m. Saturday, will receive a lifetime pass, a $1,000 park shopping spree and are invited to attend the park’s reopening of Tomorrowland in spring, 1998.

ART

Art Problems: The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, is the happy beneficiary of a Swiss protest over proposed laws that would allow various governments to decide whether art housed within their nations can be sold, and for what price. The flap is over the Unidroit convention--rules negotiated in 1995 by more than 70 nations but thus far in place in only Paraguay and Lithuania--which is currently under consideration in Switzerland. While some Swiss art leaders are calling for immediate ratification of the convention, which also requires members to return stolen or illegally obtained cultural objects from other nations, others fear it could have “drastic negative consequences” on the Swiss art trade. In the strongest show of opposition, the Basel-based Rudolf Staechelin Family Foundation is loaning its 26-painting collection of Monets, Picassos, Degas and other masterpieces to the museum--outside of the convention’s reach. If Switzerland rejects the convention, President Rudolf Staechelin said, the works will return to Switzerland.

‘Trek’ Trauma: “Star Trek” fans are like drug addicts who suffer withdrawal symptoms if deprived of their favorite television show, according to a four-year study by a British psychologist. One female Trekker spent her whole vacation worrying that her video recorder had not been set properly to catch the latest installment. Another spent $10,000 on “Star Trek” merchandise every year. “Five [percent] to 10% of fans met the psychological criteria of addiction,” said psychologist Sandy Wolfson. ‘ However, she added, some Trekkers have met friends and even spouses through their trekking, and are intellectually challenged by moral and ethical dilemmas presented in the show.

CULTURE

Before the Show: Cicada Restaurant, the new downtown eatery that has become a celebrity gathering spot thanks to its ownership by Stephanie Taupin (wife of composer Bernie Taupin), has been added to the Music Center’s shuttle bus route, which provides diners with complimentary transportation from the restaurants to the Music Center for evening performances. Other spots on the shuttle route--which runs Tuesday through Saturday, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., with post-performance service from 10 to 11 p.m.--include Cafe Pinot, Engine Co. No. 28, the Epicentre, Stepps Restaurant, Tesoro Trattoria, California Pizza Kitchen and the Water Grill.