In like Clint; Jessica returns to sleuthing; Frankie goes to 1997; Oprah’s ‘Wings’ on air

Sunday

“Eastwood on Eastwood” / 4, 8 and 9:30 p.m. TNT

Early in his career, Clint Eastwood was lucky to make a fistful of dollars. Turning Hollywood every which way but loose, he stayed in the line of fire as actor, director and producer, eventually winning Oscars for the 1992 western “Unforgiven.” In this 90-minute biography based on a book by Richard Schickel, we get a mix of film clips and home flicks as well as observations on the industry. The special is narrated by John Cusack, the star of Eastwood’s upcoming “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.”

****

“Murder, She Wrote: South by Southwest” / 9 p.m. CBS

As promised when her long-running CBS series was canceled, Angela Lansbury returns in the role of crime-solving author Jessica Fletcher. And, as usual, the body count rises whenever Jessica is around. In this TV movie, the seasoned sleuth searches for a woman (Mel Harris) who witnessed the murder of a whistle-blower with damaging information on a high-security satellite code. Not exactly the kind of scintillating story that is likely to earn 12-time nominee Lansbury an Emmy next year.

****

“House of Frankenstein 1997” / 9 p.m. NBC. Concludes Monday

Adrian Pasdar, who was quite a monster in the late, lamented Fox series “Profit,” chases some really nasty creatures in this two-part thriller. He plays Vernon Coyle, a skeptical cop investigating a string of gruesome murders that lead to Crispian Grimes (Greg Wise), a virulent vampire whose team finds Dr. Frankenstein’s frozen big guy (Peter Crombie) in the North Pole. Teri Polo plays a beauty-turned-beast (think werewolf).

****

“Before Women Had Wings” / 9 p.m. ABC

The ongoing cycle of abuse and alcoholism is addressed in this downbeat TV movie, the first of six from Oprah Winfrey’s production company. Set in 1960s Florida, the story concerns a violent widow (Ellen Barkin), her loving daughter (Tina Majorino) and the latter’s friendship with a compassionate neighbor (Winfrey). Barkin belts her older daughter with a hairbrush in one scene and beats a helpless Majorino in another, which is as disquieting as it sounds.

****

“The X-Files” / 9 p.m. Fox

Without any new episodes to confound them, fans of the network’s top-rated series instead have speculated in recent weeks on whether the production will move from Vancouver to Los Angeles. Move, schmove! This week we can get down to the real deal with the eagerly awaited fifth-season premiere. In the opener, Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) suspects Scully (Emmy winner Gillian Anderson) knows more about Mulder (David Duchovny) than she lets on, and the Cigarette Smoking Man is angry that--for once--events are transpiring without his knowledge.

Tuesday

“Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery” / 8 p.m. KCET. Concludes Wednesday

After dissecting baseball and the Civil War, director Ken Burns turns his attention to the momentous expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who in 1904 headed up the Missouri River on the country’s first official exploration into unknown territory. Making extensive use of archival material and the duo’s meticulous journals, Burns charts their historic passage in a four-hour documentary featuring the voices of Adam Arkin, Murphy Guyer and Sam Waterston.

Thursday

“Mystery!” / 9 p.m. KCET

Colin Salmon, who attracted attention in “Prime Suspect II,” plays Detective Sergeant Charlie Nolan in “Deep Secrets,” a British thriller involving racial conflict and murder. Forced into working undercover to nail a ruthless crime boss named Caine (Ion Caramitru), Nolan sees Caine’s estranged wife Lara (“L.A. Law’s” Amanda Donohoe) as the key to the assignment. But that plan goes awry when Nolan falls for Lara.

Friday

“MTV Sports and Music Festival” / 8 p.m. MTV. Continues noon Saturday

Mesh alternative sports with alternative bands and you get this two-day, 10-hour telecast taped deep in the heart of Texas (Austin, to be exact). The Wu Tang Clan, Smash Mouth, Offspring, Blink 182, Everclear, Sugar Ray, Reel Big Fish and the Crystal Method supply the sounds for an event whose participants compete in skateboarding, snowboarding and in-line skating. One new wrinkle: The athletes will judge each other via electronic scoring.