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

TELEVISION

‘Murphy’ Irks DEA Head: Wednesday night’s “Murphy Brown” episode, in which the fictional character turned to marijuana to ease her nausea from chemotherapy, has drawn the ire of the nation’s drug enforcement chief. In a statement, Drug Enforcement Administrator Thomas Constantine said CBS and the show’s creators were “doing a great disservice” by “trivializing drug abuse.” He added: “As a law enforcement official . . . and, even more importantly, a father and grandfather, I am extremely troubled that at a time when teenage drug abuse is doubling . . . a television show of the caliber of ‘Murphy Brown’ would portray marijuana as medicine. It is not medicine. . . . More dangerously, the show sends the message to our children that marijuana must be OK.” A CBS spokesman said the network stands behind the episode, and executive producer Marc Flanagan said: “I’m sorry if we’ve upset Mr. Constantine. Obviously he hasn’t seen the show. . . . We are not advocating the medical use of marijuana.” The episode--which was labeled TV-14, advising parents against letting children under 14 watch unattended--pulled only modest ratings, drawing 12.6 million viewers to finish behind ABC’s “Dharma & Greg” and Fox’s “Beverly Hills, 90210.”

Tuesday Changes: ABC is bringing back Brett Butler’s “Grace Under Fire,” replacing the low-rated Tim Curry-Annie Potts sitcom “Over the Top,” which the network has canceled after only three airings. For the next two weeks, ABC will air “Home Improvement” repeats in the Tuesday 8 p.m. slot that will become “Grace’s” home starting Nov. 25. Dan Aykroyd’s “Soul Man,” which had been airing at 8 p.m., will move to “Over the Top’s” 8:30 p.m. slot, starting next week. In other Tuesday night alterations, “Hiller and Diller,” which has failed to catch on with viewers, will be benched for the rest of the November ratings sweeps, with repeat episodes of the Wednesday series “Dharma & Greg” (next Tuesday) and “Spin City” (Nov. 18 and 25) temporarily filling the 9:30 p.m. berth. . . . CBS has ordered more episodes of its freshman Tuesday night dramas “Michael Hayes” and “Dellaventura,” although both series will be preempted for the next few weeks to make room for miniseries and movies.

Remembering Sam Fuller: Cable’s Independent Film Channel will pay tribute to maverick film director Sam Fuller, who died Oct. 31, by airing four of his movies, as well as a documentary about his life, tonight on both IFC and its more widely available sister channel, Bravo. The programming begins at 5 p.m. with “The Typewriter, the Rifle and the Movie Camera”--a documentary including Fuller’s last televised interview--followed by the movies “The Steel Helmet” (1951), “I Shot Jesse James” (1949), “Shock Corridor” (1963) and “The Naked Kiss” (1964).

See Duchess Climb: “Adventures With the Duchess,” Sarah Fergusson’s first prime-time television special under her deal with ABC, will air Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. Among the activities the Duchess of York undertakes on the special, ABC says, are rock climbing, shark diving, trapeze flying, baseball playing and cattle driving.

POP/ROCK

More Beatlesque: Oasis, the British band that is often compared to the Beatles, is reportedly considering a collaboration with John Lennon’s son. The New York Daily News reports that the band is in talks with Julian Lennon about collaborating on a project that would include new songs plus a cover of an unnamed Fab Four classic. Oasis, meanwhile, which is slated to perform at L.A.’s Universal Amphitheatre Jan. 27, was named best rock act Thursday at the 1997 MTV Europe Music Awards in Rotterdam.

Taking On Memphis: Grammy-winning gospel singer Kirk Franklin has sued the city of Memphis and its Cook Convention Center for $2.25 million over his headfirst fall into an orchestra pit during a concert there last year. Franklin, 27, claims he fell in a dimly lit area as he walked to his dressing room from the stage. The suit says he was in a coma for several days and was forced to cancel tour and TV appearances for about a month. “We’re very sorry that the incident happened,” Pierre Landaiche, general manager of the center, said in response to the suit.

ART

Guilty Plea: A fine art dealer pleaded guilty in New York Thursday to selling and leveraging valuable works belonging to celebrity clients, including actor Jack Nicholson, and keeping the proceeds for himself. Todd Volpe, 49, formerly of New York’s Jordan-Volpe Gallery, pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud in connection with schemes to obtain more than $2 million by defrauding his clients, art galleries and auction houses including Christies. Sentencing is set for Feb. 5.

QUICK TAKES

Five-time Golden Globe winner Shirley MacLaine will receive the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.’s Cecil B. DeMille Award for “outstanding contribution to the entertainment field” during the 55th annual Golden Globes, airing Jan. 18 on NBC. Previous DeMille honorees include Dustin Hoffman, Sophia Loren, Jack Lemmon and Audrey Hepburn. . . . DreamWorks SKG partner David Geffen has donated $1.4 million to the Washington-based group AIDS Action to establish an AIDS policy center in the nation’s capital. . . . The reunited rock band Jane’s Addiction will do its first TV performance this weekend on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” . . . The Hollywood Bowl has been given a Distinguished Recognition for Access award by the Independent Living Center of Southern California, recognizing the outdoor venue’s work in providing easy access for the disabled.