Marking WB’s Fifth Night, 30 Years of ’60 Minutes’

The new television season picks up steam this weekend with the arrival of fresh episodes of old series and a few new ones.

The WB network expands to a fifth night of programming with four comedies, beginning tonight at 8 on Channel 5 with the long-running “The Wayans Brothers,” followed by “The Jamie Foxx Show,” “The Steve Harvey Show” and “For Your Love,” which aired on NBC last spring.

ABC repeats last season’s three final episodes of the “TGIF” comedy “Boy Meets World,” Friday at 8:30 p.m on Channel 7. Following at 10 p.m. is the season kickoff of “20/20.”

“Health Diary,” debuting Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on KCET-TV Channel 28, is a new magazine series that takes a patient’s-eye view of such medical problems as leukemia, chronic fatigue and cataract surgery.

KCET presents the new children’s series “Noddy,” Sunday at 7:30 a.m. on Channel 28. Created by the BBC, the series is based on the books by Enid Blyton. Following at 9:30 a.m. is “The Eddie Files.” The award-winning series blends fiction, humor and documentary as told through the eyes of an 11-year-old math student in East Harlem.

CBS’ “60 Minutes” celebrates its 30th year on the airwaves at 7 p.m. on Channel 2 Sunday. At 8 p.m. is the fifth-season premiere of “Touched by an Angel.” In this installment, Monica and Andrew are sent to find a nurse who is posing as the angel of death.

Fox’s Emmy Award-winning animated comedy “The Simpsons” returns for its 10th season Sunday at 8 p.m. on Channel 11. In the season opener, Homer decides to become an inventor like Thomas Edison.

Documentaries

“Black & White in Exile,” tonight at 10 on KCET-TV Channel 28, is a six-part documentary focusing on the four decades of Cuban and Haitian exile in America.

“Reflections on the Vatican II,” Friday at 9 p.m. on Channel 28, looks at the Roman Catholic hierarchy’s response to the changing world and the debate that resulted over church teaching, liturgy and practice.

A&E;’s “Investigative Reports With Bill Kurtis,” Sunday at 6 and 10 p.m., presents “The Farm, Angola, USA,” which won the grand jury prize for documentaries at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The film looks at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola--the largest and most infamous maximum security prison.

The Learning Channel’s “Earth Story,” Sunday at 6 and 7 p.m., is a six-part documentary on the history of life on this planet. The series continues through Tuesday.

E! Entertainment Television presents “Making of a Child Star: The Journey Continues,” Sunday at 7 p.m., which follows two aspiring child actors the network chronicled last fall as they went to auditions, acting classes and photo shoots. Following at 8 p.m. is “Diff’rent Strokes: The E! True Hollywood Story.”

The Discovery Channel’s “The Ultimate Guide,” Sunday at 8 p.m. and midnight, explores the evolution and anatomy of an octopus. The documentary was filmed at Puget Sound, the Cayman Islands and Arctic Ocean.

Specials

The Disney Channel presents the popular singing group “Cleopatra in Concert,” Saturday at 7 p.m.

The cast of “ER” will chat with viewers and host Larry King from a Warner Bros. sound stage on “The Larry King Special,” Saturday at 8 and 9:30 p.m. on TNT. Repeats of “ER” have just started on the cable network.

Boomer Esiason and Meredith Vieira are the hosts of “The 78th Annual Miss America Pageant,” Saturday at 9 p.m. on Channel 7. Telecast from Atlanta City, the theme of this year’s pageant is “Self-Expression.” Sharon Stone also will be honored as the 1998 Miss America Woman of Achievement for her work in AIDS and HIV prevention.

The History Channel’s “20th Century With Mike Wallace,” Saturday at 9 p.m., examines the “Mystique of Leadership.”

Movies

Louis Gossett Jr. and Jonathan Silverman star in the Showtime thriller “The Inspectors,” Sunday at 8 p.m. The duo play U.S. postal inspectors investigating a deadly mail bomb.

Walter Matthau and Carol Burnett, who starred in the 1972 comedy “Pete ‘n’ Tillie,” reunite for the CBS romantic comedy “The Marriage Fool,” Sunday at 9 p.m. on Channel 2. Matthau plays a widower and Burnett is his latest companion.