ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

ART

Getty Acquisition: The latest major addition to the J. Paul Getty Museum’s art collection is “Saint George,” a rare early painting by Italian Renaissance artist Dosso Dossi. The work was purchased privately at an undisclosed price. Painted around 1513-15--soon after the young artist moved from Venice to Ferrara, where he became the court painter to Dukes Alfonso I and Ercole II d’Este--the painting depicts the legendary Christian warrior and patron saint of Ferrara standing under a rainbow, with a slain dragon’s head and a broken lance. “Saint George” is the third Dossi painting in the Getty’s collection. All three are on view in the international traveling exhibition “Dosso Dossi: Court Painter of Renaissance Ferrara,” now at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and scheduled to appear at the Getty April 27-July 11.

TV & MOVIES

‘Rugrats’ Alert: The cartoon stars of the recent hit movie are everywhere these days, including at Universal Amphitheatre’s box office, where Tommy Pickles and Chuckie Finster will be on hand Saturday at 10 a.m. to meet and take pictures with fans. The appearance marks the start of ticket sales for “Rugrats--A Live Adventure,” a musical stage show scheduled for eight performances at the amphitheater on March 25-28. Meanwhile, the gang returns to its original home on cable’s Nickelodeon on Monday when an eight-hour marathon (beginning at noon) of episodes from “The Rugrats’ ” first five seasons culminates at 8 p.m. with the sixth season premiere episode, the first featuring new character Baby Dil, who was introduced in “The Rugrats Movie.”

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More for the Kids: For those whose toddlers can’t do without their daily “Teletubbies” dose, KCET-TV will air part of its regular children’s schedule--which is displaced these days by coverage of the impeachment hearings--daily from 3 to 7 a.m. so that parents can tape the shows for their children. In addition to “Teletubbies,” the block includes “Big Comfy Couch,” “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” “Reading Rainbow,” “Wishbone” and “Zoom.”

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Balancing Act: NBC hopes to tone down the sex in its situation comedies and showcase more ethnic diversity in casting, new NBC Entertainment President Scott Sassa told TV critics in Pasadena Thursday. Sassa said he didn’t anticipate a radical shift, rather citing a need for a more balanced schedule, including more traditional family comedies. The network also announced plans to kick off next season with a three-hour “Saturday Night Live” 25th anniversary special, to air live during prime time in September.

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Indian Movie Projects: A coalition of Indian gaming tribes is getting into the TV business, by financing the formation of Amerind Entertainment Group/Looking Glass Pictures, a new company aiming to produce TV and movie projects using Native Americans’ “inherent abilities as storytellers” to “represent the perspectives and different lifestyles of the American Indian.”

STAGE

Pasadena Lineup: The Pasadena Playhouse has announced its 1999 summer-fall schedule, opening July 9 with the Broadway musical “Play On,” featuring the songs of Duke Ellington in a co-production with the Arizona Theatre Company. The other productions are Jeff Baron’s “Visiting Mr. Green” (Sept. 10-Oct. 24) and Moss Hart’s “Light Up the Sky” (Nov. 5-Dec. 19).

QUICK TAKES

New Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura is speaking out against NBC’s plans to air an unauthorized TV movie about his life during the May ratings sweeps. “I am extremely disappointed,” the former pro wrestler said. “It appears they have put ratings above accuracy and honesty.” . . . The ACLU of Southern California will honor writer-director Steven Zaillian (“A Civil Action”) for “championing the ideals embodied in our nation’s Bill of Rights” tonight at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. . . . Regency Television is developing an hourlong HBO series based on the 1997 Academy Award-winning movie “L.A. Confidential.” . . . Beck’s high-profile concert at Las Vegas’ Tropicana Resort Hotel was postponed on Thursday, the day of the show, when drummer Joey Waronker came down with an undiagnosed illness. A new date, probably in April, will be announced next week.