New Season Begins With Lineup of Original Films, Series Debuts

This weekend, BET premieres its first original movie, TNT offers a tale of murder and CBS begins its new season of Sunday movies with a romantic comedy.

BET kicks off the first of 10 original movies based on the Arabesque line of African American romance novels with “Incognito,” Friday at 7 p.m. Julie Dash is the director of the thriller, which stars Allison Dean as a socialite who is being stalked by a killer.

William H. Macy stars in and co-wrote the mystery comedy “A Slight Case of Murder,” Sunday night at 8, 10 and midnight on TNT. Macy plays an amoral film critic who tries to cover up an accidental death. Felicity Huffman, who is married to Macy, Adam Arkin and James Cromwell also star.

Bethany Richards stars in the Showtime drama “Haley Wagner, Star,” Sunday at 8 p.m. Richards plays a former child star who tries to adjust to a normal life. Priscilla Presley also stars.

Specials

Nancy O’Dell and Miss America 1999 Nicole Johnson host ABC’s “Up Close & Personal . . . The Search for Miss America 2000” tonight at 9. Each of the 51 contestants in Saturday’s pageant will be profiled.

“SportsCenter of the Decade,” Friday at 4 p.m. on ESPN, looks back to the 1980s and features Nolan Ryan, Richard Petty and Pete Rose’s suspension.

Meredith Vieira of ABC’s “The View” goes prime time as host of Lifetime’s “I Am Beautiful,” Friday at 8 p.m. Women of all ages and backgrounds discuss the concept of beauty in the hourlong special.

Donny and Marie Osmond host the 79th annual “Miss America Pageant” from Atlantic City at 8 p.m. Saturday on ABC.

David Cross from “Mr. Show” headlines his own comedy hour, “The Pride Is Back,” Saturday at 10 p.m. on HBO.

In the family drama “Julio and His Angel,” Sunday at 3 p.m. on KCET-TV, a young orphan learns about life from a grumpy old man.

PBS’ “Great Performances” presents the Stratford Festival production of Eugene O’Neill’s masterwork, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” Sunday at 9 p.m. on KCET-TV and KVCR-TV. William Hutt, Martha Henry, Peter Donaldson and Tom McCamus star.

Series

Fox premieres its controversial new comedy series, “Action,” tonight at 9. Jay Mohr stars in this Hollywood satire about an obnoxious producer with an ego bigger than Aaron Spelling’s mansion. A second episode follows at 9:30 p.m.

The Emmy Award-winning “The Chris Rock Show” begins its fourth season Friday at 11:30 p.m. on HBO.

The new syndicated series “Battle Dome,” Sunday at 9 p.m. on KCOP-TV, features amateur athletes battling pumped-up warriors in various physical challenges.

Children

Fox’s new animated series “Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century” revives Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary sleuth on Saturday at 7 a.m.

Sports

Oscar De La Hoya dukes it out with Felix Trinidad for the welterweight championship in a pay-per-view boxing event at 6 p.m. Saturday.