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

Letterman’s Early Return?: David Letterman showed up at work Monday for a few hours, and the “Late Show” host could be back on a more permanent basis as early as Feb. 14, only a month after his quintuple bypass heart surgery, according to several sources connected to the CBS late-night talk show. Although rumors of “The Late Show” planning guest hosts have persisted, Letterman’s recovery is going “so well and so quickly, we’re not canceling the week of the 14th,” said a show source, stressing that no firm date for the host’s return has been set. In Letterman’s absence, “The Late Show” has been airing “viewers’ choice” reruns. Letterman’s return would give “The Late Show” a highly promotable vehicle during the important February ratings sweeps.

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Kelley Turning to Teachers: Fox will premiere a new David E. Kelley series, “The Faculty,” in the fall. Described as a “drama with comic elements,” the hourlong ensemble series deals with a staff of teachers at a New England high school. Though his last series, “Snoops,” was canceled due to low ratings, Kelley’s “Ally McBeal” and “The Practice” are both going strong.

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Recuperating: Speaking of “Ally McBeal,” co-star Lisa Nicole Carson is recovering at her Los Angeles home following a two-week hospital stay for treatment of an undisclosed medical condition. A spokeswoman for the show’s producers said details of the illness were being kept private at the request of the actress’ family. Carson, 30, plays attorney Renee Radick, the roommate of Calista Flockhart’s Ally. The Fox show has been “writing around [Carson] for the last couple of weeks or so,” the spokeswoman said, adding: “She looks forward to returning to work . . . and resuming her career as quickly as possible.” Carson also has had a recurring role on NBC’s “ER” as the mother of Dr. Peter Benton’s child.

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Pop Charts: It took some “Voodoo” to overpower Santana’s “Supernatural” hold on the top of the pop album chart. Soul singer D’Angelo’s “Voodoo,” his first disc in five years, sold 321,000 copies last week to debut at No. 1. That sent Santana’s “Supernatural” (182,000 copies) to No. 2 after spending the last three weeks at No. 1. The Top 5 is rounded out by Dr. Dre, Celine Dion and rappers the LOX, whose “We Are the Streets” was another album newcomer. The No. 1 single: Mariah Carey’s “Thank God I Found You.”

QUICK TAKES

The Public Broadcasting Service has scheduled a Friday vote on a search committee recommendation to name Pat Mitchell, the president of CNN Productions, as the new PBS head. PBS and CNN both declined comment. The post has been vacant since Ervin Duggan’s Oct. 31 departure. . . . Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of Miramax Films, is home from the hospital. Fellow co-chairman Bob Weinstein announced Wednesday that his brother, who has been fighting a bacterial infection, “thanks everyone for their support and good wishes and looks forward to returning to work during the next several weeks.” . . . Debbie Matenopoulous, a former regular on ABC’s “The View,” will lend her voice as a “celebrity correspondent” for MTV’s Claymation series “Celebrity Deathmatch.” Matenopoulous’ first show airs tonight at 10; scheduled bouts include a Claymation showdown between teen singing queens Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.