Comedy, Concerts and Current Events on Cable

Micky and Donna Barnes have been married for eight years; they have a child, a nice home, and Micky is a columnist at a Chicago daily. Being a man, he also thinks about sex. “The Mind of the Married Man,” a new HBO comedy series that airs Sunday nights at 10 beginning tonight, was created by and stars Mike Binder, who has covered similar themes in his filmsNin one, called “The Sex Monster,” a married man dreams of having a menage a trois with his wife and another woman, only to discover he’s unleashed a side of his wife he didn’t know existed.

In “Mind,” Micky is similarly flummoxed by the way his sex drive clashes with the dictates of his married life. In the early episodes, Micky grapples with his R-rated fantasies about a sexy assistant, Missy (Ivana Milicevic), while trying to keep his id in his hip pocket at home with his wife (Sonya Walger).

Binder sees the show as exploring a character who “doesn’t have the tools to be in love even though he is in love.” Micky, he says, is “a guy who’s made the commitment but still in his mind finds himself wavering from it.”

In other words, Binder is working from what he sees as a blueprint of the typical married male. “I only know three married guys that don’t fit into this category,” he says. “One is germ phobic, and the other two are just liars.”

“The Mind of the Married Man” co-stars Jake Weber, Taylor Nichols and M. Emmet Walsh.

Also this fall, look for these shows on cable:

“Britney Spears Live From the MGM Grand in Las Vegas”: The pop sensation is joined onstage by Cher in this live telecast of a concert from the Strip. HBO. Nov. 18.

“Anne Rice’s The Feast of All Saints”: This miniseries is based on the novel by Rice about two worlds separated by race, set in 1840s New Orleans. The cast includes Jennifer Beals, Jasmine Guy, Peter Gallagher and Forest Whitaker. Showtime. Fall.

“Women Rock! Girls & Guitars”: Nelly Furtado, the Dixie Chicks and Mary J. Blige are among the performers in the second annual Breast Cancer Awareness Concert. Lifetime. Oct. 26, 9 p.m.

“Pop Across America”: Comedian Steve Marmel hosts a show from the back of a flatbed truck, traveling to 13 cities from coast to coast. TNN. Fridays (already debuted), 8 p.m.

“Inside TV Land: The Pitch”: Ever wonder how an idea gets to be a hit TV show? Interviewees include Garry Marshall

(“Happy Days”), Phil Rosenthal and Ray Romano (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) and Diane English (“Murphy Brown”). TV Land. November.

“VH1 Presents the Eighties”: Imagine a world without Madonna. Now imagine a world with Madonna, in this five-night special on pop in the ‘80s. VH1. Nov. 12-17, 10 p.m.

“American Classics”: Get the back stories on American pop culture icons such as Cracker Jacks and Silly Putty in this three-part series. History Channel. Nov. 27-30, 9 p.m.

“Minute-by-Minute”: A retelling of some of the major events of our times, told by eyewitnesses, begins with the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York. Other subjects on the weekly series include the O.J. Simpson freeway chase and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. A&E.; Premieres Oct. 8, 10 p.m.

“The It Factor”: This 13-part series takes you inside the life of the struggling actor--from “cattle call” to almost famous--by following a group of actors looking for that elusive big break in New York City. Bravo. Tuesdays beginning Oct. 2, 8 p.m.