What's On TV
Sunday 3/5
Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family (USA, 8-9 p.m.): This exciting new series starts off with a bang - though it seems too strange to be true. One FBI agent uses his wife and chil-dren as the perfect cover to infiltrate the criminal underworld. It may be taking family togetherness too far, but it's a truly different kind of cop show.
Run the Wild Fields (Showtime, 8-10 p.m.): This modest period piece about the effects of World War II on a small southern town has moments of poignancy. A woman reflects back on her childhood, her father missing in action, her mother's brave front, and the drifter that temporarily lightened their lives. Beautifully performed by Joanne Whalley and Sean Patrick Flanery and especially young Alexa Vega.
TV Guide Awards (Fox, 8-10 p.m.): By ballot, the people have spoken. About 1.5 million picked their favorites, in what the organizers claim is the largest fan-driven awards show on TV.
Catch a Falling Star (CBS, 9-11 p.m.): It's sugary and formulaic: A spoiled Hollywood star, lost and stranded in a New England town, befriends a bowling-alley waitress and romances a steel-mill exec. The show's most appealing aspect is its small-town values.
Murder Rooms: The Dark Origins of Sherlock Holmes (BBC America, 9-10:30 p.m; Part 2 airs March 12, same time): The Victorian thriller provides insight into Sir Conan Doyle's early life and explains where the prototype for his famous detective came from (see story above). Despite a plot hole or two, it is well-made, eerie, and com-plicated like a Holmes case.
The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery (A&E, 8-10 p.m.): Rex Stout's literary sleuth is on the hunt for a killer, and all he has to go on is a pair of golden spider earrings. Stars
PICK OF THE WEEK
Timothy Hutton and Maury Chaykin (see story above).
Inside the Actors Studio: Kevin Spacey (Bravo, 8-9 p.m.): The best-actor Oscar nominee ("American Beauty") discusses his most challenging roles from "The Usual Suspects" to the Broadway production of "The Iceman Cometh." The gifted impressionist imitates Marlon Brando and performs a snazzy tap-dance number.
Tuesday 3/7
Family Guy (Fox, 8:30-9 p.m.): After a long hiatus, the sharp-witted animated comedy returns on a new night. The family dog, Brian, discovers that he's in love with his best friend's wife.
Decision 2000 (CNN, 7-9 p.m.): It's the pivotal "Super Tuesday," when 16 states will choose 40 percent of the delegates needed to secure the presidential nominees.
Friday 3/10
The 2000 Crufts Dog Show (Animal Planet, 8-9 p.m.; continues through Sunday): Founded in 1891, Crufts is the most prestigious dog competition in Britain, and has been called the "World's Greatest Dog Competition." More than 20,000 canines are expected.
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