What's ON TV

TV highlights for the week of Nov. 7-13. Shows listed are not necessarily recommended by the Monitor. All times are Eastern; check local listings.

SUNDAY 11/8

National Football League (CBS, 4:15-7 p.m.): They were supposed to be replacements, now they seem irreplaceable. The New York Jets' Vinny Testaverde and Buffalo Bills' Doug Flutie, each of whom is 5-0 as starters, face-off in a battle of comeback quarterbacks. New York hosts.

A Knight in Camelot (ABC, 7-9 p.m.): It's not totally whoopee. The script is weak. But it has its charming moments of spectacle set in medieval scenery. Whoopi Goldberg is a 20th-century computer scientist who is flung back in time to sixth century England. In this Disney remake of Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," Goldberg shares present-day culture such as the boogie and Bruce Lee with knights. Also stars Michael York as King Arthur, Amanda Donohoe as Queen Guinevere. (TV-G)

Mega Tech (TLC, 8-11 p.m.): Explore the underground of New York City, where 32 million miles of wires, cables, and steam lines keep everything running, sometimes as far below as 67 stories. This three-hour engrossing documentary explores this and other astounding feats of engineering such as the Cold War's missile sites and the projects of the US Corps of Engineers. (TV-G)

Mama Flora's Family (CBS, 9-11 p.m.): Author Alex Haley's final work gets star treatment with a cast that features Cicely Tyson, Mario Van Peebles, Blair Underwood, Queen Latifah, and Della Reese. The four-hour adaptation takes up where the "Roots" saga left off. The story spans half a century and examines the challenges faced by Matriarch Mama Flora (Tyson) and her family in mid-20th century. Part 2 airs Nov. 10. (TV-PG)

The X-Files (Fox, 9-10 p.m.): The wait is over. And it doesn't disappoint. In the gripping series' sixth opener, Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) search for an alien creature loose in Arizona, and also try to protect a young boy whom the Smoking Man (William Davis) is using to communicate with the extraterrestrial entity. Mimi Rogers returns as Agent Fowley and Wendi Malick of "Just Shoot Me" makes a guest appearance as head of an FBI review panel. (TV-14, V)

MONDAY 11/9

Chihuly Over Venice (PBS, 9-10:30 p.m.): Glass artist Dale Chihuly goes on an international adventure creating large glass sculptures in Ireland, Italy, Finland, and Mexico, working closely with glass artisans in each country. This show is the first high-definition television (HDTV) program ever to be nationally broadcast. (TV-G)

TUESDAY 11/10

Frank Lloyd Wright (PBS, 9-10:30 p.m.): Ken Burns's newest documentary, made with Lynn Novick, is a gripping story about the greatest of American architects. Two Parts.(See story left.) (TV-PG)

THURSDAY 11/12

Mystery! The Life and Crimes of William Palmer (PBS, 9-10:30 p.m.): For the first time Mystery! presents a true story of crime in two 90-minute installments. The film opens in 1840s Victorian England with Keith Allen playing a surgeon who uses poison to settle scores. Part 2, next week. (TV-PG)