Worth Noting on TV

WEDNESDAY

Party of Five (FOX, 9-10 p.m.): It's season-premire time, and Fox's well-regarded "Party of Five" is among those out of the gate first. In its third year, the drama about five orphaned siblings brings more challenges with family, friends, and morals for the Salingers to overcome. Things start off with rekindled romance for Julia (Neve Campbell), a trip to Mexico for Bailey (Scott Wolf), and an unexpected visitor for Charlie (Matthew Fox) and his girlfriend Kirsten (Paula Devicq).

THURSDAY

Disney's Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra (Disney, 8-9:30 p.m.): The sounds of Copland and Mozart fill the air at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles as top child performers from the United States, Canada, and Britain make music together in this Disney special. The fifth-annual affair is enthusiastically hosted by Paula Zahn of CBS News (who, as we learn, also plays the cello). Interviews with these elementary- and middle-school virtuosos, and footage of their field trips to Disneyland and a performance for hospitalized children, are also included.

Thursday marks the beginning of the Disney Channel's free fall preview, which lasts through Monday. Usually a "premium" channel, it will be available without charge to customers of participating cable companies.

Family Film Awards (CBS, 8-10 p.m.): Although the nominees for these awards were picked by a panel, the public got to choose the winners via the Internet, telephone, and ballots in People magazine. Family-friendly feature films and television programs that debuted between April 1995 and April '96 will be honored in a variety of categories. Actors Beau Bridges, Anna Chlumsky, and Joey Lawrence are the hosts.

*Please check local listings for these programs.