What's on TV

SHOWS WORTH NOTING FOR Oct. 23 - 29

Listings are not necessarily recommended by the Monitor. All times Eastern, check local listings.

Saturday 10/23

PICK OF THE DAY World Series (NBC, 7:30-10:30 p.m.): Most preseason predictions have been justified: It's the Atlanta Braves vs. the New York Yankees in the fall classic. Games 1 and 2 will be played in Atlanta and 3 and 4 in the Bronx. Monday is travel day.

The Judi Dench Season (BBC America, check local listings): A great week for all those who cherish Dench's great acting, beginning with the brilliant and poignant "The Cherry Orchard." Other features include "As Time Goes By" and "Can You Hear Me Thinking?" on Sunday.

Sunday 10/24

Any Day Now (Lifetime, 8-10 p.m.): When Mary Elizabeth "M.E." (Annie Potts) mistakes a black woman for a waitress, it sparks an argument with Rene (Lorraine Toussaint) about racism. In this compelling, two-hour special, Rene challenges M.E. to confront her biases. She discovers that her attitudes are more extreme than she realized.

Vanity Fair (A&E, 8-11 p.m.): The two-part British-American cable adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's 1848 novel stars Natasha Little as Becky Sharp. Concludes Monday (see story, page 20).

In the Company of Spies (Showtime, 8-9:45 p.m.): A disgruntled, former CIA operative (Tom Berenger) reluctantly rejoins the agency to rescue a colleague from North Korea. Patriotism and professionalism must save the world from a heinous plot of annihilation. Ron Silver plays the CIA director.

Monday 10/25

Time of Your Life (Fox, 8-9 p.m.): The appealing Jennifer Love Hewitt stars in this entertaining "Party of Five" spinoff as Sarah Merrin, who travels to New York in search of her father. Along the way she makes new friends and moves into her late mother's old apartment building.

Ally McBeal (Fox, 9-10 p.m.): The Emmy-winning Best Comedy series kicks off its third season with an episode in which Ally tries to save the wedding of a bride-to-be.

Wonders of the African World (PBS, 9-11 p.m.) Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. explores the rich culture and history of Africa in this six-hour documentary continuing Tuesday and Wednesday (see story above).

Tuesday 10/26

Attack of the 50-ft. Monstermania (AMC, 9-10 p.m.): It's Halloween time. From the History Channel to the networks, TV listings make for a scary read. AMC has a monstrous lineup, including this beastly good documentary. It reviews Hollywood's century-long fascination with things that go bump in the night - at the viewer's expense.

Thursday 10/28

Mystery! - An Unsuitable Job for a Woman: Playing God (PBS, 9-10 p.m.): Scotland Yard's chief superintendent hires detective Cordelia to investigate his daughter's boyfriend. Captivating and engaging. One of the best "Mystery!" shows yet.

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