New Year Brings the Start and Finish of Several Series

This first weekend of the new year heralds the arrival of several new series, as well as the return of three popular cable shows.

But first, the curtain will come down on two low-rated Fox series. The sitcom “Living Single” ends its five-season run tonight at 8 p.m. on Channel 11, with back-to-back episodes. The Damon Wayans-produced dramatic series “413 Hope Street” has its last telecast at 9 p.m.

KTLA presents a preview of “The Living Show,” Friday at 11 a.m. on Channel 5. The new weekday talk show, with Sam Rubin and Stephanie Edwards, officially begins Monday.

Back in 1954, Akira Kurosawa directed the classic Japanese film “The Seven Samurai.” Hollywood refashioned the action-adventure into the popular 1960 western “The Magnificent Seven,” starring Yul Brynner. Now, “The Magnificent Seven” rides onto the small screen as a weekly CBS series. Michael Biehn, Ron Perlman and Eric Close head the cast of the shoot-’em-up, which kicks off with a two-hour movie Saturday at 8 p.m. on Channel 2. The long-running syndicated sci-fi series “Babylon 5” moves to TNT with a two-hour prequel “Babylon 5: In the Beginning,” Sunday at 5 and 9:30 p.m. The show’s new season begins Jan. 21.

Fox previews its new Thursday comedy “Ask Harriet,” Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on Channel 11. Anthony Tyler Quinn plays a sexy New York sports columnist who masquerades as a woman to write an advice column. The series will air Thursdays at 8:30 p.m.

PBS’ “Masterpiece Theatre” kicks off the new year Sunday with the six-hour series “Rhodes,” at 9 p.m. on Channel 28. The drama, starring Martin Shaw and his son Joe, focuses on the life of colonial Africa’s legendary diamond king and empire builder. The series continues through Tuesday at 9 p.m.

Tracey Ullman’s Emmy Award-winning HBO comedy series “Tracey Takes On . . . ,” returns Sunday for its third season at 10 p.m.

USA’s hit action series “La Femme Nikita” begins its second season Sunday at 10 p.m. Peta Wilson stars.

Today

Emmy Award-winning Carol Burnett is the grand marshal of “The 1998 Tournament of Roses Parade,” at 8 a.m. on channels 2, 4, 5, 7 and 34. “Havin’ Fun” is the theme of the 109th Pasadena procession. Both KTLA-TV and Spanish station KMEX-TV will feature uninterrupted coverage.

You’ll be bowled over today by college football games: Outback Bowl (Wisconsin vs. Auburn) at 8 a.m. on ESPN; Gator Bowl (North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech) at 9:30 a.m. on Channel 4; Citrus Bowl (Penn State vs. Florida) at 10 a.m. on Channel 7; the Cotton Bowl (Texas A&M; vs. UCLA) at 10:30 a.m. on Channel 2; the Rose Bowl (Washington State vs. Michigan) at 1:30 p.m. on Channel 7; and the Sugar Bowl (Florida State vs. Ohio State) at 5:30 p.m. on Channel 7.

VH1 premieres the documentary “The Carpenters: Behind the Music” at 11 a.m. and 10 p.m.

NBC presents “Brian Boitano’s Holiday Skating Spectacular,” at 1 p.m. on Channel 4.

PBS’ “Great Performances” presents “From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 1998,” at 8 p.m. on Channel 28. Zubin Mehta conducts the Vienna Philharmonic in a holiday concert.

Friday

American Movie Classics presents a “Jungle Jim” marathon, beginning at 3:30 a.m. Johnny Weissmuller stars.

Larry Carroll hosts the CBS 2 News’ special “Behind the Wheel at the L.A. Auto Show,” at 9 a.m. on Channel 2.

Fox’s “Battle of the Sexes on Ice II,” at 8 p.m. on Channel 11, features Kurt Browning, Viktor Petrenko, Nancy Kerrigan, Ekaterina Gordeeva, Caryn Kadavy and Katarina Witt.

Journalist Robert MacNeil hosts “The World in 1998,” at 9 p.m. on Channel 28.

Saturday

Savion Glover, the Tony Award-winning tap sensation from “Bring In ‘Da Noise, Bring In ‘Da Funk,” hosts his first network special, ABC’s “Savion Glover’s Nu York,” at 8 p.m. on Channel 7. Aretha Franklin, Nancy Wilson, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau and George Benson are among the performers on ABC’s “A Celebration of America’s Music,” at 9 p.m. on Channel 7. Bill Cosby hosts.

Sunday

Kevin Nealon headlines the “Wonderful World of Disney” family comedy “Principal Takes a Holiday,” at 7 p.m. on Channel 7. Nealon plays a drifter who is transformed into a substitute high school principal by a prankster (Zachery Ty Bryan).

Olympia Dukakis and Andy Griffith star in the CBS drama “Scattering Dad,” at 9 p.m. on Channel 2.

Charles Martin Smith and Eric Stoltz star in the NBC thriller “Blackout Effect,” at 9 p.m. on Channel 4.

Rob Lowe and Jennifer Grey star in ABC’s “Outrage,” at 9 p.m. on Channel 7. Frederick Wiseman’s latest documentary, “Public Housing,” at 11 p.m. on Channel 28, focuses on the Ida B. Wells Housing Development on Chicago’s South Side.