ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

ART

Round Two: New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani on Thursday resumed his battle with the museum he tried to close in 1999 over a Virgin Mary portrait that he found offensive, this time denouncing as “disgusting” and “anti-Catholic” a photo show portraying Jesus as a naked woman. The publicly financed Brooklyn Museum of Art is set to open today the exhibition “Committed to the Image: Contemporary Black Photographers,” which includes “Yo Mama’s Last Supper,” a work by feminist photographer Renee Cox depicting Christ as a nude black woman standing with her arms wide open, surrounded by 12 black male disciples. Giuliani, a Roman Catholic, described the work as “the latest indication of anti-Catholicism in the Brooklyn museum,” and said he objected to taxpayers’ money being used to fund the show. A museum spokeswoman declined to comment on specific works in the exhibition, which also includes a photo by L.A.’s Willie Middlebrook of a topless woman on the cross. But museum director Arnold Lehman said in a statement: “While many of these works are beautiful and easy to enjoy, others may be controversial and difficult for us as viewers.” Giuliani said he had asked the city’s attorneys to explore legal action despite losing a court bid in 1999 to end the museum’s lease and cut its city funding over a Virgin Mary portrait that was marked with elephant dung.

TELEVISION

‘Survivor’ Applications: CBS said Thursday that it will accept through April 13 applications for the third installment of “Survivor,” which will premiere in the fall. Application forms are posted on the network’s Web site, https://www.cbs.com. At least 800 semi-finalists will be selected for interviews, CBS said.

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Drama Debut: “Big Apple,” a new police drama from “NYPD Blue” writer David Milch and “Miami Vice” writer Anthony Yerkovich, will premiere on CBS March 1, airing in the Thursday 10 p.m. slot following “Survivor” and “CSI.” The new series’ stars include Ed O’Neill (“Married With Children”), David Strathairn (“L.A. Confidential”), Titus Welliver (“Falcone”), Michael Madsen (“Reservoir Dogs”), Glynn Turman (“Men of Honor”) and Donnie Wahlberg (“The Sixth Sense”). “48 Hours,” which has been airing in that time slot, will return to the schedule on a regular basis in June.

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Mexican Moves: Bowing to a national controversy over the violent and sexual content of some TV programs, Mexico’s top broadcaster, Televisa, on Thursday canceled two of its popular talk shows. The programs are the tabloid-style “Even in the Best Families,” hosted by popular actress Carmen Salinas, and the Peruvian-made program “Laura in America,” which also airs on some U.S. stations, including Telemundo. Critics, including parent groups and government regulators, had said the afternoon shows were unsuitable for daytime audiences. Members of all six of the country’s political parties had signed a recent document calling on the government to force broadcasters to either cancel such shows or move them to a late-night time slot. Mexican legislators have said they will consider a major shake-up of Mexico’s broadcast regulations later this year.

POP/ROCK

Calling All Fans: L.A.’s first Madonna convention is scheduled for Feb. 25 at the Palace in Hollywood. Dubbed “a celebration of the entire career (so far) of everyone’s favorite ‘Material Girl,’ ” the 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. event will include dancing, look-alike and lip-syncing contests, memorabilia displays, and the sale of items including costumes from some of her music videos. Though Madonna herself is not expected to attend, organizers say the event is supported by her record company, Warner Bros., which has supplied promotional giveaways. Information: https://members.aol.com/madonnaconv.

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Another Fan: Famed opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti told reporters in London Wednesday that he hopes Madonna can find time to perform with him at one of his annual concerts in his home city of Modena, Italy. “That is my dream,” he said of a duet. “She promised to come if we sing together ‘Caro Mio Bene.’ . . . But she has been busy--first she makes the baby and then, I don’t know.”

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He’ll Serve His Time: Rapper DMX plans to surrender to New York state authorities and begin a 15-day jail sentence as early as next week, his publicist said Wednesday. The rapper was sentenced last May for driving in suburban Buffalo without a license. A warrant was issued last week for his arrest after he failed to meet the court-ordered deadline to begin his jail term. His attorneys say the rapper has been in California fulfilling a movie commitment. The publicist said that because of the jail sentence, the rapper will “set a proper example” and not attend next week’s Grammys despite being nominated in two rap categories.

QUICK TAKES

Fox’s “Barbara Streisand: Timeless,” billed as the star’s “final” TV concert, drew only 8.8 million viewers Wednesday night--about half of the recent tune-in for Fox’s reality series “Temptation Island”--to place a distant third in its time slot. . . . Paul McCartney will share insights into his life with his late wife, Linda McCartney, and their formation of the ‘70s rock group Wings, in “Wingspan,” a TV special and double CD scheduled to be released in May. “I always thought that you couldn’t follow the Beatles; ‘Wingspan’ is the story and the soundtrack of how we set out to do it,” McCartney said. . . . “Quills” screenwriter Doug Wright will receive the Writers Guild of America, West’s annual Paul Selvin Award on March 4 for the script that “best embodies the spirit of the constitutional and civil rights and liberties which are indispensable to the survival of free writers everywhere.” . . . CNN on Saturday will premiere “He Said/She Said,” a weekly 7:30 a.m. program featuring film, TV, video and Broadway reviews by Peter Travers of Rolling Stone and Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly. . . . ‘N Sync, Destiny’s Child, Macy Gray and Outkast will perform on “mtvICON: Janet Jackson,” a new MTV tribute special airing on the cable channel March 13.