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TODAY

"8 Simple Rules" (7 p.m., WLS-Channel 7): Hiding someone in the attic is a lot funnier on "Arrested Development."

"American Dragon: Jake Long" (7 p.m., Disney Channel): Here's the debut of a new cartoon series about a teenager who turns himself into a fire-breathing dragon. His big problem is there are only so many places where you're allowed to smoke. (Repeated at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.)

"Hope & Faith" (8 p.m., WLS-Channel 7): There apparently is some rule that every television outlet must employ Carmen Electra on a certain number of programs each year. Her guest shot here applies toward ABC's total for 2005.

"Jonny Zero" (8 p.m., WFLD-Channel 32): Note to executive producer John Wells: When you name your crummy show "Jonny Zero," you're just asking for it.

"Jane Doe: Vanishing Act" (8 p.m., Hallmark Channel): Lea Thompson is a retired secret agent who helps ferret out some missing software. (Repeated at 10 p.m.)

"World Series of Blackjack" (9 p.m., GSN): As opposed to GSN's horse racing show, at least no one has to root through horse manure with their hands on this series. (Repeated at midnight tonight, 7 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday.)

"Presidential Leadership" (9 p.m., History Channel): Tom Brokaw talks to the four living former presidents. (Repeated at 1 a.m.)

"Battlestar Galactica" (9 p.m., Sci-Fi Channel): The Richard Hatch who isn't in trouble with the IRS, the one who starred as Apollo on the original version of this series, visits the updated version for the first of two appearances this season. "There are many viable ways to go with a premise as powerful as the 'Battlestar' premise," Hatch said. "This direction that Ron [Moore, the show's executive producer] has taken it in is probably one of the most powerful directions you could take it." (Repeated at midnight.)

"Monk" (9 p.m., USA Network): Tony Shalhoub's Encyclopedia Brown with OCD is back to solve a fourth season of mysteries, but Bitty Schram's Sharona is out as Monk's assistant and Traylor Howard's Natalie is in. Schram wanted a raise. Howard, coming off the short- lived CBS fiasco "Bram and Alice," wasn't so picky. No mystery what happened there. (Repeated at 11 tonight, 8:30 a.m. and midnight Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday.)

"Best Week Ever" (10 p.m., VH1): VH1's infatuation with lists and snarky commentary fuels this silly weekly series, back with new shows. They ought to call it "I Love Five Minutes Ago." (Repeated at 2 a.m., 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday, and 1 a.m., 9 a.m. and midnight Sunday.)

"Late Show With David Letterman" (10:35 p.m., WBBM-Channel 2): Jerry Lewis -- a comic in all seriousness -- visits Dave.

SATURDAY

"Annie's Point" (8 p.m., Hallmark Channel): Betty White plays Annie, a dotty widow who goes on a road trip with her granddaughter. While this isn't one of Hallmark's mysteries, you may wonder what Annie's point is. (Repeated at 9:45 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.)

"MadTV" (10 p.m., WFLD-Channel 32): Fox is sure America can't get enough of Nicole Richie, who will be back playing Ethel to Paris Hilton's lobotomized Lucy on a new season of "The Simple Life" soon and has a guest shot here.

"Saturday Night Live" (10:29 p.m., WMAQ-Channel 5): "Sideways" and "Private Parts" star Paul Giamatti visits the home of "Double-you, ennnnnnnn, bee see" as this week's host.

SUNDAY

"Young Blades" (7 p.m., WCPX-Channel 38): Michael Ironside and Bruce Boxleitner star in this new Pax series variation on "The Three Musketeers." The sword-swinging group at the show's center includes a woman in drag played by Canadian actress Karen Cliche. So that's at least one cliche right there, for those who like to keep track of that sort of thing.

"Arrested Development" (7:30 p.m., WFLD-Channel 32): The heretofore frozen Bluth family stock is thawed. Liza Minnelli, Henry Winkler, Mo Collins and Jeff Garlin guest star.

"Desperate Housewives" (8 p.m., WLS-Channel 7): Thirty-six years removed from his stint as Rodney Harrington on "Peyton Place," Ryan O'Neal visits the modern-day equivalent as Rodney Scavo, father-in- law to Felicity Huffman's Lynette Scavo.

"Masterpiece Theatre" (8 p.m., WTTW-Channel 11): PBS chief Pat Mitchell has committed funds to underwrite this show for at least another season beyond when ExxonMobil withdraws but says she still thinks she'll find corporate money at some point for dramas such as "Island at War," a five-part miniseries about Britain's Channel Islands during World War II that begins this weekend.

"Hollywood Celebrates Steve Martin: An American Cinematheque Tribute" (9 p.m., AMC): For Martin, this is as big as the arrival of the new phone book. This is the kind of spontaneous publicity he needs. His name in print. That really makes somebody. Things are going to start happening to him now. (Repeated at 12:45 a.m.)

"The Entertainer" (9 p.m., E!): To quote Albert Brooks, "You make a distinct division between the bold, who are out there searching, and all the other [schmoes] who come here to see Wayne Newton." Ah, Wayne Newton! Mr. Danke Schoen himself thanks us for all the joy and pain as the Trump-esque figure at the center of this hybrid reality series/talent contest to find a new act for the Las Vegas Hilton. Whether this is the best way to find a Vegas entertainer remains to be seen. Newton himself was rejected on "Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour."