Revamping `Wiseguy' With A New Guy Not A Wise Move

While CBS' ``Wiseguy'' was never a great ratings success, it had its fans, mostly due to the moody charms of Ken Wahl, who played Vinnie Terranova, one of those undercover agents TV dotes upon.

In the course of the show, which made its debut in 1987, creator Stephen J. Cannell put Vinnie and his boss, Frank McPike, played by Jonathan Banks, in some weirdly fascinating situations. One involved the recording industry and another, this past spring, was set in a Northwest town and was more bizarre than anything that took place in ``Twin Peaks.''

The show was supposedly canceled - but CBS is bringing it back with a new star: Steven Bauer. The revamped ``Wiseguy'' opens with a two-hour episode at 9 p.m. Saturday on KIRO-TV and will continue to be seen at 10 p.m. Saturdays. This first ``arc'' - as ``Wiseguy'' story lines are tabbed - is devoted to the disappearance of Vinnie and introduces Michael Santana, a disbarred federal prosecutor, played by Bauer, as the central character.

Unfortunately this two-hour introduction is less than sensational. Bauer sorely lacks the charisma Wahl had and this first story arc - four more episodes after Saturday's two-hour film - is all about drugs and Latin American death squads and plays like a discarded episode of ``Miami Vice.'' Even more unfortunate is that Jonathan Banks, whose laconic characterization as McPike, Vinnie's boss, was one of the show's joys, is so hyper and disturbed that his performance is over the edge.

CBS might have been wiser to have scrapped ``Wiseguy'' for something new.

Deja vu I: CBS' ``Dallas'' began its new season last Friday at 10 on KIRO-TV with both Bobby and J.R. Ewing in big trouble; in fact, actors Patrick Duffy and Larry Hagman were about the only ``Dallas'' performers on view. Susan Lucci made a guest appearance as Bobby's new nemesis, but it's plain this series is running out of steam.

Deja vu II: Also running out of steam is the idea of doing any more films built around ``Psycho.'' The original was a classic; the subsequent rip-offs are tiresome, none more so than ``Psycho IV,'' which cable's Showtime premieres at 9 p.m. Saturday. Never mind that Joseph Stefano, who adapted the original Robert Bloch novel, wrote the script for ``Psycho IV'' - it's a tedious and uninspired effort, saved only by Henry Thomas as the young Norman Bates.

Deja vu III: Fans of NBC's ``Cheers'' will love the dozens of clips from past shows that are the reason to watch the hour-long special at 9 tonight on KING-TV, marking the hit series' 200th episode. But the format - a kind of panel discussion - fails to take advantage of having the show's creators (Les and Glen Charles and director James Burrows) on hand. Stuffy John McLaughlin is an odd choice indeed to serve as host. A good interviewer could have turned it into a memorable hour instead of just an entertaining one.

The show also may remind you of how great a contribution Shelley Long made to the series. Kirstie Alley is engaging, but Long was superb - and I still miss her.

Video notes: NBC's ``Nightly News'' plans a special telecast at 6 p.m. tomorrow on KING-TV which will attempt to look at the mood of the nation as reflected in this week's elections. . . . That splendid ``Testament'' series looks at Christianity in relationship to the Roman Empire in the episode airing at 8 tonight and repeated at 6 p.m. Sunday on KCTS-TV. . . . Fox's overlooked and underrated ``Beverly Hills 90210'' repeats a thoughtful episode about the pressures teens face in choosing friends, tonight at 9 on KCPQ-TV. . . . Amanda Donohoe joins the cast of NBC's ``L.A. Law'' in the episode airing at 10 tonight on KING-TV. . . . PBS' ``Great Performances'' repeats the dazzling ``Bob Fosse: Steam Heat'' profile of the dancer/choreographer at 10 p.m. tomorrow on KCTS-TV. . . . Bill Moyers interviews famed South African novelist Nadine Gordimer on his ``World of Ideas'' series at noon Sunday on KCTS-TV. . . . A documentary about American Vietnam veterans visiting with Soviet veterans of Afghanistan, ``Brothers in Arms,'' airs at 11 p.m. Sunday on KCTS-TV. . . . Cable's Arts & Entertainment channel premieres an hour concert of pop standards, sung by American operatic soprano Maria Ewing, at 5 and 9 p.m. Sunday. . . . Cable's CNN airs a half-hour program about stress, ``Under Stress, Overdriven,'' at 6 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 a.m. Sunday. . . . With a major series about the Korean War starting Monday on PBS, KCTS-TV's ``Inside'' interviews some ex-prisoners of that war in the program airing at 9:30 p.m. tomorrow.