Daily News from New York, New York • 67

iWerfand.Yrallwas ffrsTtelecasr, on this DAILV NEWD day in 1960. The NBC series, which starred William Bendix life of and young Western star Doug McClure, was reined in by the fall. 1 Cross-pollination of episodes pays off ELEVISION is television, HI and a stunt is a stunt It would be silly and naive, they find more problems than they bargained for. By the end of the hour, there's been an investigation, an arrest a whiff of romance, a trial and sort of a resolution. But loose ends remain, and they're picked up on Friday's "Homicide." That show also brings Briscoe, Curtis and "Law Order" as therefore, to go too goo-goo and ga-ga over the TV stunt taking place tonight and Friday on NBC.

I'm going goo-goo and ga-ga, anyway. Yes, it's a TV stunt, and yes, it conveniently coincides with the im i i i iiiirmiir rim lit aWftowsfe It i which each show stays true to itself, despite the jarring intrusion of alien characters. Zamacona, Chernuchin and Sherin have executed their delicate, difficult assignment nimbly and often wittily. Even so, the final result represents an uneasy merger. And no wonder.

The fact is, high quality is about the only thing these two series share. For example, what the camera looks for and how it moves in each-series, how scenes are connected and how stories unfold differ radically. On a human level, "Law Order" lets us go only so far into the heads of its regular characters; "Homicide," on the other hand, makes a point of exploring the dark corners of its cops' psyches. And the characters of one show simply do not act or speak the way the characters of the other show do. Both series have devoted extraordinary amounts of creative energy to creating their own believable universes.

Each operates under rules of internal consistency of character and action that build, sustain and reinforce credibility with the viewer. Tinker- ERIC MINK sistant district attorney Claire Kin-caid (Jill Hennessy) to Baltimore, where they seem a bit overwhelmed by the idiosyncratic homicide bunch. Writers Michael S. Chernuchin and Jorge Zama-cona -collaborated on portant February ratings period. But to me, this stunt is like The Flash showing up in a special issue of Superman com-ics.

It's Spider-Man teaming up with Dr. Strange. It's Mick Belker of "Hill Street Blues" meeting Andy Sipowicz of "NYPD Blue." It's TAL OF TWO SERIES: Andre Braugher, left and Benjamin Bratt the scripts for both episodes. Ed Sherin of "Law Order" directed them in a style that more closely resembles the edgy look and pacing of "Homicide" than that of his show. Excitement and fun aside, the measure of creative success of this experiment, it seems to me, is the extent to differentiate them and have come up with two thoroughly satisfying hours of TV.

That done, it's best for both shows to pull back into their own separate and distinct worlds. ing with that consistency is risky business. The creative teams behind these two great series have managed to build temporary bridges across the gaps that Secor secures his spot in series squad room uyle Mike Hammer meets Shaft Charlie Chan meets Mr. Moto. Columbo meets Mannix.

Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein. -From where I sit, this week's TV cross-connection between "Law Order" (tonight at 10) and "Homicide: Life on the Street" (Friday at 10) is unbelievably cool. Not surprisingly, the plot that links them together has been pulled from the headlines and then twisted, turned and tweaked into a unique dramatic creation. HE ACTION starts when a -II "-couple of beat cops see people pouring out of the subway station at 106th St and Broadway. There's been an explosion and fire on a rush-hour commuter train, and casualties are heavy.

"Law Order" detectives Lenny Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Reynaldo Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) begin working the case. Two Homicide" detectives in Baltimore, Frank Pemble-ton (Andre Braugher) and Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor), notice similarities to an earlier unsolved case in Baltimore and ead for New York, where i Braugher, who on screen (as Detective Frank Pemble-ton) and off can be an overpowering presence. As a result Secor's character often got lost in the shuffle. But this season, it seems both Secor and the series have hit impressive strides. Secor has become more at ease with the show.

"I'm coming in with a lot more ideas, rather than just showing up and saying the lines," he told The News. "I now feel I have something to contribute to the overall texture and tone of the show." As an actor, Secor has always subscribed to the slow- growth theory. "Nothing has ever happened quickly for me," he said. The kickstart for his career came, he said, with a recurring role in "St Elsewhere" during its final season, 1987-88. That's when he met "Homieide" executive producer Tom Fontana.

Since then, he has been busy with "small, supporting roles" in telefilms and TV shows. Secor wouldn't want it any other way: "I sort of like the idea of Clint Eastwood, who, in his 50s and 60s, is still getting accolades. It was a long growth process for him it took a while. I think it's a lifelong process." By CHRISTY SLEWINSK1 Daily News Staff Writer DT'S BEEN a banner year for "Homicide's" Kyle Secor. Four seasons into NBC's critically acclaimed cop drama, Secor's Detective Tim Bayliss has finally slid into a comfortable spot within the Baltimore homicide squad.

There's further evidence of that in this week's "Homi-cide'TLaw Order" crossover, in which Bayliss is a crucial link (tonight and Friday, 10 o'clock). It's taken a while for everything to get into synch. Bayliss is partnered with "Homicide's" big gun, Andre 1 CHANGES DETECTED: Secor TONIGHT'S BEST bet? A crossover plot line that starts on tonight's "Law Order" and con --X day on "Homicide," Kyle Secor's Bayliss was complaining to Andre Braugher's Pembleton about how doctors get so more notoriety and appreciation than cops. "You want glory?" Pembleton responded. "Go work at ER.

Homicide's fine by me." The double meaning and sly Extra joke about another show is typical of "Homicide." Tonight's though, is atypical. Pembleton and Bayliss travel from Baltimore to NYC to check out a subway gassing that sounds similiar to a case from Bait. Do Jerry Or-bach's Briscoe and Benjamin Bratt' Curtis meet them with open arms? Hardly Dennis Haysbert star in this 1994 murder mystery. I donH recommend it, but if you've been a big Harris fan ever since "thirtysomething," then "Suture" self. 8:30 (CBS) "The Louie Show." Joe Flaherty makes another appearance this week as the grumpy Mr.

Wells, and Mo Gaffney guest stars as Louie's replacement. It is, however, a predictably temporary arrangement. 10:00 (CBS) "The Greatest TV Shows You Never Saw." Faith Ford hosts this compendium of pieces from infamously unsold pilots. Done right, this could make a fine series, but I wouldn't bet Q. O.

fi cr 5 09 cludes on Friday's "Homicide: Life on the Street." 8:00 p.m. (NBC) "National Geographic Special: Last Feast of the Making this special was a snap. And another snap, and another snap, and (5) "Beverly Hills, 90210." GingerXEIisa Donovan) returns with blackmail in mind, and her body aimed straight at David (Brian Austin Green). "Suture." Mel Harris and odds on it being done right. yiaw Order -like, omicidej'He' JrriaiSsjIru iots ph'araciers.

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