Daily News from New York, New York • 119

"77 Sunset Strip" began its six-season run this day in 1 958. Efirem Zimbalist Jr. and Roger Smith starred as private eyes in the ABC series; the "ginchiest" co-star, Edd Byrnes, played Kookie. 7Z nnn tr it -9 3 1 it CM dft tiffin AST SEASON, it took a few weeks before ABC's "Murder One" was killed iel Benzali, whose defense attorney Ted Hoffman was the quiet center of the show, would be replaced by Anthony LaPaglia, playing a younger and more dynamic lawyer. There would be three cases per season instead of just one, and the irrelevant subplots, already discarded midway ippKiiilippilpp by its powerhouse Thursday-night competition at NBC.

This season, with its premiere opposite "Seinfeld" tonight at 9, "Murder One" is dead on arrival. Last year, ABC gave the Ste-ven Bochco ffL last season, would not return. Productions series a full- It So how does ABC support this new, supposedly improved "Murder Not by repeating last year's strategy of lending it the "NYPD Blue" slot, or even by giving it a place where it has season order, permission to Scarry a single murder trial over an entire 22-week season, and unveiled it in the high-profile "NYPD Blue" time slot for a few weeks before moving it opposite "ER." Wyler, he's part of the district attorney's team, but before the show is halfway through he's crossed over to the defense side. He lands his first high-profile client and agrees to head the law firm formerly run by Hoffman (whose absence is explained, curtly but credibly, by his desire to try to patch up his rocky marriage). Wyler is interesting, but little else about this season's first two episodes of "Murder One" qualifies for similar praise.

The murder case, in which the governor of California and his mistress are killed in bed, suggests a courtroom circus atmosphere that this show's staging (and budget?) don't even begin to reflect. And even when the defendant, played by Missy Crider, privately confesses to the crime, TV convention dictates that she changes her tune "Murder One," despite its professions of breaking new ground, is nothing if not conventional. There's even a subplot in which the hero, midway through the opening episode, is revealed to have a secret sexual relationship with one of the already established, allegedly distant female characters. This plot point was a surprise when Frank Furillo and Joyce Davenport wound up in bed at the end of the first in-stallment of "Hill Street Blues" but with the same DAVID B1ANCULU I I ssc -X i rtitmri- ifirtJiiftniJiiMniitoMftnftiiiniaAam nfllMnirtlXliifn Jiff immi ft -tr tmuttv 1 1 a chance of building a loyal viewer-ship. Instead, ABC throws it right up against "Seinfeld" from the start.

Clearly, the network cares little or nothing about this series so why should we? That, in fact, is the key question. And the answer is, "ER, of course, trounced "Murder One," and the show eventually ran from the time slot with its tail between its legs. It went off the air for several months, turned on a differ-ent night and served up its climax to an audience that, by and large, was both dis COURT TV: Anthony LaPaglia is the new star of "Murder One." idea recycled on the initial "L.A. Law." Even using two of the supporting characters on last season's "Murder One" premiere, the trick no longer surprises, or works. The bottom line, though, is that the first two episodes of "Murder One" this year fail to generate any real interest in who's guilty or innocent And if that's the case now, the final verdict on this series will be swift and just If we don't care whodunit, why should wewatchit? we shouldn't Tonight's plot, written by Geoffrey Neigher and Doug Patau from a story by Bochco and Eglee, does a good job of introducing LaPaglia as James Wyler.

When we meet appointing and disappointed. Even so, ABC renewed "Murder One" for a second season. Executive producers Bochco, Charles H. Eglee and Michael Fresco promised major changes for this fall. Dan- geits Hiaftty for Irit i trade, started out a few years ago hosting a talk show on MTV.

The program became a cult favorite among the advertiser-desired younger set and caught the eye of syndicator Paramount a sister company of MTV. Paramount took the program national, but ratings didn't take off. After 10 months, in June 1995, the plug was pulled. Last May, Stewart inked a development deal with CBS through David Letterman's World Wide Pants Inc. to.

host a new late-late-night program, which may air at 1:35 a.m. following Tom Snyder's "Late Late Show." The deal also calls for Stewart to possibly star in a sitcom or other projects for the network. He'll test the late-night waters the week of Oct 21, when he steps in for a vacationing Snyder. There has been speculation that the gig is a tryout for actually replacing Snyder, which CBS strongly denies. ture to Comedy Central's "Politically Incorrect," pits two British guests against two Americans, according to a spokesman for Stewart.

"Where's Elvis" is produced by the BBC, and tapes at CBS' W. 57th Broadcast Center. Future stateside guests include comic Dave Chappelle, who will appear Friday, and former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Chris Rock, who is set for next Friday. Stewart, a standup comic by By RICHARD HUFF Daily News Staff Writer WHILE Jon Stewart waits I in the wings for CBS to JJ develop a program for him, the comic-turned-talker is flexing his chat muscles for folks across the pond. Last Friday, Stewart taped the first of five episodes of a program called "Where's Elvis This Week," which airs Sunday nights in the United Kingdom on BBC 2.

The program, similar in na QUITE A TALKER: Jon Stewart USUALLY, ON i Thursday night, the only thing happening is NBC's Must-See TV. Tonight, though, a liil iumw. u.um I iBil.unu jiw in mum iiunni i iiu III- traordinary compassion andor intelligence. She even takes her own dog, George, to the canine equivalent of the Psychic Friends Network and learns surprising allegations about her pet's emo tions. The most amazing segment of this- -pleasantly watchable hour is about dogs trained to alert their epileptic owners tcff impending seizures.

10:00 (AMC) "Tower of London." Thjf film, made in 1939, is the perfect com-1 panion piece for Al Pacino's new movie about Richard III. This is about the same monarch, with Basil Rathbone playing the man who would be king and with Boris Kartoff as his right-hand man, a torturer with brutally effective skills. Orioles, played an hour earlier than yesterday's Game 1. What to root for: a mammoth extra-innings game, so that it'll eat into NBC's Must-See TV lineup. 8:00 (5) "National League Championship Series." This is Game 2 of the series between the Atlanta Braves and the St.

Louis Cardinals. The Cards are sending Todd Stottlemyre to the mound, and the Braves have Greg Maddux. 9:00 (ABC) "Murder One." See preview, above. 10:00 (ABC) "Turning Point." "Unlocking the Mystery: The Amazing Animal Mind" is. kind of like "Nova" Lite: Diane Sawyer presents a soft-edged hour in which animals are shown displaying ex there are some compelling alternatives: a prime-time pennant race on Fox and the second-season premiere of "Murder One" on ABC.

That doesn't mean NBC won't dominate, but it would be a more impressive victory. 3:00 p.m. (NBC) "American League Championship Series." Tuesday's rain-out has juggled things in terms of TV coverage. For the AL, this should have been a travel day; instead, it's Game 2 between the Yankees and Baltimore ANIMAL INSTINCT: Diane Sawyer T3.