What's On TV

March 6, 1998

Monitor's Pick:

Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place

Wednesday, March 11 9:30-10 p.m. (ABC)

TV highlights for the week of March 7-13. All times are Eastern; check local listings.

SUNDAY 3/8

The Wonderful World of Disney: Goldrush, a Real Life Alaskan Adventure (ABC, 7-9 p.m.): Perky Alyssa Milano stars as a young typist who strikes out for Alaska during the gold rush. Some sappy moments, but it's fine family entertainment offering kids an exciting adventure story with a strong female role model.

MONDAY 3/9

House Rules (NBC, 8:30-9 p.m.): One of several comedies premiring this week. This one, based in Denver, is about lifelong ski-loving buddies: Casey (Maria Pitillo), a deputy district attorney; McCusky (David Newsom), a medical student; and Riley (Bradley White), a reporter. In the opener, Casey wants to move to Paris with her boyfriend. But the guys are determined to make her stay, so they flip a coin to decide who will propose to her. (TV-PG)

The Great Depression (History Channel, 9-10 p.m.): A question for today's booming times: How did Americans cope with the 1929 market crash? This four-part documentary says by steely resolve and creativity, such as marathon dancing. This engaging history lesson, hosted by former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, continues through Thursday. (TV-PG)

TUESDAY 3/10

That's Life (ABC, 9:30-10 p.m.): From a "Roseanne" producer comes a new working-class comedy starring stand-up comic Gerry Red Wilson and Kellie Overbey, who play a couple living in New York's Queens. Life is good - butcher Mike (Wilson) just got promoted to "head of meat" - but his life is interrupted when Patty's (Overbey) snobby sister from Manhattan, Catherine (Nadia Dajani), turns her visit into an extended stay. The friction between Mike and Catherine are funny, but it may grow tiresome with time. (TV-PG, L)

WEDNESDAY 3/11

Significant Others (Fox, 9-10 p.m.): A new drama about five twentysomethings living in Los Angeles. In the debut, Campbell (Eion Bailey) feels betrayed when he discovers that his best friends, Nell (Jennifer Garner) and Henry (Scott Bairstow), have been secretly seeing each other. The suggestive drama often feels forced and contrived, and the characters are aimless and uninteresting, which makes it difficult to care. The one thing it does have going for it is the "Party of Five" time slot for six weeks. (TV-14, DLS)

Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place (ABC, 9:30-10 p.m.): This quirky-perky sitcom has the tone and texture of "Cheers" in a pizza parlor. Pete (Richard Ruccolo) and Berg (Ryan Reynolds) are roommates living in the same building as Sharon (Traylor Howard), and they all work at the same Boston pizza place. The script is crisp, and the characters well developed. Add humor to that, and you have the most promising sitcom of the midseason. (TV-PG, L)

THURSDAY 3/12

NCAA Basketball Tournament (CBS, noon-5 p.m., 7:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.): Let the March Madness begin. On Thursday and Friday, CBS will broadcast 20 hours of collegiate basketball, rivaling its marathon Olympic coverage.