Several alternatives to soccer fiesta at weekend

JAKARTA (JP): Some interesting fare is showing on television this weekend, with soccer fans in for a treat as the World Cup kicks off.

For night owls seeking a respite from the glut of soccer, there are two fine American television series both showing in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

`Sisters' details the trials and tribulations of four very different siblings living in the white-picket-fence suburb of Winnetka, Illinois. The script is crisp and realistic, and the acting superb, particularly from Swoosie Kurtz, an actress whose distinctive face viewers will know from numerous TV and feature films (RCTI, 1 a.m. Sunday).

`In the Heat of the Night' is television drama at its best, with Caroll O'Connor as sheriff of a small Alabama town. The ensemble acting is a marvel and the series delivers consistently fine entertainment. (RCTI, 2:30 a.m. Sunday).

Horror fans can take a peek at `Amityville II: The Possession', one of the quartet of chillers about haunted happenings at a house in the upstate New York suburb. It is your call on this muddled, often risible movie (RCTI, 11 p.m., Sunday).

For a taste of local comedy, try `Gara-Gara', the very popular comedy of errors involving a young couple and their meddling neighbors. Beautiful film actress Lydia Kandou proves she is no mere window dressing but hefty comic Farida Gloria steals every scene she is in. If you cannot understand Indonesian, you can while away your time counting the number of glaring advertisements for a doughnut chain (RCTI, 6 p.m., Saturday).

Suzanne Pleshette sinks her teeth into the juicy role of Leona Helmsley, the undisputed `Queen of Mean'. With teased hair and collagen-puffed lips, Pleshette marches around her hotel barking orders at squirming underlings. We come to learn that the ranting and raving for perfection is all for the love of Harry, Helmsley's elderly, ineffectual husband (little surprise that Leona's favorite song is "I'm just wild about Harry"). Helmsley gets her come-uppance and we sit through two hours of delicious camp performances. A role Joan Crawford would have played years back (TPI, Sunday, 10:30 p.m.).

`Melrose Place' is getting a grip over Indonesian audiences, with Heather Locklear showing she learned a few things from Joan Collins during her years on Dynasty. As the scheming, acid- tongued Amanda, Locklear is a delight as she weasels her way back into the life of former beau Billy. Slick, entertaining trash (SCTV, 9:30 p.m., Sunday).

The little I know about `Drop Dead Fred' is not too endearing. Phoebe Cates conjures up her childhood imaginary friend and has a fine time playing practical jokes on people. One of them includes smearing dog doo-doo over a carpet. Dare we say that this film had a limited run in theaters in the U.S. (ANteve, Sunday, 10 p.m.).

-- B.J. Emond