Two Popular Series Conclude Season; AMC Debuts Comedy

Besides a plethora of guest stars popping up on your favorite series--it is May sweeps--this weekend two popular series bid adieu for the season, AMC premieres a new comedy series and a cartoon favorite returns to Fox.

“Frasier,” tonight at 9 on NBC, finds the radio shrink torn between two women (Virginia Madsen and Amy Brenneman).

Patricia Routledge stars in four new episodes of “Hetty Wainthropp Investigates” on PBS’ “Mystery!,” tonight at 9 on KCET-TV.

The second season finale of NBC’s “Veronica’s Closet,” tonight at 9:30, finds Ronnie torn between two men (Ron Silver and Greg Evigan).

Laura Innes, who plays Dr. Weaver, directs tonight’s episode of “ER,” at 10 on NBC.

AMC premieres its new four-part comedy series “Paramour,” Friday at 7 p.m. The plot is set at a horse racing magazine turned into a gossip rag, circa 1943.

Youngsters talk about their moms on a Mother’s Day edition of CBS’ “Kids Say the Darndest Things,” Friday at 8 p.m.

Famous TV moms Barbara Billingsley (“Leave It to Beaver”), June Lockhart (“Lassie,” “Lost in Space”) and Isabel Sanford (“The Jeffersons”) appear on CBS’ “Candid Camera,” Friday at 9 p.m.

Fox presents a new version of “The Woody Woodpecker Show,” Saturday at 10 a.m.

Sammo Hung drops by CBS’ “Early Edition,” Saturday at 8 p.m., as his “Martial Law” character, Sammo Law. Following at 9 p.m. is the season finale of “Martial Law.”

The popular Judi Dench Britcom “As Time Goes By,” Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on KCET, enters a new season.

Jarod teams with FBI forensics expert Sam Waters on a crossover episode of “The Pretender,” Saturday at 9 p.m. The episode concludes on “Profiler” at 10 p.m.

Gwen Verdon and Roxanne Hart guest on CBS’ “Walker, Texas Ranger,” Saturday at 10 p.m.

Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. hosts NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” at 11:30 p.m. Ricky Martin is the musical guest.

Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking makes a guest voice appearance on Fox’s “The Simpsons,” Sunday at 8 p.m.

ABC’s Emmy Award-winning “The Practice” ends the season with an episode in which one of the firm’s partners is attacked, Sunday at 10 p.m.

Specials

HBO’s “Dear America,” tonight at 7:30, presents “A Journey to the New World,” which focuses on a young Pilgrim girl who survives the trip aboard the Mayflower.

Tommy, Phil and Lil try to find a new mom for Chuckie on “Rugrats Mother’s Day,” tonight at 8 on Nickelodeon.

Pax TV presents “The Bible Code: The Future and Beyond,” Friday at 9 p.m.

“National Geographic” explores “Avalanche: The White Death,” Saturday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Women talk about raising their children on “Moms,” Sunday at 6 p.m. on KCET.

E! Entertainment Television goes behind-the-scenes of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Sunday at 7 p.m.

Movies

Ron Perlman stars in the UPN thriller “Primal Force,” tonight at 8.

“Belle’s Magical World,” Saturday at 7 p.m. on the Disney Channel, explores the themes of friendship, love and honesty.

Bonnie Bedelia and Bruce Davison star in Showtime’s “Locked in Silence,” Sunday at 8 p.m., a Mother’s Day drama about family communication.

Sidney Poitier, Dianne Wiest and Mary-Louise Parker star in the CBS drama “The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn,” Sunday at 9 p.m. Poitier plays an ageless carpenter who has managed to escape the corruptness of 20th century life.

Kevin Anderson, Tom Skerritt and Naomi Watts star in NBC’s “The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer,” Sunday at 9 p.m. The two-part thriller focuses on Ira Einhorn, a ‘60s activist who, convicted of murdering his girlfriend, fled the country. The conclusion airs Monday at 9 p.m.