ABC offers rerun, new ‘Housewives’

The television-industry story of last weekend was the big ratings for ABC’s premiere of “Desperate Housewives,” a twisted, wryly funny riff on suburban frustration that has been compared to “Peyton Place” (1957), “The Stepford Wives” (1975) and “American Beauty” (1999).

Tonight at 10 ABC will rerun the pilot episode, which finds the women and their families dealing with the suicide of their friend Mary Alice (Brenda Strong), who narrates from the grave.

One sleeps with the yard boy. Another’s husband digs up a secret in the yard.

And then there’s that unsettling note found in the dead woman’s effects.

Then, Sunday at 9, there’s a new episode.

Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) works to hide her affair. Lynette (Felicity Huffman) tries to discipline the twins.

Bree (Marcia Cross) and her husband try marriage counseling, and Susan (Teri Hatcher) invites a guest to dinner, only to have Edie (Nicolette Sheridan) disrupt her plans.

The weekend’s other big show, of course, is the first round of Major League Baseball’s playoffs, with games from the four divisional series airing as needed today and Sunday on Fox. Day games will air on Fox and ESPN2.

Highlights

“Liar, Liar” (1997), ABC tonight at 8: Jim Carrey plays a lying lawyer trying to get back in the good graces of his son (Justin Cooper) by telling the truth.

Repeats, CBS tonight at 8: This week’s “Survivor: Vanuatu” and a “Without a Trace.”

Repeats, NBC tonight at 8: A clip show about “The Outrageous Moments on Live TV,” followed by Thursday’s episode of “The Apprentice” and a “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” rerun with guest Cindy Williams.

“48 Hours Mystery,” CBS tonight at 10: A man’s wife and daughter vanish in “Dark Side of the Mesa.”

“MAD TV,” Fox tonight at 11: Original-cast members, including Tommy Davidson and Orlando Jones, return, bringing favorite characters in tow, for the 200th episode celebration.

“Saturday Night Live,” NBC tonight at 11:30: Queen Latifah.

“60 Minutes,” CBS Sunday at 7: Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells talks with Mike Wallace.

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” ABC Sunday at 8: A new home for the family of a young girl with sun poisoning requires not only the usual contractors but also hundreds of workers and state-of-the-art technology to make living conditions less restrictive.

“Cold Case,” CBS Sunday at 8: A last-minute episode switch brings us the one we thought was going to air last week, which finds Lilly looking into a death from 1943.

“American Dreams,” NBC Sunday at 8: Meg tries to recruit other students for her play and gets an offer from bad-boy Chris that involves breaking and entering to secure his help.

Beth and J.J. continue to talk awkwardly, long distance from Philly to Saigon. And pop-punk band Hawk Nelson guests as the Who, singing “My Generation.”

“While I Was Gone,” CBS Sunday at 9: Kirstie Alley and Peter Horton star in the tale of a woman whose life is “shaken to the core” when an old friend from her hippie days turns up. Based on a novel by Sue Miller.

“Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” NBC Sunday at 9: You have to love it when former kid stars turn psycho for the camera. Fred Savage did a memorable turn on another “L&O” franchise last year, and now it’s the former Doogie Howser, Neil Patrick Harris, who is the main suspect when a stripper is butchered.

“Mystery,” KSPS Sunday at 8: Adam Dalgliesh (Martin Shaw) investigates the death of an archdeacon in “Death in Holy Orders.”

“Boston Legal,” ABC Sunday at 10: Alan Shore represents an ex-lover who tried to kill him, and the partners are concerned by Denny Crane’s erratic behavior.

“Crossing Jordan,” NBC Sunday at 10: Jordan starts acting strangely after a night out with Woody and ends up breaking down in front of the department shrink (Wallace Shawn).

Family Fare

“Halloweentown High,” Disney Channel tonight at 8: Kimberly Brown stars as a high-school witch in this pleasant supernatural tale, with Debbie Reynolds on hand as her witchy grandma.

Cable Cast

Snakeheads on the rampage, Sci Fi tonight at 7: A pair of low-budget cable flicks about a real-life environmental problem blown up here to a menace, with “Snakehead Terror” (2004) followed at 9 by “Frankenfish” (2004).

“Legally Blonde 2” (2003), Showtime tonight at 8: Reese Witherspoon’s not-such-an-airhead Elle heads to Washington.