'OSBOURNES' KEEPS ITS BARK.

Byline: David Kronke Television Critic

AFTER the phenomenal success of ``The Osbournes'' this spring, it was a fair concern that overexposure could hurt the show's freshness, even though it was only 10 episodes old. The odd fear - success could spoil the already pretty darn successful Ozzy Osbourne and his brood.

Tonight our fears are allayed. Inevitably there are references to how popular the family has become, but Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly - who, let's face it, were already pretty spoiled before the show ever began - remain the dysfunctional doofuses we know and love.

Tonight begins where the first series began - Ozzy baffled by modern technology (after explaining how the TV in his gym is a reliable old friend, he's bewildered by its satellite show headings). Next week, Ozzy can't make sense of a cell phone - Ozzy's butting heads with gadgets is becoming as formulaic and crowd-pleasing a leitmotif as the stunning action sequences that open every James Bond movie.

From there, it's the usual batch of Osbourne shenanigans. Ozzy's knife-throwing practice results in the noisy clanging of his weapons against their target and, subsequently, the ground; Jack calls Kelly ``sexualist'' because she doesn't want other girls in her new band; Sharon, preparing for a dinner with the president of the United States (let that one sink in for a moment or two), buys W. some cuff links, to which Ozzy protests, demonstrating his political acumen, ``He can't accept gifts!''

And everywhere, yet more dogs. When Ozzy and Sharon go to Washington for the dinner (Ozzy even turns up on C-SPAN when the prez refers to him in his speech), a yippie lapdog leaves his business on elegant Ritz Carlton carpeting.

Still, the media darlings remain humble - after Kelly performs at the MTV Movie Awards, the family takes their limo through the McDonald's drive- thru (Jack exults, ``Ah! McRib is back!'').

Tonight's episode concludes with Sharon reveling in her happiness but ominously noting that some travail must be around the corner, and sure enough, next week, her much-reported colon cancer is diagnosed.

Sharon maintains her good humor as she prepares for chemotherapy, while Ozzy tries yet again to detox (``He's never gotten past step three,'' Sharon opines), and Jack breaks his arm jumping off a pier. For added good measure, Ozzy tries to teach his parrot to swear and nearly burns down the house with the fireplace.

``The Osbournes'' has a lot to answer for - its brilliantly simple idea has inspired some awful imitations. But as the show returns, it demonstrates both the genius that makes it irresistible for lesser minds to try to emulate and the fact that it's a singular sensation that works precisely and only because Ozzy and his family are so much fun to hang out with.

THE OSBOURNES - Three and one half stars

What: Second-season premiere of the reality sitcom starring heavy-metal headbanger Ozzy Osbourne as a loving dad.

Where: MTV.

When: 10 tonight

In a nutshell: Too much hype aside, the show remains memorably hilarious.