ANDERSON'S PROJECTS PART OF CBS' FAMILY PLAN.

Byline: Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Harry Anderson is huddling with CBS brass about bringing Damon Runyan's ``Butch Minds the Baby'' to the small screen. He expects to play Butch - a safecracker/single dad who takes his baby with him on a job. He also expects to write the screenplay adaptation of the 1929 short story from Runyan's ``Guys and Dolls'' collection.

The ``Dave's World'' star - who has the CBS adaptation of ``Harvey'' awaiting air date - feels, ``The network is starting to get interested in quality family pictures again. They're doing less stuff like `My Daughter Was Kidnapped by Aliens.' I think they're trying to win back the audience they lost when they pushed Angela Lansbury around.''

Anderson has been working with his old ``Night Court'' cohort Markie Post on a segment of ``Dave's World'' he wrote specifically for her - she plays a fan who lures him into her apartment. ``We'll air it in November - or use it as a flame-starter earlier,'' he says. ``We're on Friday nights now - a tough spot - and we can move the episode in fast if we feel we need to generate some heat.''

Anderson, who is now into his fourth season of ``Dave's World,'' had been hoping to switch production of the show from L.A. to Seattle, where he lives with his wife and children. ``I'd write letters to CBS brass saying that I'd give the network six years instead of the conventional five if we could shoot in Seattle after the fourth year. But everyone I wrote to lost his job, and I never have gotten a response. So, I just think I'll wrap it up after five seasons and go home to Seattle.''

The latest: We reported last week that Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman hoped to take leave from London shooting of ``Eyes Wide Shut'' long enough to attend the December premieres of their movies - his ``Jerry Maguire,'' her ``Portrait of a Lady.'' Well, we can tell you it's now all set. ``Maguire'' will get the klieg light treatment in Manhattan Dec. 6, ``Lady'' will bow the following evening - and the couple will plan to be on hand for both. His picture will go into wide release Dec. 13; hers starts a limited run Christmas Day.

The industry eye: Filmmaker Jerry Zucker expects to know within the week who'll head the cast of ``Toddlers.'' And, he says, there will be two major names. ``We're in meetings,'' he revealed, then noted, ``I can't say more at the moment.'' ``Toddlers'' is a fantasy about a business executive and a charter plane pilot who crash in a remote region of the Himalayas where giants reside, and end up pretending to be children to save their lives. Jerry explained, ``Because of the unusual concept of the story - grown-ups being treated like children - the relationship between the two guys almost makes it like a Hope and Crosby road picture, and it will be best served with major stars.''

Paramount had wanted Zucker to start production this fall so the film could be in theaters next summer. But, says the filmmaker, ``Now, fortunately, we don't have to do that - it would have meant double shifts, people working around the clock. We don't have a start date, but we're anticipating the beginning of the year.'' Ron Underwood, who directed ``City Slickers,'' will helm the film.

Hello, again: Jill Clayburgh and former ``MASH'' man Mike Farrell are set to star in a movie for the USA channel called ``Blind Need,'' with production beginning Nov. 12. Farrell serves as executive producer on the telepic, about a woman who undergoes a drastic, negative personality change after an accident.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: ``The network is starting to get interested in quality family pictures again,'' says Harry Anderson.