SCI-FI FOR THE YOUNG, ALIENATED; FEELINGS OF BEING AN OUTSIDER PERMEATE TEEN-THEMED `ROSWELL'.

Byline: David Kronke TV Critic

When a network devotes a quarter of its entire original prime-time schedule to paranormal youth programs, it's either seeking an insanely specific demographic or simply crazy like a network of a different name. In the WB's case, these quirky genre items are among its best shows.

``Roswell'' is an estimable companion to ``Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ``Angel,'' more innocent (save a mildly blue sight gag in episode two) and less action-packed but equally concerned with abstruse romantic convolutions. It takes the metaphor of the high-school outsider to literal extremes - some of these kids don't feel like they fit in with their peers because, well, they're a whole other species. Given that Jason Katims, who made his name in Hollywood writing for ``My So-Called Life,'' and former ``X-Files'' director David Nutter are running the series, it should be well-served on both the sci-fi and teen-angst fronts. Call it ``My So-Called Planet.''

Set in Roswell, N.M. - the infamous site of an alleged UFO crash a half-century ago - the show centers around a cute but otherwise unremarkable high school student (Shiri Appleby) who likes to keep reminding herself in her diary, ``I'm Liz Parker.'' Her whole life is changed when she's accidentally killed while waiting tables at the saucer-themed diner owned by her parents.

Yes, killed, but don't waste your tears. Enter soulful Max Evans (Jason Behr, likely the WB's next hunk), an alien survivor of a pod thrown from that extraterrestrial crackup but hatched just a decade back. Even he doesn't know where he's from - he can just point, vaguely, up. Attracted to Liz, Max exposes his secret by using his alien powers to save her life. Max's sister, Isabel (Katherine Heigl), and buddy Michael (Brendan Fehr) are less than thrilled with his act of altruism - they don't want to be found out and end up part of some Alien Autopsy footage on Fox.

The remainder of the series will be given over to Liz helping Max and company elude the authorities, particularly Sheriff Valenti (William Sadler), who's out to prove his father wasn't an alien-hunting kook, and a mysterious ``substitute teacher'' who doesn't know her geometry, who turns up in episode two. The kids will also search for another alien who may still walk the earth, and, of course, there's the small matter of the passion Liz and Max have for one another, but are uneasy about pursuing - an added, unnecessary complication is that Liz has been dating Valenti's son. Here's betting the trip will be an intriguing one, and that hormones will be hormones, human or otherwise.

THE FACTS

The show: ``Roswell.''

What: Teen melodrama with a science-fiction twist, set in the town renowned for a UFO crash 50 years ago.

Who: Shiri Appleby, Jason Behr, Katherine Heigl, Majandra Defino, Brendan Fehr, William Sadler.

Where: The WB (KTLA, Channel 5).

When: Tonight at 9 p.m.

Rating: Three stars.

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Photo

Photo: Shiri Appleby's character is an ordinary teen until tragedy strikes in ``Roswell.''