SMALL SCREEN THE BUZZ ON TELEVISION.

Byline: - Compiled by Valerie Kuklenski

HIGH-RESOLUTION BROADCASTS: In tonight's episode of ``Without a Trace,'' Jack Malone (Anthony LaPaglia) and his FBI Missing Persons Squad are searching for a teen boy missing from a boarding school and immediately home in on the headmaster as the one and only suspect. It leads to a relatively quick, but not tidy, resolution to the case.

LaPaglia, who has made a career of detective-type roles, admits the current law enforcement craze on television could contribute to the public's unrealistic expectations of real criminal investigations.

``At least half the episodes we've shot end with an unresolved case - someone dies, we don't get there in time, we screw it up,'' he said. ``We realize that we can't have a happy ending every week and we realize that we can't have a tragic ending every week. We're trying to create a realistic balance. But I do think this idea that there's a resolution within 48 minutes does contribute to the general public thinking that the police should be able to solve crimes instantly. And of course it's much more difficult than that, especially in light of what's going on today with the (Washington, D.C.-area) sniper. It's impossible sometimes to pin these people down.''

LaPaglia himself proved hard to pin down when, midway through a question in this phone interview, he vanished without a trace. But it wasn't a PR gimmick, just a bad connection.

WITHOUT A TRACE, 10 tonight, CBS, Channel 2.

WHAT'S COOKIN', GOOD LOOKIN'?: Is the stomach really the way to a man's - or woman's - heart? The Food Network will be putting that adage to the test with a new dating show. ``Date Plate,'' expected to hit the air next spring, gives two singles $50 each with which to plan and execute their heart-winning meals. The diner on said meals then chooses which chef to date, solely on his or her ability to wow the taste buds. The date may be blind, but the senses of taste and smell will be put to good use.

SNIPER SCRIPT TOO TOUCHY?: CBS executives are considering at least temporarily shelving the ``CSI: Miami'' episode currently in production because it centers on a sniper case. The story was conceived in August and the script delivered in September, weeks before the real attacks in and around Washington, D.C., began Oct. 2. The show, starring David Caruso and Kim Delaney, has forensic detectives studying crime scenes after victims were shot by a rooftop gunman. ``This is one of those bizarre cases where art collides with real life,'' CBS spokesman Chris Ender told the Associated Press. Last week, 20th Century Fox delayed the release of the feature ``Phone Booth,'' a thriller about a man who answers a pay phone and learns he is in the sights of a faraway gunman.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) no caption (Anthony LaPaglia)

(2) DAVID CARUSO, ``CSI: MIAMI''