THE DAILY NEWS WATCH-O-RAMA HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS OF THE COMING TV WEEK.

Byline: David Kronke

``Fallen Angel''

(CBS, Channel 2; 9 tonight)

Think: Another Hallmark holiday heart-warmer about adults estranged from their parents, only this time Pop is the problematic parent. A Christmas Eve gift-giving spree at a local hospital has tragic consequences, the repercussions of which linger 30 years later, as Gary Sinise and Joely Richardson discover.

Don't think: So what the film is saying is, don't do good deeds?

In a nutshell: Good cast, programmatic material.

`Arrested Development''

(Fox, Channel 11; 9:30 tonight)

Think: Liza Minnelli gives a knockout performance as matriarch Lucille's (Jessica Walter) rival, with Buster (Tony Hale) in the middle; meanwhile, ever-inept magician GOB (Will Arnet) plans a prison break in order to bond with his pop (Jeffrey Tambor), leaving Michael (Jason Bateman) to spend quality time with his brother's girlfriend.

Don't think: Fox should yank this show as quickly as it did the similarly hilarious ``Andy Richter Controls the Universe'' lest anyone be shaken by the discovery of a really funny sitcom on network TV.

In a nutshell: Fox needs to find this series a time slot where it's not leading out of a show aimed at kids.

``Fear Factor''

(NBC, Channel 4; 8 p.m. Monday)

Think: A family edition of the gross-out game finds parents and progeny wallowing in pig guts and sharing faces-full of worms together.

Don't think: Who wants a version of this program toned down so kids can participate?

In a nutshell: Oh, never mind. Go ahead and think that.

``Everybody Loves Raymond''

(CBS Channel 2; 9 p.m. Monday)

Think: The Barones have Thanksgiving with Robert's (Brad Garrett) eccentric in-laws. You figure it out from there.

Don't think: Calling all People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals members: If it's a slow news week, you might want to check this out, as sweet little Georgia Engel, of all people, commences on a campaign of terror!

In a nutshell: Predictable, but some great laughs, particularly from Romano, who notes it's not a holiday gathering until families start squabbling.

``Journalists: Killed in the Line of Duty''

(Trio; 9 p.m. Tuesday)

Think: Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings, Dan Rather, Walter Cronkite and CNN's Anderson Cooper relate stories of reporters killed during the war on terrorism.

Don't think: Given the public's attitude toward the media these days, this might come off as feel-good fare.

In a nutshell: Sober stuff, but a little self-important - notice soldiers themselves don't get their own documentary.

``Livermore''

(KCET; 10 p.m. Tuesday)

Think: Quirky ``Independent Lens'' documentary about a small California town that ``misplaced'' its time capsule and endured other quixotic travails.

Don't think: This show should really eat into ``Law & Order: Special Victims Unit's'' audience.

In a nutshell: Drolly engaging work, reminiscent of the early films of cheeky documentarian Errol Morris.

``In Search of the Jaguar''

(KCET; 8 p.m. Wednesday)

Think: ``National Geographic Specials'' documentary about Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, whose efforts to protect jaguars from extinction are endangered by his own poor health.

Don't think: The fact that they specifically include a shot of someone yawning doesn't bode well.

In a nutshell: Some gorgeous footage of the cats in their natural habitats from Brazil to Panama highlight an otherwise straightforward report.

``Epic TV: The Top Ten Miniseries of All Time''

(Trio; 8 p.m. Wednesday)

Think: Narrator Jane Seymour celebrates the days when ``event television'' was practically a routine event.

Don't think: Coming soon: ``The Top Ten TV Documentaries about TV Genres of All Time.''

In a nutshell: Harmless, watchable fun, with behind-the-scenes stories of ``Roots,'' ``Rich Man, Poor Man,'' ``The Thorn Birds'' and others. But it doesn't quite get the whole story on why there are so few - and such creatively bankrupt - miniseries today.

``CMT Crossroads''

(CMT; 10 p.m. Friday)

Think: Melissa Etheridge and Dolly Parton team up for an hour of duets, including Etheridge's ``Bring Me Some Water'' and Parton's ``9 to 5.''

Don't think: Gee, no joke seems to come to mind with this pair.

in a nutshell: Though you'll never see them go shopping together, they have an agreeable enough on-stage rapport.

``All Grown Up''

(Nickelodeon; 8 p.m. Saturday)

Think: The ``Rugrats'' are now tweens but still get into a lot of pickles. And Angelica's still as obnoxious as ever, which is a lot less appealing in a tween than in a toddler.

Don't think: And so, the fragile innocence of children is stripped away as they're introduced to the concept of the cynical spin-off series.

In a nutshell: Chuckie fears he's dangerously white-bread, and so seems the show's humor and sensibility. But as the ``Rugrats'' audience, uh, matures, this was probably inevitable.

David Kronke, [phone]

david.kronke(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) Liza Minnelli

(2) Georgia Engel

(3) ``The Rugrats''