WE WANT MORE! FIVE TV ACTORS WHO DESERVE ADDED SCREEN TIME.

Byline: David Kronke Television Writer

You know them when you see them: They're supporting characters on your favorite TV shows whose scenes seem to pop just a little more than the others, whose presence elevates a good show to great and a great show to bliss.

In other words, they're folks you wouldn't mind seeing more of.

Here, the Daily News offers five of its favorite supporting players. Readers can play along: Send names of your favorite TV co-stars by e-mail to dnlalife(at)dailynews.com with the subject line ``TV Favorites,'' with a brief description of what unique qualities they bring to their shows. We'll put the best online.

Lisa Edelstein, ``House'' (9 p.m. Tuesdays; Fox Channel 11).

Edelstein wrote and mounted her own musical about AIDS before she was 21. ``That's the time in your life to do those impossible things; nothing has really broken you just yet,'' she explains with a laugh.

So clearly she has the moxie to tangle with Hugh Laurie's acerbic curmudgeon on Fox's hit medical drama ``House.'' As House's boss, Dr. Lisa Cuddy, Edelstein gives as good as she gets, and if you don't discern a whiff of flirtatiousness between the two, you're not paying attention.

``There's definite chemistry,'' she says. ``Cuddy enjoys his brilliance, humor and gall. I wouldn't say there won't be something between them in the future. I'm enjoying getting to that point. It's more interesting, in the end, than two characters just crashing together.''

Nonetheless, Cuddy has been subtly undercut on the series by high-profile guest stars: Chi McBride as a hospital administrator last season, and, currently, Sela Ward as House's old flame.

``In both circumstances, those characters brought a lot of parallels to what Cuddy does,'' Edelstein says. ``It forced my character to have to step up.''

Seeing that House had a relationship with a woman not unlike Cuddy, Edelstein says, ``lays a nice foundation for our two characters. Ultimately, that's not a bad thing.''

Pauley Perrette, ``NCIS'' (8 p.m. Tuesdays; CBS Channel 2).

Perrette declines to take credit for the popularity of her character, cheeky goth-girl lab tech Abby Sciuto, on the popular military crime procedural ``NCIS.''

``(Series creator) Don Bellisario did an amazing thing when he cooked up Abby,'' Perrette enthuses. ``When he created 'Magnum, P.I.,' Vietnam vets were mainly being portrayed as junkies, crooks, complete messes. He created a vet who was doing fine to give people another angle on a stereotype.''

In the same way, Abby offers viewers a portrait different from the kid lounging outside Amoeba Records on Sunset Boulevard.

``He's presenting a character that to some people has an extreme kind of look and dress, but there's nothing about her that isn't completely competent,'' Perrette says. ``She's smart, together, focused and excellent at her job. Young people tell me, 'My grandfather loves you.' She spans a lot of gaps. She may sport dog collars and tattoos, but she's so incredibly smart, there's no way you can't respect her.''

Perrette admits the cast was nervous when Sasha Alexander decided to exit the series. ``Summer was, wooo - scary,'' she says. ``No one in our show wanted to change the dynamic at all. I told Don, 'I don't care who you cast, but please make them cool and fun, no prima donnas.'' Lauren Holly and Cote de Pablo joined the cast, meeting with Perrette's approval: ``Not only was my wish granted,'' she says, ``but granted twice.''

Tom Amandes, ``Everwood'' (9 p.m. Thursdays; The WB Channel 5).

Amandes, who plays the wryly, weasly (if occasionally redeemable) Dr. Abbott, is apparently a favorite of series creator Greg Berlanti as well. ``Greg told me, ``If I get stuck while writing an episode, I just write a Dr. Abbott scene,''' Amandes says. ``They're fun, but I suspect Greg has more Dr. Abbott in him than he'd care to admit.''

Even if Amandes doesn't get more screen time, his presence will continue to be felt: He directed his first episode last season and will do a couple more this year. Before this interview, he had just finished scouting locations in Utah, where the series is shot, ``driving from one mountain to the next.''

Though Abbott is one of ``Everwood's'' flies in the ointment, Amandes plays him with such wit that when he and Treat Williams' Dr. Brown square off, one is never sure who'll deliver the final bon mot. Amandes significantly humanizes his character, as well.

``The saving grace for Dr. Abbott is how much he loves his family and how much he is loved by them,'' Amandes notes. ``Early on, they said, 'We're going to do great stuff with your character.' I've learned to take such pronouncements with a grain of salt, but Greg remained true to his word. They can throw anything at Dr. Abbott - any situation, dramatic or comedic - and have fun with him. He's a fun guy to play.''

Enrico Colantoni, ``Veronica Mars'' (9 p.m. Wednesdays; UPN Channel 13).

``Veronica Mars' '' sexy, street-smart teenage detective (Kristin Bell) and deadpan dialogue has made the show cool, but Colantoni brings it warmth. He co-stars as Veronica's divorced father, Keith, a sheriff-turned-private-investigator who recruits his daughter for many of his cases.

Colantoni credits his and Bell's chemistry: ``It was immediate. ... My only concern was, she's so cute and blond and blue-eyed ... how will anyone buy me as her father?'' he says. ``She's adorable, she's funny, and she does no wrong. Thank goodness - if she was bratty on any level, I would hate to come to work.''

The actor also finds resonance in the father-daughter relationship. ``They're underdogs who have fallen from grace,'' he notes. ``They constantly get knocked down, but they always get back up.''

Veronica begins her second season and senior year of high school simultaneously, which might make an actor playing the father of a clever girl wonder how much longer he's going to be viable on the show.

``I brought that up right away,'' Colantoni says, adding with a laugh, `I'm not so good at math, but if she's in her senior year, and she wants to go to Stanford, those plans might not include her father.''

Series creator Rob Thomas has told him not to worry. ``If this is a story about black sheep, and she goes to Stanford, she has nothing to be upset about,'' Colantoni reasons. ``She has to get stuck at a local school so she can stay angry.''

Diane Farr, ``Numb3rs'' (10 p.m. Fridays; CBS Channel 2).

Before the calculating crime procedural ``Numb3rs'' even began its second season, we knew we'd want to see more of Farr's new character, FBI agent Megan Reeves. How? By watching season two of FX's terrific black-comedy/drama, ``Rescue Me.''

Farr co-starred as Laura Miles, who joined a machismo-dripping firehouse (led by Denis Leary's Tommy Gavin), confronting rampant misogyny and her inevitably doomed attraction to womanizing co-worker Franco (Daniel Sunjata).

``With every card on the table, she pulled the joker, the one that'd bring her down,'' laughs Farr. ``The thing you fear the most in life will be the thing you run toward the fastest.''

Farr spent three weeks traversing the country twice a week, finishing her work on ``Rescue Me'' while beginning it on ``Numb3rs.'' Already she's noticed a difference between the two sets: On ``Numb3rs,'' ``There's not as much testosterone.''

Maybe, but there's just as much estrogen. Megan will clearly learn nothing from Laura's mistakes. ``At the moment, Megan will be throwing it around the math department and seeing where it may land over there,'' suggests Farr, referring to the university department that employs her partner's brother (David Krumholtz), who offers technical assistance on crimes.

``I'm thrilled. Either one I find totally impressive. David Krumholtz and Peter MacNicol - can I please see if there's anything there.''

CAPTION(S):

10 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Lisa Edelstein

(2 -- cover -- color) Pauley Perrette

(3 -- cover -- color) Tom Amandes

(4 -- cover -- color) Diane Farr

(5 -- cover -- color) Enrico Colantoni

(6 -- color) Pauley Perrette

(7 -- color) Lisa Edelstein

(8 -- color) Enrico Colantoni

(9 -- color) Tom Amandes

(10 -- color) Diane Farr