Aaron Barnhart's TVBARN.COM

The cast of "Battery Park," this week's bright spot among new midseason shows. (NBC) For a limited time only

You asked for fewer reruns, and now you're getting them — in the form of new TV shows.

Television's "midseason," an elastic term to describe those shows that debut between Christmas and Memorial Day, resumes this week when six new series air in five days on four networks.

Instead of repeats of "Jesse" and "Stark Raving Mad" — two less-than-must-see sitcoms — NBC is serving up "Daddio" and "Battery Park" on Thursday. The four other shows won't get nearly that good a window, although ABC probably will draw a large teen crowd Friday for its newest "TGIF" addition, "Making the Band." This reality series follows the evolution of an actual boy band as it is put together by boy-band impresario Lou Pearlman (he put together Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync).

As for Fox, which didn't have a hit show until January with "Malcolm in the Middle," it introduces another boundary-pushing comedy tonight that it hopes scores with audiences. "Titus" mixes the dysfunctional monologues of comic Christopher Titus with the herky-jerky sitcom style of the show's lead-in, "That '70s Show."

UPN, which redefined itself this season as the network of aggressive young males with its pro-wrestling hit "WWF Smackdown," introduces a young-male cop show Tuesday, "The Beat." It's from the shop of Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson, the producers of "Homicide" and "Oz."

Read reviews of this week's shows

The daily digest ... for March 20, 2000: This won't be on my shopping list: an ashtray with David Letterman's chewed gum purportedly in it, circa 1980, taken from the Playboy Club in Lake Geneva, Wisc., where Dave was performing, supposedly as part of his stage act. It's yours now on eBay ... More "Late Show" questions on our readers' minds: Tom Snee writes, "Today's Gary Considine item got me wondering about an appearance last week by Jon Polito as a smarmy CBS publicist trying to convince Dave he should have a leg amputated to boost ratings. I haven't seen Polito since Det. Crosetti threw himself in the drink on 'Homicide' six years ago (except for his disppointingly brief return in last month's reunion movie). I thought Polito was great and the sketch funny, but it strangely fell dead on the studio audience. I was wondering if you had any inkling why Polito would turn up on Letterman's show--is there an inside story here, or did he just happen to be the person Actor's Equity sent over that day when 'Late Show's' people called for someone?"

Coming up next ... subject to last-minute changes:
Tuesday: Zippy's Sci-Fi Loft Wednesday: TBA

Previously on TV Barn:
17 March: Pilots of the airwaves
15 March: Reader mail
14 March: "Farscape" season no. 2
13 March: There's something about Gary Considine
10 March: WWF bolts USA deal

On this date... in 1992, a jury decides that the "Price is Right" of $1.3 million for "Barker's Beauty" Janice Pennington, who sued after accidentally being used as a human "Plinko" by one of the show's camera operators on June 20, 1988. (NOTE: I have no idea what this means -- AB) -- Tom Heald