Aaron Barnhart's TVBARN.COM

NBC raises the curtain

NEW YORK — Any journalist wishing to use the word ``operatic'' these days is advised that New York City Mayor (and admitted opera buff) Rudy Giuliani pretty much has the exclusive hold on that term, at least while his life continues to imitate art.

But hey, NBC paid good money to rent out the Metropolitan Opera House on Monday, where it unveiled its fall schedule to advertisers and NBC affiliates. And there was quite a bit of high drama around the network last week, including a dramatic, down-to-the-wire negotiation with the cast of ``Friends'' and a frantic shuffling of the NBC lineup that left few shows untouched.

At any rate, NBC seemed determined to get its money's worth out of The Met, which boasts five balconies appointed in crushed velvet, chandeliers that rise impressively from mid-balcony level to the ceiling just before show time, and displays installed in every seat back that offering an understated way for operagoers to view English subtitles.

Read the blow-by-blow of NBC's upfront presentation here. Tom Heald's haiku poems on each of the new NBC shows is also there. And look for coverage of all six networks' upfronts right here, updated daily, all week.

ALSO: The full NBC schedule for 2000-01

EARLIER: Upfronts week begins; "Sports Night" reportedly cancelled

Changing of the guard at "Late Show"

You may have heard "Late Show" executive producer Rob Burnett announce on Monday's show, "I will be stepping down as former host of 'Campaign 2000' ... I'll be working for another network." In fact, Burnett is staying on as executive producer of "Late Show." But now it will be much more of a title than a job.

In an informative interview with TV Barn in the lobby of the Metropolitan Opera House on Monday — shortly after the conclusion NBC's upfront presentation — Burnett announced that, because he and former "Late Show" head writer Jon Beckerman now have a show on NBC called "Ed," he is turning day-to-day control of "Late Show" over to two longtime producers, Barbara Gaines and Maria Pope. Also in our conversation, Burnett and Beckerman talked about the way NBC promoted "Ed" in the upfront presentation — and why CBS, the docking ship for Worldwide Pants, took a pass on the show last year.

Gaines has worked for David Letterman for 20 years: every morning show broadcast, every "Late Night" on NBC, every "Late Show" on CBS. Pope, who started as an NBC intern in 1982, has been there nearly as long. She's become known to "Late Show" viewers lately as the "popular host of 'Campaign 2000.'"

The politics of "Jesus"

Missed the first night of the "Jesus" miniseries on CBS? That's okay. It's not like you can't figure out what went on. (Though you may need to know this: Joseph died in the first act.) But aside from the novel efforts to retell The Greatest Story Ever Told, I was struck by the political subtext of "Jesus." I'm not even sure the program's producers were quite aware of the movie's anti-war message. Read my story in Sunday's Kansas City Star

Part two of "Jesus" airs 9 p.m. Wednesday on CBS.

Pick To Click: Cautionary Tales

After last week's only-on-Fox special, ``Challenge of the Child Geniuses,'' it's only fair to show the other side of the coin. Oh sure, life is sweet now for Michael Jezierny, the 11-year-old lad who was declared ``the smartest kid in America'' (by Dick Clark, of all people). But measure thy steps, Michael, lest you wind up like the subjects of tonight's kiddie-star twinbill, ``Unauthorized: Brady Bunch, the Final Days'' and ``After Diff'rent Strokes: When the Laughter Stopped,'' beginning at 8 p.m. on Fox. [ vf ]

In deference to the ever-shortening attention span of young viewers, Fox has trimmed these Hollywood sob stories down to one hour apiece, thereby creating a new TV genre: the ``mini-movie.'' The Brady hour features a raft of up-and-coming actors, including Ginger Kinison (niece of the late comedian Sam Kinison). As for ``Diff'rent Strokes,'' possibly the most dysfunctional behind-the-scenes sitcom in history, the wonder is that Fox didn't dredge up enough material to fill two hours.

Previously on TV Barn:
15 May: ABC tells affiliate: Don't air our show!
12 May: Ed the Sock
11 May: Shows on "the bubble"
11 May: "Challenge of the Child Geniuses"
10 May: Time Warner fights back
9 May: BET's 20th; "Wing Commander"
8 May: "Millionaire" runs over; KCPT in HDTV
5 May: Triumph bites Pets.com; BET Arabesque
4 May: Here comes the O.J. miniseries
3 May: "Later" with Dick Wolf
2 May: Time Warner and ABC make up ... for now
1 May: Time Warner, ABC go to war; the V-chip (II); Dave returns to England
28 April: Reader mail: Pets.com-troversy, Fox News vs. the others, TV Barn spam
27 April: What happened to the V-chip; more on puppets
26 April: Fox News Channel rocks; Scully directs "X-Files"
25 April: Pets.com sues over sock puppet

On this date ... in 1985, "Dynasty's" Carringtons trek off to Moldavia for the wedding of Amanda and Prince Michael. The season cliffhanger? Armed revolutionaries burst in shooting everyone. When the fall season begins, all is well as it turns out that the terrorists just had really bad aim. — Tom Heald