Unclean Sweeps

Fox has canceled plans to crash a commercial jetliner into the Mojave on live TV during the February ratings sweeps. (The plane was to be remote-controlled and pilotless.) But fear not: CBS still plans to strand 16 contestants in the wilds of Borneo later this year, with a million dollars going to the ding-a-ling who lasts longest. (It will all be videotaped.) How is an all-sports channel to compete? ESPN plans to aggressively counter-program, starting on Feb. 3, Day One of the sweeps.

9 AM: Win Big Stein's Money (Game show) Inside Mariano Rivera's salary arbitration hearing (30 min.)

9:30 AM: Who Shot J.R.? (Drama) Don't ask transit police, who look the other way when John Rocker takes the number 7 train to Shea Stadium (30 min.)

10 AM: America's Dumbest Criminals NFL highlights (30 min.)

10:30 AM: Charlie Rose (Talk show) When Charlie Hustle (Pete Rose) grills Pete Rose (Charlie Hustle), all of America is offended (60 min.)

11:30 AM: Freaks & Geeks Sports-writers' roundtable (30 min.)

NOON: Living Single Sportswriters' roundtable (30 min.)

12:30 PM: Behind the Mucus (Documentary) Spectacular rise and tragic fall of sports' most lamentable loogie hawkers, starring Roberto Alomar, Charles Barkley and Mike Ditka (60 min.)

1:30 PM: Antiques Roadshow Utah Jazz away game (2 hr.)

3:30 PM: Summer of '42 (Movie) Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke fondly recalls his high school graduation (2 hr.)