Cable, Getting in a Family-Friendly Way

So the cable network is pondering whether to do "Chappelle's missing" bumpers, using show regulars. Among those being discussed: Chappelle's writing partner Neal Brennan and Charlie "Eddie's Brother" Murphy.

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Good news, you 20 fans of ABC's "Night Stalker." Touchstone -- the TV producing division of Disney, which also owns ABC -- has sold rerun rights to the seven episodes the broadcast network already aired to cable's Sci Fi Channel.

Here's the good part: Sci Fi also gets to premiere the three as-yet-unseen episodes.

Here's the bad part: starting next summer.

Here's the badder part: If, by episode No. 10, you expect answers to any of the show's pressing questions -- Who or what is committing these heinous crimes? Why do some victims end up with a strange red mark in the shape of a snake on their hands? Why does Kolchak always have a sexy if skeptical fellow reporter in tow? (oh wait, we can actually answer that one) -- think again.

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Martha Stewart has gone down in flames in prime time but will live on in daytime syndication.

"Martha" will be back for a second season in the fall, NBC Universal announced yesterday, having already sold it to markets accounting for more than 90 percent of the country.

"The spontaneity of working in front of a participatory audience is exciting for me and the viewers," Stewart said in a prepared statement that oozed spontaneity and excitement.

"In addition, I have the pleasurable challenge of teaching many new things to a daytime audience, which craves great solutions, ideas, recipes and crafts."

Lacking the pleasurable challenge of teaching the prime-time audience great solutions, ideas, recipes and crafts, Martha's edition of "The Apprentice" flopped, averaging fewer than 7 million viewers a week. It will be put out of our misery Dec. 21.

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ABC News has named "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos its chief Washington correspondent.

This means he will show up more often on "World News Tonight," "Nightline" and "Good Morning America."

He will also oversee the network's coverage of Congress; reporter Linda Douglass, who had that responsibility, is leaving that post.

But most important, ABC News was pitching yesterday, the new title gives Stephanopoulos the same stature as his Sunday morning competitors. Bob Schieffer is chief Washington correspondent for CBS News and Tim Russert is Washington bureau chief for NBC News.

Now if he can just get in line with his Sunday morning competitors' ratings.

"This Week" finishes third in the ratings, but division President David Westin noted to the Associated Press that the show had its best November sweeps performance in three years. Which is interesting because we thought that over at ABC News, they didn't even know when the sweeps were.