IN Guilty By Suspicion (Pearl, 1.35am) the cast is fully preoccupied with being earnest. This is Hollywood gazing at its own navel; only Patricia Wetting, as a washed-up actress with a drink problem - she can't seem to get enough - breaks the mould, going over the top with a lush routine that brings back memories of Norman Wisdom. The trouble with Guilty By Suspicion is that it is so wrapped up with the seriousness of its story that it often forgets to be entertaining. It is, however, generally interesting, particularly for viewers who are new to the agonies of the communist blacklisting era in Hollywood, when the House Un-American Activities Committee was doing everything in its power to run reds, and suspected reds, out of town. Robert De Niro is given the unwelcome task of holding the film together, as a successful director who finds himself without work after refusing to co-operate with the committee. Annette Bening has little to do as his sympathetic ex-wife, but look out for Martin Scorsese, who makes a cameo playing Joe Lesser, a character based on director Joseph Losey who fled to Europe to avoid testifying. Sam Wanamaker, who gives the best performance of the film playing a villainous attorney, did likewise. He was already in Hollywood in the 1950s and made a hasty exit stage left to England. THE usual assortment of tired but honest cops and dangerous drugs lords are on display in Blue Heat (Pearl, 9.30pm), which features a showdown in a meat-packing plant - always a safe bet in the absence of a better alternative. The cast includes Brian Dennehy, who rarely does anything very wrong, and Jeff Fahey. GEORGE Lucas' first television film, The Ewok Adventure (World, 9.35pm), is jam-packed with the cinematic wizardry that has come to identify his work, although it tends to overshadow the story (which he wrote). The Ewoks, cuddly creatures reminiscent of mohair sweaters, were first featured in Return of the Jedi. PER Lindstrand, famous for making adventurous journeys in reinforced, giant condoms, is the subject of National Geographic (World, 8.35pm). For this journey, at more than 13,000 metres, he breathes through a pressurised cylinder that forces oxygen into his lungs and wears a pressure suit designed to stop his innards from exploding. All this while towing a woman called Judy Leden behind his balloon in a hang glider. One can't help but wonder, why? THE new series of Picket Fences (STAR Plus, 9pm) will look familiar. It is actually the first series back, according to STAR, 'by popular demand' - a public relations euphemism for 'like it or lump it because we haven't got anything better'. Picket Fences is welcome. This was one of the programmes that changed the style of American television in the 1980s. You can see where everyone from director Quentin Tarantino to the producers of ER got their ideas. FILMS on Cable Movie Channel: Without A Clue (7pm). Mild farce built on the premise that Sherlock Holmes was a fictional creation of wily Dr Watson, who is forced to hire a second-rate actor (Michael Caine) to impersonate the now famous and sought-after detective. Look out also for Ben Kingsley, Nigel Davenport and the late Peter Cook. Wonder Seven (9pm). The Wonder Seven is a crack anti-criminal force, comprising six men and one woman. After training in the West they return to Hong Kong and are implicated in a plot to steal treasure. With Michelle Yeoh and Andy Hui. The Seven Samurai (1am). Classic film about 16th century Japanese villagers who hire professional warriors to fend off bandits. Akira Kurosawa's 'eastern western' has served as the model for many films since, including the American remake, The Magnificent Seven (the title once given to this film for its US release).
