Viewers Prefer ‘Nypd Blue’

That late preemption by ABC Entertainment of Tuesday night’s “NYPD Blue” in favor of another rerun of “High Incident” proved mighty unpopular with viewers.

The network apparently received at least 1,000 complaining calls nationwide.

The decision to change the shows at 10 p.m. was made a week ago Tuesday, too late to be reflected in this week’s TV Guide or most newspapers’ TV magazines.

‘Simpsons’ mini-marathon

Fox is uncorking a mini-marathon of “The Simpsons” at 7-8:30 p.m. Sunday, pre-empting “Space: Above and Beyond.”

It kicks off with encores for “The 138th Episode Spectacular,” a loopy series retrospective, and “Sideshow Bob’s Last Gleaming,” featuring Kelsey Grammer as the voice of Krusty the Clown’s lawbreaking former sidekick.

Finally, in “The Simpsons’ ” regular 8 p.m. time period, a fresh episode. Titled “The Day the Violence Died,” it features a bum named Chester (voice by Kirk Douglas) who claims to be the creator of cartoon mayhem maniacs Itchy and Scratchy. Any “Simpsons” episode with Itchy and Scratchy is a cause for joy.