Election News Will Flood Major Networks

There may not be much suspense in the presidential race, but as polls close around the country, there will be plenty to talk about in congressional and statewide races. The networks will attend to that, and affiliate stations will keep viewers informed on local races.

It’s a busy night, one that’s driven by exit polls forecasting the outcomes of key races.

NBC and ABC begin coverage at 4, and CBS begins at 6. All three commercial networks will devote prime time slots to returns and analysis. Expect local stations to cut away frequently.

Around the dial, CNN gets the jump on the competition at 3; KSPS and C-SPAN take to the air at 5.

For an irreverent alternative, Comedy Central presents a two-hour-long “Politically Incorrect” at 6 with host Bill Maher, correspondent Chris Rock and “Strange Bedfellows” Al Franken and Ariana Huffington.

Scheduled guest panelists include Richard Belzer, former Connecticut Gov. Lowell Weicker, Marilu Henner and Jerry Falwell.

Highlights

“Beethoven” (1992), FOX at 8: Fox News, which airs a Sunday morning news show and prime-time news capsules, takes a walk on election night.

Plenty of people will be looking for alternatives. But how many haven’t seen this Charles Grodin blockbuster?

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you know this is the hit comedy about a family and its beloved St. Bernard, a frisky puppy that becomes a slobbering menace.

Grodin is ceaselessly amusing as the put-upon father. The supporting cast is very familiar to TV fans: Bonnie Hunt (“Bonnie”); Nicholle Tom (“The Nanny”); Stanley Tucci (“Murder One”); and David Duchovny (“The X-Files”).

Cable Calls

“Color Me Perfect” (1996), LIFE at 8 and 10: Michele Lee wrote, produced, directed and stars in this drama that reminds one of “Flowers for Algernon,” the play that was made into the 1968 movie “Charly.” (Cliff Robertson won a Best-Actor Oscar in the title role.) Lee plays a retarded woman who becomes a genius when she’s given an experimental drug by a pair of ambitious genetic researchers (Susan Blakely, Robin Thomas).

The central moral question is whether scientists should tinker with the human fabric.

There’s little subtlety in Lee’s portrayal, and Thomas and Blakely dash what’s left with wooden performances. This is strictly for the softhearted.

“Biography,” A&E at 5 and 9: Two-hour-long “Abraham Lincoln: Preserving the Union” profiles the 16th president, from log cabin to the White House.

“The Morrison Murders” (1996), USA at 9: John Corbett (“Northern Exposure”) and Jonathan Scarfe play truck-driving brothers whose parents and younger brother are murdered. One becomes the prime suspect.

The grim, fact-based drama is standard TV-movie fair. But Corbett’s disarming style keeps it interesting.

Gordon Clapp (“NYPD Blue”) is strong as the Georgia cop determined to bring the killer to justice.

“America Undercover,” HBO at 9:30: “Autopsy 3: Voices from the Grave” is another disturbing crime documentary that shows forensic pathologists at their best. These gritty documentaries also show that TV dramas and even R-rated movies are quite sanitized when it comes to crime. It’s pretty gross stuff but fascinating all the same.

Talk Time

“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Actress Mary Tyler Moore, Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa and musical guest Son Volt. Repeat.