don’t miss

“BEACH GIRLS” – It’s a slow TV week filled with reruns and more reality programming, so it might be time for a little summer romance. Rob Lowe, who’s had a tough go of it since leaving “The West Wing,” heads a strong cast that includes Julia Ormond and Cloris Leachman. The six-episode series is based on a best-seller by Luanne Rice, about three teenage girls who pledge eternal friendship while spending their summers together in a sleepy coastal town called Hubbard’s Point. As the years go by, the girls grow apart – until the death of one brings her widower and daughter back to the Point to reconnect with the women who knew her best. The series will continue for four weeks. 8 p.m. tonight, Lifetime.

other bets:

MONDAY: In “Private Screenings: Lauren Bacall,” host Robert Osborne sits down to chat with the famous film star, now 81, about her life and career. The program launches “Summer Under the Stars,” a month-long film festival during which each day is dedicated to one of Hollywood’s most enduring personalities, concluding on Aug. 31 with Humphrey Bogart. 5 p.m., TCM (Repeats at 8 p.m.) (Eastern: 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.)

TUESDAY: Frazzled mothers finally get a break in “Meet Mr. Mom.” It’s a new reality series that sends moms off on a surprise luxury vacation and turns the kids – and the household chores – over to their husbands. Each episode is told from the perspective of the kids. 8 p.m., NBC.

TUESDAY: Performances by Big & Rich, Sara Evans, Alan Jackson, Jo Dee Messina, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban, Wynonna, Trisha Yearwood and many others highlight the “CMA Music Festival: Country Music’s Biggest Party.” The special, taped in Nashville, provides a peek into an annual four-day event in which more than 200 performers get together to party with thousands of fans from across the nation. 9 p.m., ABC.

-Chuck Barney

Knight Ridder News Service

WEDNESDAY: Ah, just what we need – another countdown show. In “The 40 Hottest Rock Star Girlfriends … and Wives,” viewers get the lowdown on the hot women who have been matched up with rockers over the years (Think: Jerry Hall, Heidi Klum, Carmen Electra, etc.) and delves into “the pros and cons of dating and marrying rock stars.” 8 p.m., VH1.

THURSDAY: So really, does size matter, or what? The new home-decor series “Small Space, Big Style” highlights creative homeowners who have made the most out of their limited space and promises to teach us the tricks to making small spaces seem bigger. The homes featured in the series are all under 1,000 square feet. 8 p.m., HGTV.

FRIDAY: In an effort to bring additional exposure to UPN’s critically adored but ratings-challenged “Veronica Mars,” corporate partner CBS has taken to airing a few repeat episodes. Tonight’s plotline has a family accusing Veronica (Kristen Bell) of providing a fake ID to their son, who is now in an alcohol-induced coma. 8 p.m., CBS.

SATURDAY: The real-life story that inspired Terry McMillan’s “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” has devolved into a bitter and ugly divorce case, but why let reality get in the way of our feature-film fantasies? Angela Bassett and Taye Diggs star in the steamy 1998 movie. 3 p.m., Bravo.

SATURDAY: “Hiroshima: First Weapon of Mass Destruction” is a new documentary that dramatically re-creates the events of the fateful day in World War II via conversations with people on both sides of the war. Interviewed are both those with the American air crew that flew the mission to Japan and dropped the bomb, as well as Japanese survivors who lived through the attack. 8 p.m., Discovery Channel.

Chuck Barney: cbarneycctimes.com

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(c) 2005, Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.).

Visit the Contra Costa Times on the Web at http://www.contracostatimes.com.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

AP-NY-07-28-05 1001EDT