BY CLIF GARBODEN

THURSDAY 12

9:00 (2) The Legacy of Jim Croce. A tribute to the "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" composer, who died in a plane crash when he was only 30. Featuring rare old ’70s TV clips of Jim doing his most enduring pop hits. Individually they may have struck you as fluffy, calculated, or insignificant, but as an œuvre, the guy’s stuff has legs. (Until 11 p.m.)

FRIDAY 13

8:00 (12) AFI’s 100 Years/100 Songs. This is a repeat of the American Film Institute’s selection of the top 100 songs from the cinema. John Travolta hosts, and everyone from Clay Aiken to Barbara Streisand announces the winners. Not bad, but there was never any question that the "Theme from Shaft" should have come in first. (Until 11 p.m.)

8:00 (6) Football. The Pats versus the Philadelphia Eagles in pre-season play.

8:00 (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. Live from the F.L. Jahn Sportpark in Berlin, Qemal Stafa Stadium in Albania, Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Strahov Stadium in the Czech Republic, Jornalista Mário Filho in Brazil, Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, or possibly somewhere in Greece, we have the never-disappointing taste-defying spectacle of the Olympic Games’ opening ceremonies. Flags of many nations! Outlandish national costumes! Giant cauldron of fire! To be repeated at 2:39 a.m. (Until midnight.)

SATURDAY 14

Noon (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. NBC is bragging about having planned 1200 hours of coverage, the more-or-less-complete subject-to-change broadcast schedule for which can be had at www.nbcolympics.com/tvlistings/index.html. That’s 1200 hours over seven broadcast outlets (including Bravo). Here on the regular old network side, today’s contests include women’s synchronized springboard diving, men’s gymnastics, beach volleyball, and four-man rowing. (Until 6 p.m.

4:00 (64) Baseball. The New York Yankees versus the Seattle Mariners.

5:00 (44) American Soundtrack: Rock at 50 (1955-1965). That only 10 years, but we assume there are several shows in this series. Gary "This Girl Is a Woman Now" Puckett, of all people, hosts with Jerry "The Iceman" Butler. The show also features (live, we think, though since this was shot some may have passed on) Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, Darlene Love, Paul & Paula, Gary U.S. Bonds, and Danny and the Juniors. We smell fundraising. (Until 8 p.m.)

7:30 (2) John Denver: The Wildlife Concert. The venerable Blond Frog haunts us with a 1995 concert to benefit the Wildlife Conservation Society. Expect all the hits, plus a lot of sincere talk about preserving the wildness. (Until 9 p.m.)

8:00 (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. Men’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s swimming finals, men’s platform-diving final, and some cycling. (Until midnight.)

9:00 (2) Fleetwood Mac: The Dance. Having gone their own ways for 15 years, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, and Stevie Nicks got back on stage together in 1997 to promote their reunion album, The Dance. Also, you’ll get new versions of FM standbys like "Say That You Love Me," and "Rhiannon" (who was a Celtic goddess figure, in case you were wondering). (Until 11 p.m.)

11:00 (2) In the Life: Historical Blindness. Lesley Gore hosts this edition of the monthly gay/lesbian/etc. magazine-format show. Tonight’s theme is gay life before Stonewall, and the features include a profile of Duke Ellington’s pet composer, Billy Strayhorn; a segment on the Griot Circle (a senior-gay-citizens support group for African-Americans); the stories of pre-gay-rights-movement expatriate artist Romaine Brooks, civil-rights activist Bayard Rustin, and jazz pianist Billy (Dorothy Lucille) Tipton; and a recap of the five years of protesting that went on before the Stonewall Riots featuring comments from early activists Barbara Gittings and Frank Kameny. (Until midnight.)

12:30 a.m. (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. USA versus China in women’s volleyball.

2:00 a.m. (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. A replay of prime-time events. (Until 5 a.m.)

SUNDAY 15

Noon (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. USA versus Puerto Rico in men’s basketball (live), USA men’s beach volleyball, and USA versus Croatia in men’s water polo. (Until 6 p.m.)

6:30 (2) Cliff Richard: The World Tour. That’s Cliff, not Keith, please note; and Richard, not Richards. Cliff was a slightly hipper Pat Boonish presence on the Brit pop scene back in the day, and as with so many ancient middle-of-the-road European pop stars, his career lingers and lingers. This is actually a concert from 2003 supporting his comeback (after 15 years) album, Wanted, which we assume was completely off your radar. Richard does rock standards ("Whole Lotta Shakin’," "All Shook Up"), and that makes him one of the world’s first washed-up cover acts. (Until 8 p.m.)

7:00 (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. Women’s gymnastics, women’s swimming finals, and USA women’s beach volleyball. (Until midnight.)

9:00 (12) Swordfish (movie). John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, and Halle Berry star in this 2001 computer-hacker/spy yarn. (Until 11 p.m.)

9:30 (44) Magic Moments: The Best of ’50s Pop. Repeated from last week. An oldies reunion concert hosted by Mary Lou Metzger (from The Lawrence Welk Show), Phyllis McGuire (of the McGuire Sisters act), and Pat Boone from the Trump Taj in Atlantic City and featuring Debbie Reynolds, Patti Page, the Chordettes, the Crew Cuts, the Four Lads, the Four Coins, the Four Aces, Gogi Grant, and Don Cherry. Plus tributes to departed ancients Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, and Dean Martin. Dr. Joyce Brothers and Fess "Davy Crockett" Parker are also on hand. (Until midnight.)

Midnight (2) Mr. Arkadin (movie). Orson Welles directed and took the title role in this 1955 adaptation of his own novel about a tycoon who hires an American to look into his own past. Lots of bizarre experimental camerawork and sets. (Until 1:32 a.m.)

12:35 a.m. (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. USA versus Italy in men’s volleyball and weightlifting finals. (Until 2 a.m.)

2:00 a.m. (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. A replay of prime time-events. (Until 5 a.m.)

MONDAY 16

12:30 (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. Men’s synchronized-springboard-diving final. (Until 4 p.m.)

7:00 (2) André Rieu Special. Now Channel 2 is doing promo shows for its lame fundraising shows. This one features highlights (such as they may be) from André Rieu: Live in Tuscany. To be repeated on Monday and Tuesday at 7 p.m. (Until 7:30 p.m.)

7:30 (2) Andrea Bocelli Homecoming. Speaking of Tuscany . . . Andrea jams at the home-town club where his career began, offering a selection of pop songs. (Until 9 p.m.)

8:00 (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. Men’s gymnastics finals, more swimming finals, women’s platform-diving final, USA versus Germany in women’s volleyball, and more swimming. (Until midnight.)

9:00 (2) IT: A Phish Concert Special. Speaking of jamming . . . a 2003 Phish show from Limestone, Maine. (Until 11 p.m.)

9:00 (6) Jurassic Park 3 (movie). More dinosaurs or other scary whatevers meet Dr. Grant when he returns to the island of JP2. With Sam Neill, William H. Macy, and Téa Leoni. (Until 11 p.m.)

12:35 a.m. (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. USA women’s beach volleyball and judo finals. (Until 2 a.m.)

2:00 a.m. (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. A replay of prime-time events. (Until 5 a.m.)

TUESDAY 17

12:30 (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. Swimming, beach volleyball (USA live), rowing, and whitewater canoeing. (Until 4 p.m.)

7:30 (2) American Soundtrack: Straight from the Heart — Timeless Music of the ’60s and ’70s. From Pittsburgh’s Benedum Center, this reunion show offers us the reunion of Tony Orlando & Dawn (wow), plus the Fifth Dimension, B.J. Thomas, Dionne Warwick, and Debby Boone. For the two decades that gave the world everything from the Stones to Joni Mitchell to Elvis Costello, this is a pretty lame line-up. (Until 9:30 p.m.)

8:00 (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. Women’s team gymnastics final, more Gold swimming finals, and USA women’s beach volleyball. (Until midnight.)

12:35 a.m. (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. USA versus the Netherlands in volleyball, plus kayaking. (Until 2 a.m.)

2:00 a.m. (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. A replay of prime-time events. (Until 5 a.m.)

3:00 a.m. (44) P.O.V.: Every Mother’s Son. This is scheduled to air at a more reasonable time (9 p.m.) next Tuesday (August 24). A documentary about the mothers of three high-profile murdered victims of New York police brutality — street vendor Amadou Diallo, Anthony Baez, and Gary Busch — and their efforts to find justice for their sons. (Until 4 a.m.)

3:30 a.m. (2) Fiesta in the Sky. Is a documentary about hot-air ballooning better than fundraising concerts? The slightly nerdish Rodney turned left to be confronted by a slightly reddish 12-foot monster gingerly stepping out of a black hot-air balloon. "A Red Rehobeth!" cried Rodney. The demon leaned forward, his flared nostrils inches from Rodney’s receding hairline, and mockingly sang, "Territory folks should stick together!/Lots of fun at Finnegan’s wake!" "Turn off that stupid computer game," cried Becca, the winsome blonde, from the kitchen, but though Becca often made strident requests, people didn’t always do what she said (y’know: ya winsome, ya lose some), and Rodney kept fighting his way toward the now slowly deflating balloon, hoping to beat his best score. (Until 4 a.m.)

WEDNESDAY 18

12:30 (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. Women’s shot-put final, USA women’s beach volleyball (live). (Until 4 p.m.)

7:00 (2) Andy Williams: My Favorite Duets. A collection of remastered duet clips teaming Williams with Tony Bennett, Julie Andrews, Judy Garland, the Osmond Brothers, Simon and Garfunkel, and more. (Until 9 p.m.)

8:00 (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. Men’s individual all-around gymnastics final, more swimming finals, championship kitten herding, men’s shot-put final. (Until midnight.)

9:00 (2) Cher: The Farewell Tour. Public television at least accomplishes its mission. (Until 11 p.m.)

12:35 a.m. (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. USA versus the Dominican Republic in women’s volleyball. (Until 2 a.m.)

2:00 a.m. (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. A replay of prime-time events. (Until 5 a.m.)

THURSDAY 19

12:30 (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. USA men’s beach volleyball (live), swimming, rowing, and canoeing. (Until 4 p.m.)

8:00 (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. Women’s individual all-around gymnastics final, more swimming finals, and USA women’s beach volleyball. (Until midnight.)

8:00 (64) Football. The New York Giants versus the Carolina Panthers in pre-season play.

9:00 (6) Road Trip (movie). Breckin Meyer, Seann William Scott, and Amy Smart star in this 2000 celebration of stupid youth in which four friends head out cross-country on an unlikely mission. (Until 11 p.m.)

12:35 a.m. (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. USA versus Russia in men’s volleyball (a miracle on hardwood?), plus weightlifting. (Until 2 a.m.)

2:00 a.m. (10) The 2004 Summer Olympics. A replay of prime-time events. (Until 5 a.m.)