Like the controversy surrounding the Baby Richard case, last season's dominant thematic trend refuses to fade away. Now we have Melissa Gilbert, weeping and snarling as distraught mom Sarah Jenks, victimized by a malicious liar.

"Seduction in a Small Town" (TV-PG) reserves its ripest role for sitcom actress Joely Fisher as scheming Sandy Barlow, a vindictive gossip who spreads child-abuse rumors about Sarah in a small farming community. The "Ellen" co-star pretends to befriend Sarah, a tax accountant. Sandy volunteers to take care of Sarah's son and daughter as an excuse to spend more time on the family's farm. She tries to seduce Sarah's husband (Brian McNamara as Paul), but he rejects her advances. When Paul and Sarah refuse to lend $3,000 to Sandy, she punishes them by slandering Sarah as an unfit mother. Paul's indignant father (Dennis Weaver as lifelong farmer Sam Jenks) hires a lawyer to defend Sarah and protect his grandchildren. "Seduction" aims its attack at overzealous bureaucrats and narrow-minded busybodies.

PLAYING CUPID: A political consultant tries to reunite her parents in "Their Second Chance" (TV-PG), a romance premiering at 7 p.m. Sunday on cable's Lifetime channel. Lindsay Wagner brings emotional depth to recovering alcoholic Barbara Colvin, a divorced Massachusetts shopkeeper who lost the love of her life in college. Larry Kellum wouldn't marry Barbara, "a proper girl who went astray," so she gave up their daughter for adoption in 1968. Now Barbara has two adult children, a granddaughter - and a grownup daughter in California. Tracy Griffith energizes the sentimental movie as Lauri Roberts, the campaign adviser who wants to meet the biological parents who didn't want her. Perry King shows a soft, tender side as the sadder, wiser Larry, the divorced father of a son with Down syndrome. "You belong together," Lauri tells Barbara. "I feel it." Proud, stubborn Barbara vigorously disagrees. Lifetime will repeat "Their Second Chance" at 8 p.m. Tuesday, 5 p.m. Feb. 15, 8 p.m. Feb. 19 and 8 p.m. Feb. 21.