Gayle and Chelsea hope you tune in for a 'Dogamentary'

"Sex and the City" meets "Best in Show." That's how Gayle Kirschenbaum describes "A Dog's Life: A Dogamentary," which, in terms both funny and poignant, explores her relationship with her beloved dog, Chelsea. This short film premieres at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday on Cinemax.

Kirschenbaum, who welcomed Chelsea into her life when she was an Emmy-winning TV producer in Los Angeles, has since moved to Manhattan, where she set up her own production company. It was here that she hit upon the idea of co-starring in a film with her pup.

To make sure Chelsea's point of view was duly represented, Kirschenbaum outfitted the little shih tzu with a "doggie cam." For her pet project, she also enlisted help from legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles ("Gimme Shelter").

"It was going to be a funny, wacky movie about a woman obsessed with her dog and looking for love," says Kirschenbaum. "I'm single, she's single, and we hit the streets looking for a guy."

Then came 9-11, and the co-stars' mission, like everyone else's, became much more serious.

Learning about an animal-assisted therapy program, which certifies animals to comfort the injured or traumatized, Kirschenbaum and Chelsea got involved. Chelsea took the required training and graduated with honors. Their film captures how Chelsea serves hospital patients as a force for healing.

Through the years, Chelsea has enjoyed increasing attention. She has made appearances on the "Today" show and in the pages of The New York Times and Ladies Home Journal, among other outlets. She has her own Web site (www.dogamentary.com).

Now, she headlines her own film, a mother-and-dog story any animal lover will embrace.

Other shows to look out for:

* Political journalist Morton Kondracke and his liberal activist wife, Milly, had an exhilarating and challenging marriage. He was a busy Washington commentator (seen as a panelist on such shows as CNN's "The Beltway Boys"). She wanted to save the world with her many humanitarian causes. They had two daughters to raise. Meanwhile, Kondracke struggled with alcoholism. Then in 1987, their lives took a dramatic turn when Milly noticed a change in her handwriting and numbness in her fingers. At 47, she was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Now a TV film follows their journey as the illness progresses and his life becomes increasingly committed to Milly's welfare. "Saving Milly," airs 8 p.m. Sunday on CBS.

* The title is bland ("Kelsey Grammer Presents: The Sketch Show"). The first few moments, with its upbeat theme song and bouncy title shots, don't offer much promise either. But just you wait. Among TV's flood of sketch comedy, "The Sketch Show" is awash with laughs. Billed as a blend of "Laugh-In" and "Monty Python's Flying Circus," it lives up to that heady description. "The Sketch Show" premieres 8:30 p.m. Sunday on Fox.

* Those who thought "The Shield" couldn't get any more gripping, or its ensemble of actors any more impressive, are invited to tune in as this cop drama starts its fourth season 9 p.m. Tuesday on FX. Vigilante LAPD detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) has met his match, and for the time being, a needed ally with the arrival of Capt. Monica Rawlings (played by Glenn Close). Will she be Vic's means of reclaiming his power base after his anti-gang strike team was dissolved last season? Will the street-smart Vic prove useful to Rawlings as she takes command at the fractious station house? The "Shield" saga is more ferocious than ever, while Close, without upstaging the other fine players, is simply magnificent.

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EDITOR'S NOTE -- Frazier Moore can be reached at fmoore(at)ap.org