Trick or treat?

Both!

Halloween begins a month of TV treats and tricks, as the four-week November sweeps start Thursday.

The goodies come in all sizes and shapes - from CBS' four-hour, two-night Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story miniseries (9 p.m. Nov. 10 and 17, Channels 12, 7) to the half-hour season premieres Sunday for The Simpsons and Malcolm in the Middle.

All kinds of costumes will be seen: Harry Potter (HBO), Paul McCartney (ABC), Ben Franklin, Jimmy Carter (PBS), Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin (CBS), the trapped Pennsylvania coal miners (ABC) and residents of a 1940s home near London (PBS).

Some will wear almost nothing on CBS, when Heidi Klum and Tyra Banks model at the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (10 p.m. Nov. 20, Channels 12, 7).

Viewers should expect some tricks, too - such as NBC airing 40-minute Friends, Scrubs and Will & Grace episodes on Nov. 7 to avoid broadcasting the horror known as Good Morning, Miami.

Then there's the meanest trick of all, airing the good shows at the same time. At 9 p.m. on Nov. 24, the final Sunday in sweeps, choices include: Martin & Lewis (CBS), Robert Redford's Skinwalkers (PBS), The Pennsylvania Miners' Story (ABC), Malcolm in the Middle (Fox) and The Sopranos (HBO).

Here's my list of November's 10 best. Clip it out and stick it on the fridge:

1. The Simpsons: With the World Series out of the way, Fox's Sunday lineup finally returns with The Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror XIII" Halloween special (8 p.m., Channels 19, 45). Also back Sunday: King of the Hill (8:30) and two Malcolm in the Middles (9-10 p.m.).

2. TV Land Legends: The 60 Minutes Interviews: Viacom digs into its vault to air classic 60 Minutes' profiles of Johnny Carson, Jerry Seinfeld, Jackie Gleason and Carol Burnett (9-11 p.m. Sunday, TV Land). A Robin Williams interview airs the next week (10 p.m. Nov. 10).

3. 1940s House: From the producers of Frontier House and 1900s House comes this three-hour special about a seven-member English family re-creating a World War II life of rationing, blackouts and air-raid shelters (8-11 p.m. Nov. 6, Channel 48).

4. Jimmy Carter: PBS' The American Experience profiles the Georgia peanut farmer who was elected president in 1976 (9 p.m. Nov. 11-12, Channels 48, 16).

5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: The monster hit movie about young Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) debuts on HBO (8 p.m., Nov. 16), the day after Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets arrives in theaters.

6. Ben Franklin: Tony-winner Richard Easton portrays the Philadelphia printer, inventor, diplomat and radical revolutionary in PBS' two-part production (9 p.m. Nov. 19-20, Channels 48, 16).

7. Skinwalkers: Robert Redford, a longtime fan of Tony Hillerman's novels, produced this film (9 p.m. Nov. 24, Channels 48, 16) based on his best seller about Navajo police officers (Wes Studi, Adam Beach). It's the first in a series of Mr. Hillerman's books being adapted as American Mystery! specials.

8. Martin & Lewis: Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) stars as comedian Jerry Lewis, opposite Jeremy Northan (Gosford Park) as singer Dean Martin, in a CBS docudrama about the popular 1950s entertainers (9 p.m. Nov. 24, Channels 12, 7).

9. The Pennsylvania Miners' Story: ABC pre-empts Alias and The Practice for a quickie docudrama about the nine Pennsylvania miners trapped last summer (9 p.m. Nov. 24, Channels 9, 2). The cast includes John Ratzenberger, John David Souther and Northern Kentucky actor Bob Elkins.

10. Paul McCartney's Back in the U.S.: ABC gives viewers a backstage pass to Mr. McCartney's North American tour (9 p.m. Nov. 27, Channels 9, 2).

A few more musical notes: Vince Gill hosts the 36th annual County Music Awards (8 p.m. Nov. 6, Channels 12, 7)... Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello and Brian Setzer lend their voices to The Simpsons (8 p.m. Nov. 10, Channels 19, 45) ... Three Dog Night performs its greatest hits on PBS (9 p.m. Nov. 26, Channel 48) ... Tim McGraw stars in his first NBC special (8 p.m. Nov. 27, Channels 5, 22) ... and Faith Hill performs on NBC at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving, the day after sweeps end.

Tricks to avoid: Dick Clark dredges up more of the World's Greatest Classic Bloopers (8 p.m. Saturday, Channels 9, 2) with Jamie Farr (M*A*S*H) and Barry Williams (The Brady Bunch) ... ABC's Wonderful World of Disney premieres Home Alone 4 at 7 p.m. Sunday (Channels 9, 2)...

NBC has rounded up Hunter's Fred Dryer and Stefanie Kramer for Hunter: Return to Justice (9 p.m. Nov. 16, Channels 5, 22) ... And Nick at Nite scrapes the barrel with a Charles in Charge marathon (9-11 p.m. Nov. 10-14).

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com