Don't be surprised if Courtis Fuller's new temporary anchor job at Channel 5 becomes long-term employment.

Channel 5's new boss, Richard Dyer, doesn't have the reservations that his predecessor did about having Fuller, the former anchorman who ran for Cincinnati mayor two years ago, reading the news.

Fuller, a 13-year Channel 5 employee until he quit to enter politics in 2001, returned to the air last week co-anchoring Channel 5's morning news. He replaced Greg McKinney, who resigned during the July ratings period. Weekend anchor Elena Echarri also quit last month.

"Some people had said his (Fuller's) neutrality as a journalist had been challenged because of his entry into politics. But his proof that he can still do a credible job as a journalist is by just watching him every day," says Dyer, who replaced General Manager Rabun Matthews in December.

Fuller also will be working for a new Channel 5 news director. Brennan Donnellan from WSTM-TV, the NBC affiliate in Syracuse, N.Y., takes over today. The Springfield, Ohio, native and Ohio University graduate replaces Scott Hollowell, who was fired in March.

Dyer says that the decision to make Fuller full-time again at the station is largely up to him.

"We would certainly consider it if he's interested in staying on the show long-term," he says.

Fuller, who could not be reached for comment, had told The Enquirer in November he wanted to resume his TV career, if possible, while continuing his 10 a.m.-noon weekday talk show on WCIN-AM (1480). He could do both radio and TV if he anchored the morning or weekend shows.

Dyer refused to talk about reasons for the resignations of McKinney or Echarri. McKinney is married to meteorologist Angelique Frame, who jumped from Channel 5 to Channel 12 last November.

Dyer says he and Donnellan want to fill the anchor vacancies in October, before November sweeps. Todd Dykes and Sharee Pallello are anchoring the weekend newscasts.

Roseanne returns

Roseanne returns tonight with a new show and her old name.

Roseanne

For The Real Roseanne Show (9-10 p.m., Channels 9, 2), a 13-episode summer reality series, she has resumed being Roseanne Barr, which is how she was known when she started as a standup comic in Denver 20 years ago.

She had traveled to Europe after the daytime Roseanne Show talk show ended (1998-2000) ended, and was upset to discover that people didn't recognize her.

"I thought they would, like, remember me, but they didn't," Roseanne, 50, told TV critics at the recent press tour. "I was in Paris, and so they detained me for several hours, and asked me why I only had one name, and who I was. And I was screaming, 'I'm a huge star!'

"So then I saw this American and I go, 'Could you tell these people who I am?' And he goes: 'Rosie O'Donnell.' "

Even loyal fans of her ABC Roseanne sitcom (1988-97) may find it difficult to watch The Real Roseanne Show. Her life of opulence is not the least bit funny, particularly when compared to the fictional Roseanne Conner family - or even the real lives on The Osbournes or Anna Nicole Show.

The reality series documents her putting together her new Domestic Goddess comedy cooking series premiering in September on the sister ABC Family channel. Mostly The Real Roseanne reveals her constant craving for attention.

Her show opens with Roseanne saying: "I'm an exhibitionist. I have a huge ego. I just missed (TV). I have a compulsion to perform."

But she doesn't perform much on the reality series, produced by documentary filmmaker R.J. Cutler (American High, The War Room). Mostly she carps at her current boyfriend, son Jake, son-in-law Jeff, and a guy named Johnny she met over the Internet - all of whom have no TV experience - demanding they produce a new TV program for her.

"I want you guys to get me back on TV," she says.

TV today

• David Spade hosts the Teen Choice Awards (8 p.m., Channels 19, 45).

• PBS devotes three hours to the rise and fall of The Spartans of ancient Greece (8-11 p.m., Channels 48, 16).

Talk show guests

Live with Regis and Kelly (9 a.m., Channel 9): Colin Farrell, Lindsay Lohan.

Wayne Brady (10 a.m., Channel 9): Anna Nicole Smith, Poppy Montgomery, Wolfgang Puck, Eric Idle.

The View (11 a.m., Channel 9): Melanie Griffith, Deidre Goodwin.

Good Day Live (noon, Channel 64): American Idol 3 auditions.

Caroline Rhea (3 p.m., Channel 19): Wanda Sykes, Jana Marie Hupp.

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com