A ‘Lulu’ of Choices for the Kids : CATS, DOGS, WHALES AND SUPER-HEROES--PLUS ANIMATION CATCHING UP WITH THE FUTURE

There’s a lot of power behind this year’s new kids’ fall lineup: The schedule is heavy with super-heroes and “based on the hit film” fare. Cartoons borrow from comic books and probably from Fox’s “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.” But a few, such as ABC’s “Bump in the Night,” CBS’ “Felix the Cat,” HBO’s “Little Lulu” and Nickelodeon’s “The Secret World of Alex Mack” may prove to be more interesting.

Here’s some of what’s new for fall for kids (dates and times are subject to change):

ABC

Bump in the Night: Toys really do come to life when children aren’t around or are asleep. Here, stop-motion clay animation and puppetry bring a trio of mischief-makers to life. Mr. Bumpy, Squishington and Molly Coddle frolic around the humans’ house when they’re away. A boy and his family, seen in live action, are shown only from the waist down. Saturdays at 9 a.m. (9:30 a.m. KESQ). Premiere s Saturday.

Free Willy: Animated series based on the popular feature film attempts to present pro-environmental themes on land and in sea. Twelve-year-old Jesse and his foster parents relocate to an island in the Pacific Northwest, where he renews his special friendship with the 3-ton whale named Willy. Saturdays at 8 a.m. Premiere s Sept. 24.

Reboot: For computer-literate “kids” of all ages. The series utilizes state-of-the-art computer animation and reveals the imaginative world inside a personal computer. Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. (9 a.m. KESQ). Premiere s Saturday.

CBS

Disney’s Aladdin: The Series: Spawned by the popular Disney feature. Expect more magic-carpet adventures of Aladdin, Jasmine, Iago, Abu and, of course, the Genie. Different episodes of the same series air on CBS and KCAL. Saturdays at 8 a.m. Premieres Sept. 17. (Already premiered on KCAL, weekdays at 4:30 p.m.

Beethoven: New animation based on the box-office feature films of the same name. The series traces the madcap mishaps and adventures of the slobbering St. Bernard; real kids and their pet tricks. Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. Premiere s Sept. 17.

Felix the Cat: That funny feline Felix is featured in 50 five-second “bumpers” interspersed throughout the Saturday morning lineup. Producers promise the tiny shorts are done in “the retro-look of the shorts of the ‘20s.” Premiere s Sept. 17.

Skeleton Warriors: A tale of good vs. evil, natch, in an animated world where science and technology intertwine with fantasy and adventure. The heroes are a family of three siblings: Prince Justin Lightstar, sister Jennifer and younger brother Joshua, who wage war against the evil skeleton army. Reclusive Uncle Urasak joins in the mission. Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. Premiere s Sept. 17.

Wild C.A.T.S.: Based on Jim Lee’s popular comic book. The series is set on Earth before recorded human history as two alien races carry on a secret war. The benevolent Wild C.A.T.S (Covert Action Team) are fearless super-warriors sworn to defeat the evil Daemonites. Saturdays at 9 a.m. Premiere s Sept. 17.

DISNEY CHANNEL

By Way of the Stars: Four-part live-action miniseries from the producers of “Avonlea.” The family adventure follows the journey of young Lukas (Zachery Bennett) and Baroness Ursula (Gema Zamprogna) as they travel across the Atlantic and through the wilds of North America en route home. Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Premieres Oct. 5.

Ocean Girl: Fantasy action-adventure series. Neri, a mysterious young girl from the sea, is discovered by inhabitants of an underwater research colony. The girl can communicate telepathically with a 40-ton humpback whale called “Charley.” Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Premieres Oct. 3.

FAMILY CHANNEL

Maximum Drive: Kids dash through obstacle courses on motorized vehicles to win the title of “Ultimate Champion.” Outdoor competitions require strength, endurance, skill and teamwork. Oh yea, and there’s a prize. Weekdays at 5 p.m., Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Already premiered.

Masters of the Maze: Ticktock. Ticktock. Three teams of kids compete to disarm the intricate mastery of the multilevel “time bomb.” Interactive equipment guides the kids through mazes with actual and digitalized barriers. Weekdays at 5:30 p.m. , Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Already premiered.

FOX

Spider-Man: Latest incarnation of the brilliant science student turned super-hero. He’s been bitten by an arachnid here. Premieres in November in a series of specials. Airs regularly in February.

The Tick: Giant unstoppable and occasionally uncoordinated blue 400-pound crime fighter is based on Ben Edlund’s cult comic book. Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. (10:30 a.m. XETV). Premieres Saturday.

HBO

Going, Going, Gone! Animals in Danger: Family special reports on endangered animals. Narration is courtesy of animal activist actors Judd Hirsch, Bernadette Peters, Ed Asner, Jasmine Guy, Michael Tucker and Geoffrey Holder. Host Jim Fyfe (of the “Buy Me That!” series) explains the importance of the world’s wildlife and how people can make a difference. Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Little Lulu: Based on Marjorie Henderson Buell’s comic strip that debuted in 1935. In these occasional specials, Tracey Ullman provides the voice of the little girl in the signature red dress. December.

NICKELODEON

Aaahh! Real Monsters: An addition to Sunday’s Nicktoons. From the makers of “Duckman,” the show centers on an elite group of monsters in training at Monster Academy to scare humans. Sundays at 11 a.m. Premieres Oct. 30.

My Brother and Me: Slice-of-life comedy about two African American brothers--age 8 and 12--who live in Charlotte, N.C. Sundays at 6:30 p.m. Premieres Oct. 16.

The Secret World of Alex Mack: Joining the SNICK block, this adventure-comedy follows a 12-year-old girl who accidentally gains superpowers. She chooses to use her superpowers not to fight crime but to survive pre-teendom. Saturdays at 8 p.m. Premieres Oct. 8.

The Big Help: Volunteerism is the key word here. Whoopi Goldberg is among the celebrities appearing on the national grass-roots campaign to connect kids to their communities. Spots air between programming through “Big Help Day” Oct. 15. The “Big Help” telethon airs Oct 1-2.

U to U: Interactive magazine show. Segments come from kids who collaborate with professionals to create stories, artwork, music, jokes and questions. Celebrity interviews and sneak previews also in the mix. Saturdays at 6 p.m. Premieres Nov. 11.

PBS

Celebrate Storytelling With . . .: Two hourlong specials featuring actors reading classic tales. Also: well-known musicians provide original music. Danny Glover and Jack Nicholson among the guests. Premieres Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. on KVCR; Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. KCET ; TBA on KPBS .

SYNDICATED

Baby Huey: The big baby, originally created in the 1950s, is back. Features the voice of Billy West (“Ren & Stimpy”). Sundays at 7:30 a.m. on KCOP. Premieres Sept. 18.

Battletech: Computer-animated show set far in the future. Freedom Fighters battle the evil Clans. Sundays at 11:30 a.m. KCOP. Premieres Sept. 25.

The Adventures of Blinky Bill: A mischievous Koala named Blinky Bill uses his imagination and has fun with his band of animal friends. Sundays at 7 a.m. on KCOP; Saturdays at 6:30 a.m. on KUSI. Premieres Oct. 2.

Creepy Crawlers: Science students accidentally create slimy, gooey and totally Creepy Crawlers, who each have a unique power. Sundays at 8:30 a.m. KCOP. Premieres Sept. 25.

Gladiator 2000: Based on the adult “American Gladiators.” Toned down for kids ages 2 to 11. Sundays at 7:30 a.m. on KTLA. Premieres Sept. 18.

Gargoyles: A five-part animated miniseries about the mythic winged creatures. Voices include Ed Asner’s. Premires Oct. 24 on KCAL in its weekday “Disney Afternoon.”

Madison’s Adventures--Growing Up Wild: Here’s a hip animated kitty named Madison with live-action footage of animals in their natural habitats. Saturdays at noon on KCBS. Premieres Sept. 24.

Marvel Action Hour: Two new half-hour episodes of the classic comic characters in “Fantastic Four” and “Iron Man.” Saturdays at 8 a.m. on KTLA. Premieres Sept. 24.

Mega Man: Futuristic crime-fighting exploits of a super robot and his mechanical canine friend. Saturdays at 11 a.m. on KTTV. Premieres Sept. 17.

Monster Force: Universal Cartoon Studios’ action-adventure fare. Classic archvillains, led by Dracula, wreak terror. Sundays at 11 a.m. on KCOP. Premieres Sept. 18.

Mutant League: OK, so they’re big mutants but they’re not stupid. These animated beasties battle for victory on the field and off. Sundays at 8 a.m. on KCOP. Premieres Sept. 18.

Phantom 2040: Set in a high-tech future, here’s an environmental look at what could happen to humankind. Margot Kidder, Ron Perlman, Mark Hamill, Deborah Harry and Paul Williams are among those who provide voice-overs. Saturdays at 9 a.m . on KTLA, 6 a.m. on KUSI. Premieres Sept. 17.

Superhuman Samurai Cybersquad: From a KTLA representative: “It’s a live-action show similar to ‘Power Rangers.’ It’s about kids in high school who try to solve problems by turning into the superhuman heroes when they enter their computer.” Matthew Lawrence stars. Saturdays at 3 p.m., Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. KTLA. Premieres Sept. 17.

Sweet Valley High: Surf’s up in this live-action series. The lives of two 16-year-old California girls is based on the best-selling young adult novels by Francine Pascal. Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. KTTV. Premieres Sept. 17.

USA

Highlander: The Animated Series: Based on the “Highlander” movies. Sundays at 11:30 a.m. Premieres Sept. 18.

Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters From Beverly Hills: Who knows what the real zip code is. Live-action adventures of four teens from diverse social backgrounds chosen by an alien to save the galaxy from an evil force. All this and pimples, too. Monday-Thursday. Premieres Sept. 19 at 6 p.m.