Super Bowl Berths at Stake in Title Games

The National Football League playoffs continue Sunday with the expansion Carolina Panthers meeting the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Conference championship at 9:30 a.m. on Channel 11, followed by the AFC’s expansion team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, taking on the New England Patriots in that conference’s title game at 1 p.m. on Channel 4. The winners will play in Super Bowl XXXI on Jan. 26 in New Orleans.

The awards season begins with CBS’ “The People’s Choice Awards,” Sunday at 9 p.m. on Channel 2. Roma Downey and Don Johnson host the two-hour special that honors America’s favorites in TV, movies and music, as determined by a Gallup Poll. Nominees for best drama series include “ER,” “NYPD Blue” and “The X-Files.” Rob Reiner will receive a special honor.

Linda Ellerbee hosts the “Nick News: Special Edition,” Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on Nickelodeon. In this edition, an Israeli boy and a Palestinian girl talk about the Arab-Israeli conflict with American youngsters.

On the movie front, James Garner and Marlee Matlin star in HBO’s “Dead Silence” tonight at 9, a thriller about a hearing-impaired teacher and her deaf students who are taken hostage by three escaped convicts.

Dale Midkiff and Erika Eleniak star in NBC’s detective thriller “87th Precinct: Heatwave,” Sunday at 9 p.m. on Channels 4 and 36. The movie is based on the book by Ed McBain.

Singer Paula Abdul goes dramatic as a woman recovering from rape in ABC’s “Touched by Evil,” Sunday at 9 p.m. on Channels 7, 3 and 42. Adrian Pasdar also stars.

Public Affairs: TODAY: The O.J. Simpson civil trial, Barbara Hershey and new electronic products are featured on “Today,” 6 a.m. (4)(36). . . .

Reps. John Boehner (R-Ohio) and George Miller (D-Martinez) discuss House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s ethics troubles on “John McLaughlin’s One on One,” 2:30 p.m. (28). . . .

Rep. Bill Paxon (R-N.Y.) guests on “Capital Gang Saturday,” 4 and 10:30 p.m. CNN. . . .

Gingrich’s ethics problems is the topic on “The McLaughlin Group,” 6 p.m. (4).

SUNDAY: “Today” looks at Nashville, Tenn., and the country music industry; Alzheimer’s and children, 6 a.m. (4)(36). . . .

Reps. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.), Susan Molinari (R-N.Y.), Robert Livingston (R-La.) and Linda Smith (R-Wash.) are interviewed on “Meet the Press,” 7 a.m. (4)(36). . . .

“CBS News Sunday Morning” looks at welfare recipients learning work-force skills, artist Jonathan Borofsky and author Jonathan Edgar Wideman (“Cattle Killing”), 7:30 a.m. (2). . . .

“Face the Nation’s” guest include Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Robert Bork, legal scholar, 9 a.m. (2). . . .

“Bob Navarro’s Journal” focuses on prostate cancer, 9:30 a.m. (2). . . .

Stanford law professor Kathleen Sullivan, attorney Joseph Cammarata and Rep. Dick Armey (R-Texas) guest on “This Week,” 10 a.m. (7) 11:30 a.m. (3)(42). . . .

“Life & Times” reports on Gov. Pete Wilson’s State of the State address and budget, 10:30 a.m. (28). . . .

House Speaker Gingrich guests on “Both Sides With Jesse Jackson,” 2:30 p.m. CNN. . . .

AIDS researcher Dr. Mahlon Johnson, mail-order brides and a couple’s $38-million lawsuit over car insurance are the topics on “60 Minutes,” 7 p.m. (2).

Specials and Movies: The 17th annual “Lou Rawls Parade of Stars” telethon, tonight at 6 on Channel 9.

Sports: College Basketball: UCLA at California, today, 1 p.m. (7)(3)(42); USC at Stanford, today, 3 p.m. FSW. . . . Hockey: Mighty Ducks at Canucks, Sunday, 2 p.m. FSW.

For a complete list of sports events on TV, see the Sports Section.