But for the men and women responsible for burnishing the image of the Defense Department, the worst of all may come at 8 tonight in the premiere of a three-hour drama on Showtime.

'YI YI' ("A ONE AND A TWO") Edward Yang's moving, beautifully photographed three-hour drama explores the lives of an extended family in contemporary Taipei.

He says that Hollywood has branded him as a "fascist" for his troupe's most recent play, "Welcome Home Soldier," a three-hour drama illustrating the callous way soldiers returning from Vietnam were treated by hippie leftists.

It ranges from breezy picaresque revues to three-hour historical dramas.

Indeed, Mr. Moses and Mr. Freydberg at first planned and shot a three-hour drama; only later did they cut it back to two-and-a-half hours.

The nearest thing to a worker in the three-hour drama is politician Harry.

As darkness fell, Navratilova and her mixed doubles partner, Mahesh Bhupathi, were locked into a three-hour drama against Jan Siemerink and Miriam Oremans.

It's highly unusual for a nearly three-hour drama to earn so much on its opening weekend.

Perhaps the highest-profile victim of this difficult marketplace was Oliver Stone's "Nixon," a three-hour drama that depicted the former President as a flawed and tragic figure.

The impressive roster of behind-the-scenes personnel ensured pleasant entertainment, but the three-hour drama lacks insight into Marilyn's personality and fails to add anything new to the Monroe lore and literature.