You've got to give the WB points for chutzpah if nothing else.

The network wannabe, which is in sixth place in the ratings - trailing even fellow pseudo network UPN - is not retrenching. Despite the low numbers, the WB is actually expanding from three to four nights a week.It's adding Tuesday nights to Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays in the fall.

The WB is adding four new shows - two sitcoms and two dramas - to a lineup that includes eight returning series. The new comedies are:

- "The Tom Show" (Sundays, 8 p.m.), which - as previously announced - stars two-time TV loser Tom Arnold. In a takeoff on his own life, Roseanne's ex-husband stars a a guy who is divorced by his TV-star wife and fired as the producer of her show. He returns to the Midwest to run a local television station.

Arnold, of course, served as a writer and executive producer of "Roseanne" before flopping in two sitcoms of his own - "The Jackie Thomas Show" on ABC and "Tom" on CBS.

- "Ocean Drive" (Sundays, 8:30 p.m.) stars writer/comedian Carol Leifer as a single woman who runs a Miami optometry business.

And the WB has decided to fill its new Tuesday schedule with a pair of hourlong dramas. They are:

- "Dawson's Creek" (Tuesdays, 7 p.m.), a show about a pair of teens living in a strange town.

- "Three" (Tuesdays, 8 p.m.) is an action hour about three ex-criminals - a computer expert, a con artist and a thief - who go to work for a top-secret government agency.

The WB renewed most of its prime-time schedule, canceling only "Kirk," "Life with Roger" and "Savannah." The network also dropped "Brotherly Love" - the second time the sitcom that starred Joey, Matthew and Andrew Lawrence has been axed. (It was canceled by NBC a year ago before being picked up by the WB.)

UPN ALSO EXPANDING: The other network wannabe, United Paramount, is also planning to expand from three to four nights - but not quite as quickly as the WB.

UPN, which currently programs Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, is planning to add a night at midseason - probably January.

Tentative plans call for the pseudo network to try Thursdays, but that could change.

THE WB IN UTAH: As to the future of the WB network is Utah . . . it remains anybody's guess at this point.

The fact is that nobody seems to know what's going on. If anybody does know, they're not talking.

The situation remains in flux. Current WB affiliate KOOG-Ch. 30 is still in the process of being sold to Paxson Communications - which has announced plans to drop the WB affiliation and launch a mini-network of its own with a string of small stations across the country.

But there are also reports that Paxson may sell all or part of Ch. 30 to the folks at the WB, which would mean that KOOG would remain a WB station.

But there are also recurring rumors that the folks at the WB are going to activate the vacant Ch. 20 license and start up a new station as the WB affiliate.

(Ch. 20 was the former home of KSTU before that station switched to Ch. 13.)

The only thing that's certain at this point is that nothing is certain and that rumors continue to fly. Stay tuned . . .

THE RETURN OF ROSEANNE? In an appearance on "Larry King Live" earlier this week, Roseanne all but announced plans for a syndicated daytime talk show.

She said a formal announcement would come next week.

Gee, Roseanne seems like a natural for the job, what with her charm and grace.

GIMME A BREAK: Speaking of talk shows, Charles Grodin is making noises about quitting CNBC to do a syndicated talk show.

Yes, Grodin is yet another star who overestimates his own worth. His cable show is all but un-watch-able.

PARENTS BEWARE: Parents who subscribe to basic cable will have one more channel to be cautious of soon. FX begins airing reruns of "The X-Files" and "NYPD Blue" on Tuesday, Aug. 19.

*****

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

WB's fall schedule

New shows are in BOLD, and returning series moving to new nights and/or times are indicated by an asterisk(*).

Sunday

Nick Freno* 6 p.m.

The Parent 'Hood* 6:30 p.m.

Steve Harvey* 7 p.m.

Unhappily Ever After* 7:30 p.m.

THE TOM SHOW 8 p.m.

OCEAN DRIVE 8:30 p.m.

Monday

7th Heaven 7 p.m.

Buffy/Vamp. Slayer 8 p.m.

Tuesday

DAWSON'S CREEK 7 p.m.

THREE 8 p.m.

Wednesday

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Sister, Sister 7 p.m.

Smart Guy 7:30 p.m.

Jamie Foxx* 8 p.m.

Wayans Bros. 8:30 p.m.

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