UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — It's hard to say which is more ironic — that Faye Dunaway, who won an Oscar for her role in "Network" back in 1976, is now part of a reality show. Or that Dunaway and Vivica A. Fox are passing judgment on the acting abilities of others.

Those questions are far more intriguing than the WB's new reality show "The Starlet" (Sunday, 7 p.m., Ch. 30).

The format is painfully familiar — 10 young women compete to be "The Starlet" and win "a career-launching role" on "One Tree Hill" (huh??!!??), a management contract and a talent deal with the WB. (Big deal.)

Dunaway, Fox and casting director Joseph Middleton decide who goes and who stays each week, with Dunaway making like Donald Trump and delivering the painfully campy, "Don't call us, we'll call you" to the losers.

The irony of having played a character in "Network" who would do anything for ratings hasn't entirely escaped Dunaway. "Things rub off on you," she said, continuing (somewhat confusingly), "I'm very interested in the fan base, because those people come to see us."

Well, they haven't seen her in much lately — Dunaway's last really high-profile gig was in 1981, when she camped her way through "Mommy Dearest." That was years before any of the aspiring starlets were born.

"It's an obligation to pass on what you know," Dunaway insisted. Yikes. Scary.

As are scenes of Fox dispensing her, ahem, acting wisdom. Oh, there's no doubt Fox has had some success in movies like "Independence Day" and "Kill Bill, Vol. 1," but she's never carried a high-profile project. And she's not exactly known as one of Hollywood's great thespians.

Basically, "The Starlet" is just another lame, derivative reality show that latched onto a couple of actresses who didn't have much else to do — actresses who see themselves as Great Talents, while others might disagree.

There's a small amount of entertainment value in the campiness, but not enough to waste an hour of your life.

USHER IS THE HOTTEST thing in music right now, and he's on Showtime tonight at 10 p.m. with a "live" concert.

"Expect nothing but live — live, yes, live vocal performances," Usher himself promised.

Well, it won't be live in this time zone (but we're used to that by now). What he's promising is — no lip-syncing.

He's also promising a "one-of-a-kind show" that's "one of the hottest" of the year.

It will be the show he's been touring with, but viewers will see behind-the-scenes footage and the star will "cater . . . to that audience" at home.

"Although we're playing in Puerto Rico, I'm very much conscious that we're playing for the entire world — everyone who's watching Showtime," Usher said. So he'll be adding some songs "just to make it a better show that night and make it a tailored performance."

And he'll be playing to the cameras.

"I'm going to make it as personal as I possibly can," he said.

And no lip-syncing.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com