While some people can’t get enough of “Joe Millionaire” or “American Idol,” these types of cheap reality shows surface throughout the year on major networks. But four times a year, shows get out of their rerun ruts to vie for ratings in a contest that executives simultaneously anticipate and fear in the weeks preceding.

February sweeps are upon us, and there are plenty of good episodes in store for viewers who couldn’t care less about Trista and her choice mate on “The Bachelorette.”

NBC (Channel 3) is exploiting its Thursday-night “Must-See TV” lineup to an almost annoying degree of insanity. SNL alumnus Jon Lovitz will guest on “Friends” tomorrow night, followed by “Jurassic Park’s” Jeff Goldblum next week. “Scrubs” will feature former “NYPD Blue” star Rick Schroder and “Road Trip’s” Amy Smart as romantic interests for lead characters J.D. (Zach Braff) and Elliot (Sarah Chalke).

“Will & Grace” will feature actress Minnie Driver in tomorrow’s episode and (former) megastar Demi Moore next week. On “ER,” Sally Field will return as nurse Abby’s (Maura Tierney) troubled mother. The Sunday 1960s drama “American Dreams” will feature performances by India.Arie, Leann Rimes and Vanessa Carlton, all of who will be playing singers from that decade.

Another ratings stunt features Christopher Reeve on the WB’s (Channel 58) “Smallville” Feb. 25. Reeve, who played Superman in a few films in the 1980s, will play opposite of Tom Welling, the young Clark Kent. The episode will also feature a public service announcement promoting the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, which the actor established after a 1995 fall from his horse left him a quadriplegic.

CBS’s (Channel 13) “Survivor”, which is the granddaddy of all current “reality” series despite its annoying, far-fetched qualities, remains one of the best reality shows out there, and always offers surprises.

When “Survivor: Amazon”, the sixth installment, premieres on Feb. 13, the teams will no longer be coed: the sixteen contestants will be split up by gender, sure to inspire cattiness among the women and arrogance among the men. To say this makes for interesting television is just a tip of the iceberg.

ABC’s excellent “Alias” is capping a recent post-Super Bowl series reconstruction with two high-profile guest stars. Ethan Hawke guest-starred this past Sunday, and Christian Slater, coming off a recent “West Wing” stint, will be featured this Sunday as a scientist who could help the evil Sloane (Ron Rifkin) achieve his new plans.

“Alias,” a great series that deserves more viewers, is one of the few shows worth watching that doesn’t annoyingly exploit its sweeps-stunt guest stars and makes rather efficient use of their talents to serve the ongoing conspiracy plots. It’s a refreshing choice amid the bloated month of new episodes and greedy expectations of network executives.

We could always look on the bright side: no more reruns for an entire month, the one part of sweeps you can always count on.