TV: 'FAME' BEGINS AS WEEKLY SERIES

By JOHN J. O'CONNOR

Published: January 7, 1982

ROLLING off the success of the movie, ''Fame'' comes to television tonight, at 8 on NBC, as a weekly series. The central setting is the New York High School for Performing Arts, w he re talented city youngsters prepare furiously for what they ho pe will be sparkling careers in the theater, movies, television, d ance or music. The typesof students and teachers are straight out of central casting.

The premiere episode, written by Christopher Gore and directed by Bob Kelljan, takes place on the first day of the fall term. Julie (Lori Singer), a cellist, has just arrived from the Midwest with her newly divorced mother and is nervous about her new environment. She keeps doing and saying the wrong things, leaving most of the other students suspicious or, at best, distant.

Julie quickly learns that New York is not Grand Rapids. As one student puts it: ''You are in the hot burning center of the galaxy. In this school, you gotta be tough, you gotta work hard or quit.'' This kind of line is nearly always a cue for another chorus of the title song and the spirited youthful cry of ''I'm gonna live forever!''

''Fame'' is not, obviously, naturalistic drama. It is several notches above the sit-com silliness of a ''Welcome Back, Kotter.'' But it is remarkably close to the glossy unreality of a ''Grease.'' Certain conventions must be accepted. In the school cafeteria, for instance, a rock band seems always to be on duty, waiting for one of the students to burst into song as everybody else begins dancing energetically. The dance classes, overseen by Debbie Allen as the teacher Lydia, are as slick as a road company of ''A Chorus Line.'' Miss Allen is also the choreographer for the series.

Not having seen the original film, I cannot comment on whether the television series represents an improvement or an erosion. On its own, strictly within the overall television context, it is an attractive project, loaded with young talent and energy. These performers are going to win you over even if it exhausts them. Coming out of the movie, and not getting any younger, are Lee Curreri as Br uno, the composer, and Gene Anthony Ray as Leroy, the dancer who ca n't bring himself to wear tights in class. The role of Coco, the dyn amic pop singer, is now being played by Erica Gimpel, who happens t o be gorgeous as well as talented. Others outstanding in the cast i nclude Carlo Imperato, Valerie Landsburg, P.R. Paul, Tommy Aguilar , Judy Farrell and Albert Hague.

''Fame'' gets off to a disarmingly sassy start, striking a reasonable balance between youthful realities and show-business pizazz. The rest will depend on good scripts and maintaining the momentum.