Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 10, 1993 TAG: 9310070085
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BETTELOU PETERSON KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: Visitor, real name Tucker, is a New Yorker, daughter of a ballet dancer and a choreographer, who started out to be a dancer herself. She was a chorus girl in New York where she did soap opera roles. The lead in the West Coast production of the musical "42nd Street" took her to Los Angeles, where she's been seen in "The Colbys," "Empty Nest," "Night Court," "Matlock," "L.A: Law" and was a regular (as a blond) in the 1990 NBC series "Working Girl." She's 36, married to dancer/actor Nick Miscusi and they're parents of Buster, 2.
Q: I'm a very big fan of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." I've written a script for "Deep Space" and would like the address so I can send it to them to film. - C.F., Morden, Manitoba:
A: Hang on to your script. First write Rick Berman, executive producer, Deep Space Nine, Paramount Television, 5555 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90038-3197, and see if there's interest. Unsolicited scripts go straight into the round file. There can be legal problems but more likely the scripts are unsuitable. Few amateurs grasp the complications of filming, especially in a series with so many special effects.
Q: What exactly was "That Was The Week That Was"? I've met people who say it was the greatest program ever. - G.M., Royal Oak, Mich.
A: It was TV's first political satire. Based on a British series, it was first seen as a 1963 special before becoming a short-lived series, 1964-65. It brought David Frost, who hosted the British version, to the U.S. for the first time. The cast included Henry Morgan, Phyllis Newman, Buck Henry, Bob Dishy, Alan Alda and Tom Bosley. No subject was sacred, especially politicians, and that may have contributed to its demise. In 1964, an election year, the show was repeatedly pre-empted by Republican speeches and documentaries.
Q: With the new Sci-Fi cable channel comes "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea:" Can you give us background information on David Hedison, including what he's doing now? - S.M.S., Portland, Ore.
A: Hedison was born May 20, 1926, in Providence, R.I. as Ara Heditsian. He studied at Brown University and New York's Neighborhood Playhouse. In New York, he did TV drama and worked off Broadway (as Al Hedison). He made his movie debut in "The Enemy Below" in 1957. He's done three series: "Five Fingers," 1959-60; "Voyage," 1964-68; and "The Colbys," 1985-86. He's been doing guest roles in movies and on TV.
Q: Give me Robert Urich's age. My boyfriend and I have a bet. - L.B., New Boston, Mich.
A: Urich was born Dec. 19, 1946.
Q: I remember a crime drama on NBC in the early '70s called "Chase," starring Gary Crosby. I insist it existed. My friends say I'm wrong. - K.M., West Haven, Conn.
A: It existed on NBC from 1973-74. It was a quirky show about a four-man special team in Los Angeles with a free hand to solve cases. Crosby wasn't one of the leads; he had sixth billing and only occasionally turned up on the show.
Q: What's happened to Gary Conway, who was the captain in "Land of Giants"? - D.J., Livonia, Mich.
A: The 1968-70 sci-fi series was Conway's last TV series, but he's been seen in guest roles in various other series and in TV movies.
Q: How many TV series has Ben Gazzara performed in and what was his latest series? - S.T., West Jordan, Utah.
A: Gazzara's had guest roles on many shows and starred in TV movies, but has only two series to his credit: "Arrest and Trial," 1963-64, and "Run for Your Life," 1965-68.
Q: What is the relationship of Garry and Penny Marshall? You'll settle a difference of opinion. - J.E., Granada Hills, Calif.
A: The Marshalls (Marscharellis), Garry, 58, and Penny 50, are brother and sister.
Q: This has bugged me for years: Was there a sitcom in the late '60s called "Ugly Girl"? All I can remember is that the main character, male, occasionally dressed as a woman. - T.G., Philadelphia:
A: "The Ugliest Girl in Town" had a short run in 1968. Peter Kasnter starred in a complicated premise in which he posed as a girl so he could visit his girlfriend in England. It was an early acting credit for the above-mentioned Garry Marshall, who did much better as TV producer/creator of "Laverne & Shirley" and "Mork and Mindy."
by CNB