THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 16, 1995 TAG: 9502150076
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
A CHANNEL surfer's list of lists:
Shows that have lost their edge: ``Seinfeld,'' ``Northern Exposure,'' ``Oprah,'' ``Murphy Brown'' and ``Saturday Night Live.''
Shows that are better than ever: ``Law & Order,'' ``Roseanne,'' ``Melrose Place,'' ``The Simpsons'' and ``Picket Fences.''
Local talent I'd hire if I were starting a 10 p.m. newscast on WTVZ, which the new owners of Channel 33 are contemplating: Reporter Andy Fox and anchorwoman Carol Hoffman of WAVY, reporter Mike Gooding and reporter-anchorwoman Velma Scaife of WVEC, sports hunk Jim Hale of WTKR.
Shows I am on the verge of getting addicted to: ``Friends,'' ``Mad About You,'' ``The X-Files,'' ``Star Trek: Voyager'' and ``Ellen.''
Shows I am already addicted to: ``NYPD Blue,'' ``Talk Soup,'' ``Love Connection,'' ``Baywatch'' and ``The Larry Sanders Show Starring Garry Shandling.''
PBS shows that will survive on cable or in syndication if Congress cuts off funds for public broadcasting: ``Frontline,'' ``Sesame Street,'' ``Barney & Friends,'' ``Nova'' and Charlie Rose's late-night talk show.
Shows I like, and I'm proud to say so: ``Nightline,'' ``Crossfire,'' ``Masterpiece Theater,'' anything on The Learning Channel and ``CBS News' Sunday Morning.''
Shows I like, and I'm ashamed to say so: ``Married . . . With Children,'' ``Saved by the Bell,'' ``Dream On,'' ``Beavis and Butt-Head'' and ``Beverly Hills 90210.''
Women on local TV who seldom have a bad hair day: Reporter and anchorwoman Regina Mobley of WVEC, reporter Beverly Kidd of WTKR, reporter and anchorwoman Carolyn Castleberry of WAVY.
Men on local TV who need a wardrobe overhaul: Anchorman Les Smith of WAVY (he could use a younger look), weather reporter Duane Harding of WTKR (I have a hunch he buys his suits at J.C. Penney) and weather reporter Jeff Lawson of WVEC (think blazers, Jeff).
Five reasons why David Letterman's show on CBS isn't as good as his old show on NBC: Dave's grown lazy and doesn't get out of the studio to mingle with real people as much as he used to; there's more talk and less comedy; not as much goofy stuff from stage manager Biff Henderson; less happening at the Ed Sullivan Theater than at Dave's old Peacock Network digs at Rockefeller Center; and Dave now hardly ever reads mail from viewers.
Old shows I wish they would revive on cable, and the year they premiered: ``Vega$'' (1978), ``Maude'' (1972), ``Mannix'' (1967), ``77 Sunset Strip'' (1958) and ``Hawaiian Eye'' (1959).
Things I've picked up while watching TV coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial: The hemlines on prosecutor Marcia Clark's skirts are a bit short; the court reporter types faster than the speed of light; women in the witness box look better on camera in left profile than the men; it seems that every other day, Judge Lance Ito adds another hourglass to his collection on the bench; and Simpson looks like he's lost 20 pounds since the trial began.
Five things that Andy Rooney of ``60 Minutes'' would gripe about if he visited Hampton Roads: Paying a toll on the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway; hearing the noise of jets landing and taking off at the Oceana Naval Air Station; hardly any free parking near Waterside in Norfolk; not enough authentic New York-style delis in the area; and it's impossible to find downtown Virginia Beach or Chesapeake because there is no downtown Virginia Beach or Ches-apeake.
Scariest moments on TV in the past 12 months: Roseanne goes on a late-night talk show to reveal the bandage on her abdomen where doctors initiated in-vitro fertilization; Marcia Cross as the mad Dr. Kimberly Shaw on ``Melrose Place'' tosses off her wig to reveal a hideous scar; and Eddie, the lovable dog on ``Frasier,'' is hauled off to the vet to be ``fixed.'' Yipes!
Things I am tempted to buy when I see them advertised on TV in the wee small hours of the morning: The electronic fish lure and power worms, the 1950s-style pay telephone, Kathy Smith's Fat Tracker and Fit Kit, The Hidden Keys to a Loving Relationship and the Microbuddy five-minute microwave meal maker.
I am also dying to learn how one tiny classified ad can make me rich. ILLUSTRATION: "The X-Files": Addicting
"Seinfeld": No longer master of its domain
David Letterman has gotten lazy and doesn't get out of the studio as
much as he used to.
by CNB