THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 29, 1995 TAG: 9508290067
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
YOU HAVE NOT seen the last of ``Christy'' after all.
The series about 19-year-old Christy Henderson teaching school in dirt-poor Cutter Gap is history as far as CBS is concerned, but ``Christy'' will be seen on The Family Channel starting in October.
That's the good news for the 30 million or so viewers who watched ``Christy'' when CBS found a place for it. The CBS schedule maker treated ``Christy'' with no respect.
The bad news: This is not a revival of ``Christy'' on The Family Channel but rather re-runs of the 20 shows aired by CBS. That's better than no ``Christy,'' because TV is low on shows of this sort - an hour you can share with your kids without blushing.
They would have loved ``Christy'' on Walton's Mountain.
Kellie Martin, who starred in ``Christy'' as the young woman who left a privileged life to teach at a backwoods mission in the Great Smokies, recently signed with NBC. With that, ``Christy'' becomes nothing more than a line on Martin's resume.
``Despite the fact the series drew more than 30 million viewers, and became the focus of discussions and part of projects in schools, churches and libraries across the country, CBS did not renew `Christy,' which was disappointing,'' said Gus Lucas, senior vice president for programming at The Family Channel headquarters in Virginia Beach.
Tyne Daly won an Emmy nomination for her role as Miss Alice on ``Christy.''
When CBS dropped ``Christy,'' the disappointment cut deep for the FAM folks in Virginia Beach because Family Productions Inc. and its MTM Entertainment division produced ``Christy'' for CBS in partnership with the Rozenzweig Co.
CBS' loss is The Family Channel's gain.
Also coming to FAM (the corporate gang out at Lynnhaven in Virginia Beach gets a kick out of seeing their channel written that way) this fall are re-runs of ``Newhart,'' ``Highway to Heaven'' and ``Colum-bo.''
Is FAM reverting to the days when it was a cable re-run machine? No way, say Lucas and Tony Thomopoulos, head of MTM Entertainment and supervisor of International Family Entertainment's programming.
The Family Channel will include 12 original films in ``The FAM Sunday Night Movie Event'' beginning in the fall. Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers will make three new ``Hart to Hart'' movies for FAM.
New kids' programming is on the way as are two new game shows, ``Family Challenge'' and ``Wild Animal Games.''
When Thomopoulos met with TV writers in Los Angeles recently, he gave the impression that he was hired to re-invent The Family Channel. ``There will be a new programming philosophy, a new brand identity. We intend to bring some fun and vitality to the channel, to open it up,'' he said.
The man knows about fun TV.
When Thomopoulos was vice president of primetime programs with the ABC broadcast group, he gave the world ``Charlie's Angels.'' At United Artists, he supervised the production of ``Mrs. Doubtfire.'' Lately, Thomopoulos worked with the Mr. Movie Magic himself, producer Steven Spielberg. Thomopoulos served as president of Amblin Television before joining FAM.
``Steven wished me well,'' said Thomopoulos. ``He sees The Family Channel as a terrific opportunity for me, a special environment to do great things on television.''
While FAM leaked the news about the return of ``Christy'' and ``Columbo,'' the executives say the complete fall schedule won't be ready until the first week in September.
Be alert for something called FAM AFTV.
Thomopoulos also announced in Los Angeles that two new films in the ``Young Indiana Jones'' series from producer George Lucas will be on FAM's fall schedule. That will be a wrap. No more Young Indy adventures. by CNB