THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 21, 1995 TAG: 9510200061
SECTION: TELEVISION WEEK PAGE: 1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Larry Bonko, Television columnist
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
AT LONG LAST, ``NYPD Blue'' returns to prime time Tuesday night at 10 on ABC with an episode in which one of the series regulars, Nicholas Turturro playing Detective James Martinez, is the victim of a shooting that may leave him paralyzed.
In the weeks after the series went into reruns, and then disappeared from the ABC schedule, Emmy voters chose it as television's best drama. Now it's back.
It seems like a very long time since the season finale when we saw Dennis Franz as Detective Dennis Sipowicz wed assistant district attorney Sylvia Costas (Sharon Lawrence). Lawrence is a North Carolinian, born in Charlotte and graduated from the University of North Carolina with a degree in journalism. She was once runner-up in the Miss North Carolina Junior Miss pageant.
What now for Sipowicz and Costas, who evolved from hating one another - Andy called her the ``b'' word in the series' premiere in 1993 - to love and marriage?
ABC publicists say only that Costas will become pregnant. Franz wasn't much help in fleshing out the new storylines earlier this year when he met with members of the Television Critics Association.
Franz admitted that he generally concerns himself only with the script on hand, never looking too far into the future.
``The writers accept the actors' suggestions, and welcome our criticism and input. But when you're involved in a long season of 22 or 23 episodes, you don't have the time or energy to ask a lot of questions about where your character is headed. I look forward to being surprised by the next script. I am constantly amazed how well these people write for Sipowicz.''
Two years ago, Vietnam vet and former mail carrier Franz won the Emmy as best actor in a drama after his partner, David Caruso, left the series. When Jimmy Smits replaced Caruso, it was Smits and not Emmy winner Franz who got top billing.
That had to bother Franz. Right? Wrong. ``I don't mind. Jimmy is a full-fledged leading man and a terrific actor.''
And then there are these other programs of interest in the week ahead:
PBS and WHRO on Monday at 10 p.m. explores the costly problem of kids having kids in ``Sex, Teens and Public Schools.'' Taxpayers last year shelled out more than $34 billion to help support families started by teen mothers. Jane Pauley hosts the program that will stir the emotions of viewers opposed to sex education and school-based clinics promoting birth control.
Can Halloween be far away if A&E's ``Biography'' series is devoting itself to the life stories of Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi? They played monsters more endearing than frightening on the silver screen. First up on Monday at 8 p.m. is ``Boris Karloff: The Gentle Monster,'' followed by ``Lon Chaney Jr.: Son of a Thousand Faces'' on Wednesday and ``Bela Lugosi: Hollywood's Dark Prince'' on Friday.
In its ``Time Traveler'' series, the Discovery Channel on Thursday night at 10 unveils ``Jackie O.,'' a TV portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
The new TV season gave birth to half a dozen new talk shows. Will the viewers ever tire of them? On ``Talk Shows,'' E! Entertainment Television addresses that question Sunday at 9 p.m. Phil Donahue, who practically invented the TV talk show, is aboard to comment on the phenomenon. Bet Phil never thought he'd see Danny Bonaduce with his own talk show. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
by CNB