THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 6, 1996 TAG: 9603060041
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
TODAY'S TV buzz:
To Diane Daniel in Suffolk, Karen Allen in Virginia Beach and others who called to ask when ``American Gothic'' is returning to CBS, I bring no news today. CBS has not rescheduled the spookfest. I suggest you call the CBS comment line, (213) 852-2200, to say you want ``Gothic'' back on the air. Now.
Note to Elijah Midkiff in Virginia Beach, who asked what's become of ``John Grisham's The Client'' on CBS: The drama returned to CBS last Tuesday at 8 but will be pre-empted again next week. Sorry, Elijah.
The bell that chimes at the end of Jeff Lawson's weather report on WVEC at 6 and 11 p.m. isn't the fire alarm going off. Lawson says the bell is to remind viewers that his five-day forecast is up on the screen. Have you noticed that WTKR's weather guys are doing a six-day outlook? That's bravado in this area, where the weather seems to change every 90 seconds.
WPEN in Hampton, the little UHF station that could, has been added to Warner Cable on the Peninsula. From very limited exposure a few months ago, WPEN is now seen on nine local cable systems. WPEN at 8 p.m. weeknights re-broadcasts WVEC's 6 p.m. newscast - listen for Jeff's weather bell - and at 10 beams out a fresh half hour of news prepared in WVEC's newsroom.
The noise you hear coming out of The Family Channel headquarters on Guardian Lane in Virginia Beach is whoopin' and hollerin' over the latest Nielsens. The numbers reveal that last month's original FAM Sunday night movie, ``Night of the Twisters,'' was seen in 4.3 million households - a 6.7 rating. That's a record for the network. The FAM Sunday night movie ratings are up 79 percent this year.
With no local station willing to find time on its schedule for the Norfolk-based Operation Smile telethon, that phase of the group's fund raising is probably history in 1996. If stations can find time for infomercials, they can find time for a telethon that benefits kids who need reconstructive plastic surgery.
When Major League Baseball fined Albert Belle of the Cleveland Indians $50,000 for cussing out NBC's Hannah Storm in the dugout before Game 3 of last year's World Series, it was just a slap on the wrist. What's $50,000 to a player earning millions? Belle should have been suspended for a week or two.
Am I the only one who's been wondering what happened to Mary Alice Williams, who was once a big-deal Emmy-winning anchor person at CNN and later with NBC? She's still working in TV with a new cable network, Our Time Television, which programs for the over-50 set. It's not seen in this market.
Now that Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, who began her TV career in Portsmouth, has quit her syndicated daytime talk show (``The Jim J. and Tammy Faye Show'') because she couldn't handle the pressure, the only question is . . . did she leave any mascara behind in the dressing room? WAVY says it will continue to carry the show weekday mornings at 9, until Ann Abernethy replaces Tammy Faye on March 18.
With the summer Olympics in Atlanta approaching fast, about 30 Norfolk State U. students were in Georgia recently to train hard. They'll be running in Atlanta, but not on a track. NBC gave jobs behind the scenes to 1,400 college kids from 40 schools.
Roseanne's weekly late-night variety and talk show on Fox is scheduled to premiere in April on Saturday night at 11. You can bet her first guest won't be former husband Tom Arnold.
Am I the only one happy to learn that Bonnie Hunt's quirky little sitcom is back on CBS starting Sunday at 8:30 p.m.? Hardly anyone but me watched her first two tries at becoming a sitcom queen. by CNB