THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 23, 1996 TAG: 9605230061
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: 68 lines
NOW HERE'S a marriage made in TV heaven: Kathie Lee Gifford and The Family Channel.
Forgetting for the moment that she may have known child labor was involved in producing her clothing line, Gifford is Mrs. Family Values - a loving wife, the doting mother of Cody and Cassidy and singer of uplifting songs.
Gifford has agreed to do a film with a yuletide theme for The Family Channel, a division of the Virginia Beach corporation, International Family Entertainment. The announcement was made recently in Los Angeles by Gus Lucas, senior vice president of FAM programming.
Lucas also announced that FAM in late September will begin running ``Carson Comedy Classics'' - the best of Johnny Carson's 30 years on NBC. ``Carson Comedy Classics'' will sign on at midnight Monday through Friday.
Other announcements from The Family Channel:
Re-runs of the CBS variety series in which Carol Burnett starred will be stripped into FAM's weekday schedule at 6 p.m. in the fall.
The Family Channel's afternoon programming - FAM AFTV, for short - will include four new game shows come the fall. From 3 to 4 p.m., FAM will air ``The New Shop Til You Drop'' followed by ``Shopping Spree.''
FAM AFTV's original programming will continue at 4 with ``Small Talk'' followed by ``Wait Until You Have Kids'' at 4:30. ``Small Talk'' is being sold as a cross between ``Hollywood Squares'' and the kids-say-the-darndest-things segment on the old Art Linkletter show. On ``Wait Until You have Kids,'' three couples try to match answers with their children. The format was used on ``The Newlywed Game.''
FAM also has several films (``Apollo 11,'' ``The Ditchdigger's Daughters,'' ``When in Rome,'' ``For Better or Worse,'' ``Treasure,'' ``Heaven Sent,'' an animated ``Romeo and Juliet,'' ``Terror on Rails,'' ``Transition Man'' and ``Renewable Family'') scheduled for fall.
FAM has yet to announce the hosts of the four new daytime game shows. And while the writers and directors for some of the original films have been listed in Lucas' announcement, we have no idea at the moment who will star in the movies.
Lucas is working on that, too.
Naomi Judd is penciled in to do two celebrity interview hours. Also planned is an outdoor adventure series in league with Jeep. Stefanie Powers and Robert Wagner will do a third ``Hart to Hart'' movie for FAM. There will be specials (``Marry Me'') based on how celebrities met and wed. ``Jack Hanna Animal Adventures'' has come to FAM.
This is a raft of original programming, which is how FAM will pursue the audience (women from 18 to 54) most sought after by advertisers. Since bringing on new films such as ``Captains Courageous,'' and starting a live daytime show called ``Home & Family,'' the cable channel is attracting more young female viewers.
``Home & Family,'' in which co-hosts Cristina Ferrare and Chuck Woolery talk about everything from planning weddings to yoga to picking the right pet, is still on a shakedown cruise. With two talkative hosts on camera on a set that's really a house at Universal Studios, ``Home & Family'' comes off as too busy and claustrophobic.
``Creatively speaking, the show is getting better and better,'' said Lucas. He likes the two hosts - ``Their chemistry is strong'' - but thinks the show could use more entertainment and less how-to stuff.
But who's complaining? Nobody at FAM headquarters, certainly. Overall, ratings are up 33 percent on The Family Channel, said Lucas. And the increase in the number of women 25 to 54 who watch has risen 48 percent.
These women are interested in shopping and children, hence the new four-hour block starting in October. They also like The Three Stooges.
The Stooges at 11 p.m. have been a ratings bonanza for FAM. Did I say ``Bonanza''? It's on at midnight until Carson mounts up in the fall. by CNB