The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 25

TELEVISION 27 THE AGE WEDNESDAY 3 1 MARCH 1999 Cartoons HIGHLIGHTS By PHILIPPA HAWKER weekly to The Age Your guide www.theage.com.au Not all childish things should be put away PHILIPPA SPECIAL AGE INITIATIVES The Age AFL FootyPick The best football tipping competition in Australia for the greatest game in the world! It's not too late to enter simply call 1902 269 012 (Legion call cost $15, higher from mobile phones) and register your details, and for 1 5 you will receive The Age AFL FootyPick Supporters' Pack with offers and discounts worth more than $60. Registration lines close 7pm Friday 16 April 1 999 -Round 4. Janet Holmes Court: A Biography Literary Luncheon Reserve your seats to Janet Holmes a Court A Biography Literary Luncheon. In this biography, Patricia Edgar reveals the woman behind the late Robert Holmes a Court, one of Australia's most famous tycoons. For bookings, complete the coupon in The Age and send to The AgeReader's Feast Literary Events, PO Box 1 1 77.

Caulfield North 3 161, or fax 03 9527 2826. All bookings will be confirmed by mail. The Age Melbourne International Comedy Festival The Age is a major sponsor of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and it just keeps getting better. The Age is happy to be able to help it all come together. So have a laugh on us! The Age Melbourne International Comedy Festival kicks off on April Fools' day and the fun doesn't stop until Sunday 25 April 1 999.

Check The Age daily for a complete guide from Thursday I April. The Rugrats, coming to a medium near you.Two, 5.30pm. POLICE DRAMA DRAMA rjjn Talking Heads ly! Two, 9.15pm. TiU The second in a new series of Alan Bennett monologues is the story of an acquisitive antique dealer, played by Eileen Atkins, who prides herself on her eye for beauty and her knowledge of the market She starts visiting a sick elderly woman who just happens to have a houseful of antique treasures and, it seems, no heirs. The dealer notes their provenance with an appreciative eye: she even examines the underside of the woman's bed.

There is a twist to this story, but it's a little more obvious and mechanical than is usual with Bennett: there aren't as many surprises or unexpected pleasures to this character portrait COMEDY mo The Pane iHal Ten, 9.30pm. II Shrewd, carefully casual, a show that looks ad hoc, but is full of reassuringly confident performances of informality. Sometimes there are uncomfortable, awkward or apparently unexpected moments, but for the most part even these are smoothly managed and assimilated. TODAY'S FILMS Homicide Life On The Street Seven, 10.30pm. Locked away at an unreasonably late hour, this show is the best THIS WEEK ONLINE There are certain activities and people inevitably associated with times of the day.

Midnight for Cinderella. Quarter to three for Frank Sinatra. Six o'clock, for Menzies-era VH swillers. And for cartoon lovers, 5.30 pm, Monday to Thursday, when Channel 2 consistently puts to air some of the choicest American animations nominally aimed at a children's audience. Two, in its wisdom, tends lo program the shows in blocks: saturation coverage for a few weeks, then it's turnover time.

This means that certain new shows (like the recenr, sorely missed Daria), don't really have time to build an audience beyond the immediate target market, the after-school crowd. Word gets around, then they're gone. Darin actually created for MTV an example of a show that would appeal to a wide range of viewers. It deserved more thoughtful handling. With its deadpan, wryly resigned heroine and its tart, jaundiced view of the high-school experience (i.e.

the world), it had everything: angst, weird parents, alienation, embarrassment and a sinister organisation known as the Fashion Club that teaches impressionable teenagers the crucial importance of early moisturising. It was a remarkable show for many reasons, not the least of which was the fact that its main character was a teenage girl: so few animations have female characters, let alone central characters whose cynical take on the world makes Voltaire look like Forrest Gump. At one extreme of the Rugrats crew is Tommy, the baby, a resourceful, idealistic character, the one who encourages the others, who helps them get out of scrapes and thwart the schemes of his polar opposite, his cousin, Angelica. She is a three-year-old Dragon Fmpress; greedy, mean-spirited and vindictive, a ruthless manipulator who preys on the vulnerability of others in the tradition of Peanuts' Lucy. At three, Angelica can lord it over the babies: the adults are too naive or self-absorbed to notice her despotism.

Angelica has a single redeeming feature, almost: she is quite fond of her doll, Cynthia. However well you know the characters, you never quite know what kind of Rugratsyou are going to get: that's part of its charm. One episode was mostly about large cardboard boxes, and how much fun children get from playing with them: another was a light-hearted take on Passover, a welcome relief from the world of Christmas specials. Sometimes, they seemed designed to appeal to parents, rather than kids, with pop culture references and malapropisms: once, Angelica hired a lawyer to sue her parents while another time, the babies had to make their way laboriously across an asphalt playground in an ordeal that was a cross between Dime and Lawrence of Arabia. Keep your eye on the 5.30pm timeslot.

Some days, it might be the best thing you'll see on TV. Simon Hughes is on leave. thing to come out of Baltimore since John Waters. Based on a 1991 book by a Baltimore Sun reporter who spent a year with the police force, Homicide has grit, style, great locations and some edgy, intelligent performances from a fine ensemble cast. Be prepared for a long-term commitment (Channel 7 programming permitting), because some of the complex plot developments take a whole season to unravel.

By PAUL HARRIS Business InThe Balkans (1996) SBS, 9.30pm. Naive Greek farmboy (Alexandra Logothetis) hatches an ill-conceived plan to make a fortune in his family's village tavern by importing the services of three Romanian bar hostesses. This fitfully amusing comedy rambles on at great length without much spark or originality, apart from the novelty value of our bumbling hero's shopping expedition for female entertainers in Romania, where he is robbed blind by the locals, hip to the possibilities of capitalism. Fabulous Footy Feedback Every round of footy comes LIVE at www.theage.com.au and you get the chance to barrack for your team at fan versus fan, too. Education Daily Education online presents a fresh cut on the day's news designed especially for students, parents and teachers.

Money Manager The simple way to keep up with important personal finance issues is through the updating Money Manager site. OTHER ONLINE SERVICES Go online to www.citysearch.com.au and find out the best of Melbourne, including the latest information on this year's Comedy Festival. Not only is every event listed, you can also buy tickets online with Ticketmaster. So visit www.citysearch.com.au and laugh your way around Melbourne! NEWS FROM THE EDUCATION UNIT Net Challenge Australian Primary and Secondary schools are invited to develop a website with an Olympic focus that has the theme Australia: the land and its peope.The content of the website, under this theme, is entirely up to the creativity of students and teachers. Schools must complete a nomination form by 23 April, but have until 14 May to complete their site.

Prizes are listed on the Net Challenge website. Included is an opportunity for a representative from the winning secondary school to spend two days working in the Surf Shack, helping Olympic athletes answer their fan mail and create their home pages. For more information and the nomination form, check out the website www.theage.com.aueducationnetchallenge. The Age Click Off '99 The Click Off challenge is on again. Click Off '99 gives students in Years 5 9 a week to discover that there is life without television! Students are encouraged to explore alternative possibilities and sample activities that promote a healthier lifestyle.

For more information check out the web site at www.sofweb.vic.edu.aunewsclickoff or phone 960 1 2874. PHOTOSALES SEVEN TWO 6.00 Open Learning. Including Anthropology. R. G.S.

6035 6.30 Aboriginal Studies. S. 4054 7.00 Lifelong Learning: Hazards, Disasters And Survival. R. G.S.

46388 7.15 Lifelong Learning: Alles Gute. R.G. 4498528 7.30 Mixy. Including 7.35Teletubbies. G.

8526948 8.00 Richard Scarry. R. 4485 1 8.25 Miffy. Final. R.

4783851 8.30 Sesame Street 5916702 9.25 Bananas. R. 5087764 9.30 Play School. R. 9344 10.00 Rat-A-Tat-Tat.

R. 32621 10.15 Le Club. 8943306 10.30 Images Of Nature. R. 5764 11.00 Australians.

R. 14696 1 1.05 Behind The News.R.S. 1741325 1 1.30 The World Of Music. 9580 12.00 World At Noon. News.

7509 12.30 Lateline. Current affairs. R. 3580 1 .00 National Press Club Luncheon. 93967 2.00 Question Time: House of Representatives.

97783 3.00 Sesame Street. 4073 3.30 Play School. R. 4832 4.00 Kitu AndWoofl. R.

18832 4.05 Little Bear. R. 852431 4.30 Animal Crackers. 84851 4.55 Oscar And Friends. R.

6787306 5.00 The Secret World Of Alex Mack. R. 36615 5.25 Little Lulu. R. 6708899 6.00 Sunrise (News).

58344 7.00 Mummies Alive. G. 5054 7.30 GoofTroop.R,G.8l4l 8.00 The Adventures Of Mickey And Donald. R. G.

9870 8.30 The Book Place. Series for preschool children. P. 5899 9.00 A Country Practice. Australian drama series.

S. 1 2528 PRIME: Sons And Daughters. G. 10.00 Denise. Talk show, with Denise Drysdale.PG.

16344 PRIME Infobreak International. G. 10.30 Wheel Of Fortune. G. 1 1 .00 1 1 AM.

News and current affairs, presented by Anne Fulwood and Andrew Daddo. 76702 12.00 Mini-Series: Tracks Of Glory, part two. 1 989 drama starring Cameron Daddo. Major's race against Lawson turns nasty when Lawson deliberately smashes into Major's rear wheel. PG.

96943 1 2.00 Ricki Lake. US talk show: Baby We're Married, But I'm Addicted To Cheating. M. 67054 3.00 The Beverly Hillbillies. US comedy series.

G. 7342 3.30 Disney Adventures. Cartoon series. R. 2031 4.00 Wipeout.

Game show.C. 1290 4.30 I Dream Of Jeannie. US comedy series. R. 4509 5.00 Bewitched.

US comedy. With Elizabeth Montgomery. G. 5238 PRIME, Albury. Wheel Of Fortune.

G. 5.30 Wheel Of Fortune. Game show, hosted by Rob Elliott G. 8325 PRIME, Albury. Local News.

HAWKER VI Jj The best animations in this timeslots are either about monstrous families or families of monsters: in the latter category came one of my favorites, Real Monsters, a wonderfully messy and revolting animation about the adventures of a mismatched trio of students at a Monster Academy located on a garbage dump. Watch for its reappearance. The current 5.30 pm offering is Rugrats, one of the most successful of all children's animations: a movie-length version is this Faster's hot ticket in the kidflicks department. Rugrats is bright, clever and sophisticated: it's a show in which the kids (babies and toddlers) are the well-rounded main characters, the ones with feelings, fears and intense experiences; the ones who care about each other and think about the way the world works. I The adults, the parents and grandparents are the cartoon figures on the sidelines, the self-centred, temperamental ones hung up on toys, gadgets and repetitive rituals.

NINE 6.00 Early News. Presented by Sharyn Ghidella. 680832 7.00 Today. News and current affairs, presented by Tracy Grimshaw and Steve Liebmann. G.

5461388 9.00 Here's Humphrey. P. 521580 Today. G. 9.30 Hardcastle McCormick.

US crime-comedy series. With Brian Keith. R.PG. 861293 WN.Teemol Shopping. G.

10.00 Humphrey. P. 10.30 News. 540615 1 1 .00 The Jamie Foxx Show. New episodes of the US comedy series: Pilot.

PG. 541344 1 1.30 Entertainment Tonight. Presented by Womon's Doy. PG. 544431 1 2.00 Days Of Our Lives.

US drama serial. With Roark Critchlow. PG. 426696 1.00 The Young And The Restless. US drama serial.

PG. 435344 2.00 What's Cooking? Australian cooking series, with chef Geoff jansz. G. 406832 3.00 The Price Is Right. Game show, hosted by Larry Emdur.

G. 909344 3.30 Married With Children. US comedy series. PG. 90243 1 4.00 Goodsports.

C. 970832 4.30 What's Up Doc? Cartoons, hosted by Karen Fischer. G. 339561 5.00 Full House. US comedy series.

With Candance Cameron. R. 330290 WIN: Sale OfThe Century. S. 5.30 Catch Phrase: Battle OfThe Stars.

Game show. G. 340677 6.00 News, Sport, Weather. 341306 WIN: Local News. 6.30 A Current Affair.

Current affairs, with Mike Munro. G. 359325 WIN: National Nine News. 7.00 Sale OfThe Century. Quiz show with Glenn Ridge.

S. 29243 1 WIN: A Current Affair. G. 7.29 Keno. 4436865 7.30 Our House.

Advice on home renovation and decorating. Shirley visits an award-winning Queensland holiday home, Rebecca Gilling vis-Its Australia's leading teddy bear artist and Reg celebrates Easter by revealing his secret recipe for hot-cross buns. G. 291702 8.00 Good Medicine. Australian medical advice series.

PG. 298615 8.30 The Footy Show. AFL news, humor and information show, with Eddie McGuire, Sam Newman and Trevor Marmalade. PG. 324899 10.30 Nightline.

With Jim Waley. 277122 1 1.00 High Incident. US crime series: No Money Down.A desperate couple resort to robbing a bank to meet their mortgage repayment and Terry is forced to negotiate when he is caught inside the bank. With Dylan Bruno. M.

715967 12.00 Late Show With David Letter-man. US talk show. PG. 609352 1.00 Entertainment Tonight. Show business news.

PG. 71 19710 1.30 Movie: Sher Mountain Killings Mystery. 1990 thriller starring Tom Richards. A family has its life turned upside down by the bur glary of a precious stone, rumored to have an ancient curse on it (violence). 3452791 3.05 Victor Paul Home Shopping.

Home shopping series. G. 1806420 4.05 Turn 'Round Australia. Religious i program. 2686178 4.35 Court TV.

Real-life courtroom drama. PG. 7820739 5.00 2020. News and current affairs. PG.

4707062 Speaker Box. 1 1 .00 Champagne Comedy. i 1 www.theage.com.au Northern Territory $2.05 NSW ex-Sydney $1.40 Broken Hill $1.00 Tasmania King Flinders Is. $1.40 Perth Recommended and maximum only. fi fi II fl SBS 6.00 WorldWatch.

Including Cantonese News. News from Hong Kong. 885456 1 6.20 Mandarin News. News from Beijing. 20618832 6.55 Teiegiornale.

30259870 7.30 Das Journal News from Berlin. 7317509 8.00 TaNea Ton Ennea. News from Athens. 3729431 9.00 Le Journal. News from Paris.

2537783 9.30 Sevodnia. News from Moscow. 9592625 10.15 Telediario. News from Madrid. 58376325 1 1.00 Siaran Berita.

News from Jakarta. 25242 1 9 1 1 .30 The Journal. News from Berlin. 2527306 Business Report. From America's PBS.

2528035 Of The Town. 1995 German comedy starring Martina Gedeck. Follows a woman's attempt to find a partner through the personal columns. (sex references, language, adult themes). 4081801 WeatherWatch And Music.

1495899 TV Ed. 2869615 World Sport Sports action, hosted by Les Murray. R. 2862702 Tales From A Suitcase. Russian-born Stefania Sochan survived WWII and immigrated to Australia in 1 950.

G. 7594325 NewshourWith Jim Lehrer. Current affairs from America's PBS. 7503073 12.00 12.30 2.05 3.00 3.30 4.00 5.00 6.00 Global Village. French documentary series, with Silvio Rivier.G.

6591325 6.30 World News. Presented by Mary Kostakidis. S. 6509344 7.00 Asia Sports Show. Highlights of the week of sport in Asia.

1575696 7.30 The Movie Show. David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz review the latest movie releases and show business news. G. 1574967 8.00 About Us: Visions Of Yankalilla. An SBS documentary following the struggle of Father Andrew and the parishioners of the country town of Yankalilla, in South Australia, to create a church for the new millennium.

7326257 9.00 World News At Nine. With Indira Naidoo.S. 1555832 9.30 Movie: Business InThe Balkans. 1996 Greek comedy starring Alexandras Logothetis. A cafe owner takes advantage of the "get rich fever that sweeps Romania after the fall of socialism.

(language, sex references, adult themes). 441 1238 11.20 Dual Truth. Part II of a 13-part Greek drama series. A widow and her son belong to a religious cult until the son discovers that the "master" and his teachings are not genuine. 48333219 12.10 Movie: Too Late.

1996 French drama starring RazvanVasilescu. An inexperienced prosecutor Is called in to Investigate the unexplained death of a coal miner the first in a series of baffling deaths. (sex references, violence, language). 85853 1 59 1.55 Temporary Close. 5.00 WeatherWatch And Music.

1271062 5.30 Japanese News. 1281449 Music. 9.30 Vivace. 1 0.00 Boob Tube. 1 0.30 TEN 6.00 Aerobics Oz Style.

Australian fitness program. G. 1 72238 6.30 Sports Tonight Sporting highlights from around the world. R.G. 180257 7.00 Cheez TV.

Cartoons, presented by Jade Gatt and Ryan Lappin. Including Spiderman Pokemon and Count Duckula. R. G. 5852832 8.30 InThe Box.

Series for pre-school children. P. 528493 9.00 Good Morning Australia. Infotainment, presented by Bert Newton. PG.

9895306 11.30 News. 542073 1 2.00 The Roseanne Show. US talk show. Guests: Juliette Lewis and Michael Medued. PG.

424238 1 .00 Judge Joe Brown. Real-life courtroom drama. PG. 987122 1.30 Beauty And The Beast Panel discussion. PG.

434615 2.30 The Oprah Winfrey Show. US talk show: 1999 Follow-Up Show.PG. 438431 3.30 Breakers. Australian drama serial. With James Stewart.

G. 900073 4.00 Totally Wild. Australian wildlife and environment series. C. 901702 4.30 The Bold And The Beautiful.

US drama serial. G. 360431 5.00 News, Sport, Weather. Presented by Jennifer Hansen and Mai Walden. 884696 6.00 Judge Judy.

Real-life courtroom drama with Judge Judy Scheindlin. G. 349948 6.30 Neighbours. Australian drama serial. Anne stretches the truth to get a job as a waitress.

S. 357967 7.00 The Simpsons. US animated comedy series: There's No Disgrace Like Home. Homer discovers that other families can live together peacefully when he takes his family to a picnic. G.

290073 7.30 The Simpsons. US animated comedy series: Bart Carny. The carnival comes to town and Bart wrecks the main attraction. S. 299344 8.00 El News.

Entertainment news and gossip. PG. 296257 8.30 Storm Warning: Jet Stream Turbulence. When rain floods a placid Tennessee valley, the rivers overflow their banks, causing chaos. A rescuer thrown into the rushing water nearly loses his life In the line of duty.

PG. 727702 9.30 The Panel. A comical review of the week's events, with Rob Lj Sitch, Santo Cilauro.Tom Gleisner and Glenn Robbins. (language, adult themes). 4567580 10.45 11.15 News.

6104580 Sports Tonight Sporting highlights from around the world. 6121257 Breakers. Australian drama serial. With James Stewart G. 1731325 Beauty And The Beast Panel discussion.

M. 5813623 Religion -Talk To Me. R. 7838307 Telemall Shopping. 7104130 Danoz Shopping.

6458130 Video Hits. Music video. 5962178 Life In The Word. 7108604 Kenneth Copeland. G.

3047371 Marilyn Hlckey. R.G. 3015772 This IsYour Day With Benny Hinn. Religion. 3025159 11.45 12.15 1.15 2.IS 3.15 3.45 4.00 4.30 5.00 5.30 1 .30 Fish Cam.

Exclusive Age photographs and cartoons are available for sale from The Age Photosales Department They can be yours to keep but you need to talk to us about reproduction fees. Order by phone on 9601 2270, fax 9602 1 055, or www.market.fairfax.com.aushopphotosalesageindex.html or in person at 250 Spencer Street, Melbourne. FAIRFAX RESEARCH Fairfax Research conducts customised searches of newspapers, journals and online information sources for a fee. For information call our research line on 960 1 2676 or visit our site. Services DirectorySKI How to contact us Our switchboard number is (03) 9600 421 1 Our offices are at: 250 Spencer Street, Melbourne 3000.

You can fax us on 9601 2327, or e-mail: editorialtheage.fairfax.com.au Subscribe to The Age You can have The Age home delivered seven days a week. To inquire about home deliveries, please call 1 3 27 82. For inquiries about a postal subscription (within Australia or overseas), please call (03) 9604 1 485 or go to www.theage.com.au Advertise in The Age For all advertising queries please call 1 3 22 43. Classified ads placed in The Age also appear free in The Age Classified Online internet site at www.theage.com.au If you need assistance, please call our advertising customer service desk 13 24 57. Reader Helpline We like to hear what you think of our paper.

If you have any comments, criticisms, or questions please contact us by: Mail. Reader Helpline, O-Kylie Moss, 250 Spencer Street, Melbourne 3000. Fax: (03) 9601 2327 Phone: (03) 9601 2932 E-mail: kmosstheage.falrfax.com.au The Age prices: Monday to Friday 5.30 Rugrats. Animated series. R.

26238 5.55 Once Upon A Time. R. 2487948 6.00 Heartbreak High. Australian drama serial. G.

6073 6.30 A River Yarraki River, Far North Queensland, part one. Australian adventure travel series. From the tropical centre of Cairns, Rob and Tom travel north in search of the elusive coral trout R.G.S. 1764 7.00 News, Sport, Weather. S.

257 7.30 The 7.30 Report. S. 528 8.00 Wild Harvest With Nick Nairn: The Highlands. Scottish cooking series. Nick goes mushroom-picking for the raw produce to make a Scottish risotto.

G.S. 141 8.30 The Lakes. British drama series. (language, sex references, adult themes), S. 48696 9.1 Talking Hand Of God.

G.S. 942073 IfcOO I' 10.30 10.35 11.10 Red Dwarf. British comedy series: Back InThe Red, part two. PG. 677 News.S.

77986 Lateline. Current affairs, presented by Tony Jones. 7433054 Movie: Life After Life. Drama starring Graham Reid. Having been sent to prison for a cause he believed in, a former IRA murderer Is unprepared for his release.

MA (violence, language, adult themes), S. 4773180 Parliament Question Time: Senate. 91 16913 ATV News. 8962265 Movie: Wings Over Everest Documentary on the first flights over Mt Everest G. 4937284 Open Learning.

Including Time ToGrow.R,S. 60B037I 3.30 Race To Save The Planet. 6050130 4.00 Environmental Studies. R.S. SI 2479 1 S.00 Open Learning: Destlnos.

G. 8663371 5.30 Open Learning. Marketing. 8633130 12.35 1.35 2.05 3.00 CHANNEL 31:6.00 Sputnik. 6.30 Tamil TV.

1 6.00 News, Sport, Weather. Presented by David Johnston. S. 9054 6.30 Today Tonight. Current affairs, with Naomi Robson.

S. 7073 7.00 Home And Away. Australian drama series. Diana takes over James and Chloe's wedding plans. Fisher's attempts to find Marilyn are futile.

Will has a secret admirer and Gypsy is fuming. S. 4580 7.30 JAG. US adventure Game Of Go. A team of Marines try to kidnap druglord Carlos Estruga from his villa in the Colombian jungle.

PG, S. 5290 8.30 Blue Heelers. Australian police drama Good Weed. Tom finds himself firmly planted in the middle of a land management dispute between neighbors. One wants to grow organic plants for herbal remedies, but must stop the other crop-dusting with noxious chemicals.

PCS. 93431 9.30 Live And Kicking. AFL variety show, with Jason Dunstall, Doug Hawkins, James Hird and Todd Viney.PG. 99615 10.30 Homicide Life On The p-n Street US police drama series: Wjj Strangers And Other Partners. II Mary and Frank celebrate a sec- ond pregnancy.

S. 80967 1.30 News. With Chris Bath. B56I 12.00 Strange But True. Stories of the unexplained.

PG. 85246 12.35 NBC Today. 3026536 PRIME: IAPD.M. I. OS Suzanne Paul Home Shopping.

G. 2.35 Telemall Shopping. I57755S PRIMLTeleviiion Shopping Network. G. 6.00 Rejoin network.

3.35 US Customs Classified. R.M. 1219371 4.20 LAPD Life On The Beat M. 2936230 4.45 Animal Rescue. G.

772608 1 5.10 Beyond 2000. G. S. 8068604 7.00 Arab TV. 8.00 UK Today.

8.30 Liquid Sthn.NSWSth-Eastern, ACTCooma NSW South Coast SA by road Queensland Adelaide $1.50 $1.00 $1.50 $1.40 The Age supports newspaper recycling. (Other ptacti: Price on application to newsagent) EAAA27.