St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 190

Television Question Box Letters intended for this column should be sent to: Television Editor, TV Magazine, Post Dispatch, 900 N. Tucker St. Louis, Mo. 63101 JOAN VAN TASSEL is listed as a writer-producer-director of NBC-TV's "Speak Up America." What can you tell me about her? It is nice to know there is a multi-talented woman operating in a man's world. Three cheers for her.

"I'm well trained and if anyone feels it's unusual for me to be doing what men 'generally' do, I haven't heard about it," Miss Van Tassel said. She received her master's degree in educational psychology at California State College in North-ridge. Her thesis was on the use of advertising techniques to increase the effectiveness of educational films. She became interested in advertising and took a job as a copywriter for one of the largest agencies in the country. In 1978 she wrote and co-produced a documentary, "Land of the Free, Home of the Rich," which was nominated for an Emmy.

"Who knows where you go after you've done shows like this ('Speak Up America')?" Miss Van Tassel said. She isn't ruling out motion pictures. What is going to happen with the new season if the actors' strike continues? Will there be a new season? At this writing the networks are still planning to begin the season the seventh and 14th of next month and that's just a couple of weeks away. What they will do for shows is anybody's guess as both the movie (Screen Actors Guild) and television (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) performers are walking the picket line. ABC-TV always starts its season with the Monday night football games, so at least part of one evening will be on schedule.

The networks own the rights to some "blockbuster" movies they were saving to Joan Van Tassel, left, and "Speak Up America" reporter Rhonda Bates discuss plans for a location shooting for a segment of the show. spread out during the year. It is not known, by us at least, if they will try to reschedule the movies and compile some semblance of a "new" season if the strike continues. In other words, what happens now is anybody's guess. It could be reurns from now to Christmas.

What can you tell us about Philip Brown who plays Randy in "When the Whistle Also, is this show going to be aired next year? If not, why? Philip Brown, a native of Coalinga, started his professional acting career in commercials at the tender age of 10. His uncle, actor Peter Brown w-ho starred in the old "Laredo" and "The Lawman" series was instrumental in getting him started in the business. But acting is not his true love, it's medicine: TURN TO PAGE 46 Page 38.