The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 18

Wednesday, April 20, 1983 TELEVISION B6 Akron Beacon Journal Networks canceled less; more new series rated high Season ratings A I fl HimiiirM David Bianculli watching the networks had an easier time finding new shows they liked, and were spared the frustrating experience of watching those shows vanish without warning or reason. Consequently, more new shows have wound up in the top 20 for the season beginning Sept. 27, 1982, and ending last Sunday. NBC's The A Team made the Top 10; CBS's Newhart, The Mississippi and Gloria were ranked in the Top 20. In addition, some late entries ranked high at season's end include CBS's Goodnight, Beantown and ABC's Ryan's Four and High Performance.

Discerning viewers must be content to hope that patience is a virtue the networks especially NBC will continue to embrace. Remington Steele is ranked 68th, Fame 71st, Cheers 73rd and St. Elsewheiv 86th. The Family Tree, one of the season's brighter moments, wound up in 93rd place, and Taxi, due to some inexplicable oversight by CBS's research staff, was omitted entirely. Though it seems anti-climactic, mention should be made of the week's Top 10 as well.

ABC's Academy Awards telecast topped the week, and allowed ABC to do the same. CBS was second, NBC third. The week's Top 10 are listed below the season rankings. For the first time in six years, all three networks have begun and ended their respective seasons at the same time. The 1982-83 season rankings were tabulated and announced Tuesday, and the results have adhered to the pattern of the past few seasons: CBS first.

ABC second, NBC third. The rankings of the season's weekly series are interesting, but are much better indicators of success than of failures. Shows at the top are likely to be around this fall, but shows at the top are not necessarily endangered. NBC's Cheers, ranked 73rd, already has been renewed, and the same network's Monitor, ranked dead last in 98th place, may well return. WHAT'S MORE TELLING is the obvious conclusion that prime time television is at long last curbing its feeding-frenzy attitude and appetite.

Previous seasons of identical length have listed well over 100 prime time entrants; networks are displaying more patience with their product, cancelling fewer programs and thus premiering fewer replacements. In no previous year since ABC came to power would NBC's St. Elsewhere still be on a network's schedule. This year, however, is different. Militant, lengthy strikes by TV's actors, musicians and writers crippled the starts and finishes of several recent seasons.

Before that, each network would counter-program its competitors by starting the season early (a practice ABC instituted in 1977 with Washington: Behind Closed Doors and dropping shows at the earliest sign of a low audience rating. The predictable outcome of all this is that audiences went elsewhere for the product (to independent stations and cable TV) and fewer new programs were allowed to mature into hits. NBC's Hill Street Blues bucked the latter trend, and NBC itself is trying to buck the former one. The 1982-83 schedules of all three networks were more stable than usual. Shows stayed around longer and were shifted around less.

The viewers who kept Ed Murphy, 'Sat. Night' to return (Sept. 27, 1982 April 17, 1983) 1. 60 Minutes (CBS) 2. Dallas (CBS) 3.

MASH (CBS) 4. Magnum, P. I. (CBS) 5. Dynasty (ABC) 6.

Three's Company (ABC) 7. Simon Simon (CBS) 8. Falcon Crest (CBS) 9. The Love Boat (ABC) 10. The A Team (NBC) 11.

Monday Night Football (ABC) 12. The Jeffersons (CBS) 13. Newhart (CBS) 14. The Fall Guy (ABC) 15. The Mississippi (CBS) 16.

9 to 5 (ABC) 17. One Day at a Time (CBS) 18. Hart to Hart (ABC) 19. Gloria (CBS) 20. Trapper John, M.

D. (CBS) 21. Goodnight, Beantown (CBS) 22. Knots Landing (CBS) 23. Hill Street Blues (NBC) 24.

Ryan's Four (ABC) 25. That's Incredible (ABC) 26. Archie Bunker's Place (CBS) 27. ABC Monday Night Movies 28. Laverne Shirley (ABC) 29.

ABC Sunday Night Movies 30. CBS Tuesday Night Movies 31. Happy Days (ABC) 32. Little House (NBC) 33. Real People (NBC) 34.

The Dukes of Hazzard (CBS) 35. NBC Sunday Night Movies 36. The Facts of Life (NBC) 37. Fantasy Island (ABC) 38. Too Close for Comfort (ABC) 39.

NBC Monday Night Movies 40. High Performance (ABC) 41. Alice (CBS) 42. Matt Houston (ABC) 43. Benson (ABC) 44.

Condo (ABC) 45. Private Benjamin (CBS) 46. It Takes Two (ABC) 47. CBS Saturday Night Movies 48. Knight Rider (NBC) 49.

2020 (ABC) 50. Silver Spoons (NBC) 51. Diff'rent Strokes (NBC) 52. CHiPs (NBC) 53. T.

J. Hooker (ABC) 54. Amanda's (ABC) 55. Cagney Lacey (CBS) 56. Fa-iilv Ties (NBC) 57.

Walt Disney (CBS) 58. Square Pegs (CBS) 59. Mama's Family (NBC) 60. The New Odd Couple (ABC) 61. CBS Wednesday Night Movies 62.

Gimme a Break (NBC) 63. And Baby Makes Five (ABC) 64. Quincy, M. E. (NBC) 65.

7 Brides for 7 Brothers (CBS) 66. Father Murphy (NBC) 67. At Ease (ABC) 68. Remington Steele (NBC) 69. Tales of the Gold Monkey (ABC) 70.

Joanie Loves Chachi (ABC) 71. Fame (NBC) 72. Filthy Rich (CBS) 73. Cheers (NBC) 74. Ace Crawford, Private Eye (CBS) 75.

Small Frye (CBS) 76. Foot in the Door (CBS) 77. Tucker's Witch (CBS) 78. Zorro Son (CBS) 79. Love, Sidney (NBC) 80.

Ripley's Believe it or Not! (ABC) 81. Bring 'Em Back Alive (CBS) 82. Gun Shy (CBS) 83. Star of the Family (ABC) 84. Bare Essence (NBC) 85.

Powers of Matthew Star (NBC) 86. St. Elsewhere (NBC) 87. ABC Friday Night Movies 88. Wizards and Warriors (CBS) 89.

Gavilan (NBC) 90. Casablanca (NBC) 91. Greatest American Hero (ABC) 92. Teachers Only (NBC) 93. The Family Tree (NBC)' 94.

Voyagers! (NBC) 95. The Devlin Connection (NBC) 96. The Quest (ABC) 97. The Renegades (ABC) 98. Monitor (NBC) LAST WEEK'S RATINGS 1.

Academy Awards (ABC) 2. 60 Minutes (CBS) 3. Dallas (CBS) 4. Barbara Walters Special (ABC) 5. Magnum, P.

I. (CBS) 6. Dynasty (ABC) 7. The A Team (NBC) 8. Trapper John, M.

D. (CBS) 9. CBS Movie, Summer Girl 10. Simon Simon (CBS) I 6:00 6:30 "7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 1:00 1:30 News NBC News TicTac Fam.Feud Bob Hope Special Facts Taxi Quincy News Tonight D.Letterman jOvernight News ABC News Detector You Asked The Fall Guy Ryan's Four Dynasty News Nightline The Last Word Big Valley 0 News CBS News Entertain. PMMag.

Zorro Sq.Pegs Movie: "Avalanche" News Hartman Hawaii Flve-0 "Heaven With Gun" 1 (D I Praise Club Ctd Ernest Angley Camp Meeting, U.S.A. Jim Bakker Praise The Lord Club (Scenes INN News taNews NBC News TicTac P. Court Bob Hope Sp. Facts Taxi Quincy News Tonight p. Letterman ffiNews ABC News Get Smart Jeannie The Fall Guy Ryan's Four Dynasty News Nightline 700Club Movie I ED jContact Over Easy Bus.

Rpt. MacNeil Kennedy Center Tonight Wagner In Our Own Backyard Jrnl. PBS Latenight i I I News CBS News Jeffersons Baseball: Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Mets WKRP News Hart To Hart Movie: "Love For Ransom" I CD News ABC News Entertain. Fam.Feud The Fall Guy Ryan's Four Dynasty News Nightline The Last Word OP 1 A. Griffith Laverne M'A'S'H Baseball: Cleveland Indians at Toronto Blue Jays H's Heroes C.

Country All Family jTwil.Zone Movie: "HighCountry" 1 00 Contact Why? MacNeil Over Easy Kennedy Center Tonight Wagner In Our Own Backyard Criterium PBS Latenight I Bionic Woman The Avengers Preview-Mom "Galaxy Of Terror" Movie: "Charles And Lucie" Inside Baseball Movie: "Black Emmanuelle" CD Little House Times B.Miller Movie: "Voyage Of The Damned" News Children Hit L. House Laverne B. Miller Baseball: Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies News Charlie's Angels Movie: "Run For Cover" 1 1011 1 New Jersey People Soap Baseball: Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Mets Newark Detector Hawaii Five-0 World Family Under Fire ra A. Griffith "Gomer C.Burnett B. Newhart Jacques Cousteau News Baseball: Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres Movie: "Glory Brigade" I CBN jTicTac Movie: "The Sea Hornet" ISpy 700 Club Star Time Life Burns Jack Benny Joan My Margie CINE Movie: "Doctor Zhivago" Ctd Movie: "Lies My Father Told Me" Movie: "Love At First Bite" Movie: "Confessions From A HolidayCamp" Movie QSKY EpcotMag.

Zorro Movie: "The Secret Life Of Plants" Theater Movie: "Tron" ESPN In. Series FishiiV Stretch jSpoCtr. NBA Basketball: N.Y. Knicksvs. N.J.

Nets stretch SportsCenter wCTTennis: Spring Final HBO Movie: "For Your Eyes Only" Ctd Movie: "Carbon Copy" Show Going For Laughs Movie: "Absence Of Malice" "Southern Comfort" HUII Dynamics It Figures Nature Nature Health Healthline Med. Mar. Amer.Ad. Sexuality Counselor Nature Healthline Med. Mar.

Amer.Ad. Health Sexuality Movie Ctd. Movie: "Secret Policeman" Movie: "Blow Out" Movie: "Tribute To A Bad Man" Movie: "First Monday In October" Wi Opryland On Stage Dancin' U.S.A. Paradise Fandango Nashville Now Yesteryear After Hours Offstage Nashville Now Opryland NO Livewire What Next? Do That Beauty People Third Eye dflS-Rigoletto Nightcap PBOY Movie: "Shame Of The Jungle" Electric Blue I Movie: "Talk Dirty To Me" Movie: "Shame Of The Jungle" Blue SHO Movie: "Continental Divide" Pippin Movie: "Student Bodies" Bizarre Pat Collins Movie; "Star Trek II" SPN Books st. JohrT Medicine Money Baby jN.

Haskell Telefraiice U.S.A. lstNighter Movie ITCH Cartoons Radio 1990 NHL Hockey: Stanley Cup Division Final Sp.Look NBA Basketball: Portland vs. Seattle Hockey From staff and wire reports Eddie Murphy, despite a promising, lucrative feature films future, signed a one-year contract at the same pay as the rest of the cast to stay with Saturday Night Live next season. With Murphy, NBC renewed Saturday Night for its ninth season. The rest of the cast has mul-tiyear pacts.

After 48 HRS. became a major theater hit, Murphy signed a multimillion-dollar Paramount Pictures contract for theater movies, and released a comedy album. He co-starred with former Saturday Night star Dan Aykroyd in Trading Places, scheduled for release this summer, and is doing a special for Home Box Office. CBS WON the newscast ratings for the 16th consecutive year. The CBS Evening News, anchored by Dan Rather, averaged a 14.4 rating (percentage of homes with TV sets) to 12.1 by ABC's World News Tonight and 11.6 by The NBC Nightly News.

PRIME TIME viewing, which drew 90 percent to the three networks three years ago, dropped to 81 percent for the 1982-83 A National Association of 'Broadcasters study shows that TV viewing has risen slightly since 1977, but cable and ipde-: pendent stations have cut into the "networks' audience. FRANK MANKIEWICZ, presi-dent of the financially ailing National Public Radio (NPR) -since 1977, has stepped down. The NPR board will appoint an acting chief for the next six MARVIN KALB'S appearance as Meet the Press moderator was a tryout for that role for NBC's chief diplomatic correspondent. SYMBOLS GUIDE BEST BETS i HHMmii.M ii.Liinuju.ii Chicago WGN (Ml New York WOR EE Atlanta WTBS GHHSteubenville WTOV ffiH Wheeling WTRF BED ARTS (Alpha Repertory Television Service) ED Black Entertainment Home Box Office till Cable Health Network HI Movie Channel KB) Music Television EES Nashville Network M. Nickelodeon DID Playboy Channel EE Preview EEfl Satellite Programming Network HH Showtime USA Network ED Warner Akron cable position number 8-P1 IWSSI Warner Amex Springfield cable position number 6 9 Closed captioned for the hearing-impaired 7 p.m.

Gag The Secret Life of Plants Five years ago, a low-budget fantasy film called The Kirlian Witness based its plot on the premise that plants can sense and react to their surroundings. This film accepts that premise and sets out to prove it to the accompaniment of songs composed and performed by Stevie Wonder. 8 p.m. CD CD Kennedy Center Tonight Zoe Caldwell repeats her Tony Award-winning role as Medea (and Judith Anderson, who won a Tony in 1947 for the same role, now plays the nurse, as she did in this 1982 Kennedy Center production) in a tale of revenge that makes Othello look like a gentleman by comparison. There's more scheming than on Dynasty or Daas, and a lot more durability: Euripedes wrote the play in 431 B.

and it still works. PBS. 11 p.m. MM Absence of Malice Paul Newman raises a lot of questions about the rights of newspapers to print what other people tell them, despite the First Amendment. Newman also shows that, in the long run, newspaper-people are not the only clever folks in the world.

Home Box Office. Television Christian Broadcasting Network ESQ Cinemax Cable News Network EU Disney Channel EB8D ESPN (Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) Judith Anderson 6:00 p.m. 13 Where Do Babies Come From Painful experiences of children of al- coholic parents. Second of a five-part Daytime series dealing with children's health issues. 6:30 p.m.

GB Over Easy "Employment" Guest: actor Burgess Meredith. Repeat, 7:00 p.m. i QD Entertainment Tonight Inter-4 views with Victoria Tennant, Shelley Hack. Moneyline Sen. Bill Bradley.

discusses taxes. Ml Movie "The Secret Life of Plants" (1978) Documentary. Time- lapse and microscopic photography are employed in this look at the emo-'. tional life of various flora. Musical score by Stevie Wonder.

(G) Pfl WOl Dancebeat (Available only, on Warner Akron cable position 8-P1, Warner Springfield position 6.) Host, Canton WHBC disc jockey Jon Wil- son. 30 minutes. Dancing taped at the Entertainer Club in Greentown day. 7:30 p.m. 1 QPM Magazine A look at a self-; defense workshop; a test designed to help people discover the foods to which they are allergic or sensitive.

CD CD Over Easy "Women Alone Being Single" Guest: singer Maxine Andrews. Repeat, 8:00 p.m. QgDMWho Makes the World Laugh? Skip Stephenson, Jonathan Winters, Erma Bombeck and Art Buchwald join Bob Hope for a look at the humor of our century from Mark Twain to the present. ffl ffl The Fall Guy Colt tries to save the life of a circus orangutan who supposedly killed his manager. I WW I Zorro and Son Comman-dante Pico poses as Zorro to discredit his adversary.

CD CD Kennedy Center Tonight Zoe Caldwell and Dame Judith Anderson star in a stage presentation of Robinson Jeffer's adaptation of Euri-pides' Medea. QJ Movie "Voyage of the Damned" (1976) Faye Dunaway, Os-' kar Werner. In 1939, a shipload of Rivers. Guests: David Brenner, Ber-nadette Peters, Jessica Walter. QMary Hartman, Mary Hartman Pandemonium reigns supreme! Mary must face the mass-murderer, ffl CD CD PBS Latenight Featured: Ann McBride, vice president of Common Cause (Washington, D.C.), who believes that we must wage "war" on political action committees that are influencing Congress; Carol Channing, who is celebrating her 20th year as the star of Hello Dolly.

HQ Hart to Hart Jonathan and Jennifer board a luxurious ocean liner to investigate a series of mysterious jewel thefts. Repeat. QD All in the Family A magazine's life expectancy test that indicates Archie will die at age 57. 11:40 p.m. HI Movie "Confessions from a Holiday Camp" (1977) Robin Ask-with.

A young man attempts to organize a beauty contest at a camp. Midnight Hawaii Flve-0 Wo Fat resurfaces in Hawaii in pursuit of a visiting foreign minister under Five-O's protection, ffl 700 Club See 9 p.m. rm QD Twilight Zone A man resolves to make his plant the most automated manufacturing establishment in the world. ED Movie "Go Down, Death!" See 9 p.m. QET MOV Movie "First Monday in October" (1981) Walter Matthau, Jill Clayburgh.

A liberal Supreme Court Justice clashes with the newest member of the nation's highest court, an ultra-conservative woman jurist. (R) 003 Movie "Shame of the Jungle" See 9 p.m. 013 12:30 a.m. OS) EE Late Night With David Letterman Guests: humorist Nora Ephron, comedian Gary Muledeer. QD Twilight Zone A folk singer goes into the backwoods to find a song that will bring him commercial success.

HE Movie "Run for Cover" (1955) James Cagney, John Derek. A former outlaw changes the lives of a woman and a young at the Love Canal the first environmental emergency of its kind are documented. HQ Movie "Love at First Bite" (1979) George Hamilton, Susan Saint James. A love-smitten Count Dracula packs up his coffin and heads for New York City to find the reincarnation of a former love. EH Freeman Reports Guest: Sen.

Gary Hart, ISW1 Movie "Tribute to a Bad Man" (1956) James Cagney, Irene Papas. Two concerned people attempt to convince a rancher to stop killing rustlers. HI Movie "Student Bodies" (1981) Kristen Riter, Matthew Golds-by. A heavy-breathing psychotic killer stalks the fun-loving students of a typical American high school. (R) 10:30 p.m.

fflWKRP in Cincinnati Jennifer decides to call Herb's bluff by finally accepting a date with him. OS Hogan's Heroes Klink is assigned as defense counsel for a German officer on trial for treason. IWASHl Yesteryear in Nashville Guest: Earl Scruggs. EH Movie "Taik Dirty to Me" (1980) A man tries to lure an unwilling woman to bed by letting her listen in on his romantic conquests. 11:00 p.m.

GD Carter Country The annual pay negotiations are a foregone conclusion until the mayor hires a professional arbitrator. CD CD Twilight Criterium The phenomenon of bicycle racing is explored in this documentary about the Athens Twilight Criterium. B0 Movie "Absence of Malice" (1981) Paul Newman, Sally Field. A legitimate businessman's life is ruined by a newspaper reporter's story alleging his involvement in the mob killing of a labor boss. (PG) 11:25 p.m.

Us Nightcap: Conversations on the Arts and Letters Topic: photography. Guests: Alfred Eisenstaedt, Cornell Capa, Roman Vishniac. 11:30 p.m. Q) fwTovl Tonight Guest host: Joan 013 Movie "Black Emmanuelle" (No Date) A sexy photographer's adventures are enhanced by the scenery of the country in which she is working. 1:00 a.m.

Movie "Heaven With a Gun" (1969) Glenn Ford, Carolyn Jones. A peace-loving preacher attempts to bring some solidarity to a Western town by setting up a church. Q9 Movie "Run to the High Country" (1974) Erik Larsen. Movie "Southern Comfort" (1981) Keith Carradine, Powers I IU SAY 7:00 a.m. S) IBM Today From San Antonio, Texas Gov.

Mark White of Texas; former Democratic National Committee chairman Robert Strauss; Presidential chief of staff James Baker; Charley Pride; the history of the Alamo. ffl ffl BIQ Good Morning America Featured: "Health Care" looks at the crisis in MedicareMedi-caid; actress Donna Mills; "Home Re-i pair" focuses on rip-offs in home repair; "Advertising Today" with the stars of two "family-style" commercials, Sugar Ray Leonard and his and Gerry Cooney and his mother. 9:00 a.m. Dave Patterson Featured: Cleveland cowboy Ken Knopp talks about the rodeo; Wink Martindale, host of Tic Tac Dough tells about his show and personal life. Noon ES Take Two Author Charles King, Fire in My Bones, and of the Urban Crisis Center in Atlanta, on black-white relations in America; Thomas J.

Brazaitis, Washington bureau chief for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, on the Democratic presidential candidacy of Sen. John Glenn of Ohio; debate between Rep. Ron Paul, and Howard Ruff, financial consultant, on the wisdom of buying U.S. gold coins. 4:30 p.m.

ion Movie "El Cid" (Part 2) (1961) Charlton Heston. GUI 700 Club Featured: saving time through time management. 013 Movie "Tron" (1982) Jeff Bridges, David Warner. While searching for evidence that his video game programs were stolen by a another programmer, a computer wiz is absorbed into databanks of a large system ruled by a tyrannical Master Control Program. (PG) fJPN Telefrance U.S.A.

"Tele-Stories: Father Paris-Berlin" "Cine-Club: over There, 1914-1918" "Entracte: Why the Actor Was Late" EE MM Seiberling Circus (Available only on Warner Akron cable position 8-P1, Warner Springfield position 6.) Seiberling Elementary School's annual circus day. Students and teachers at the Akron school are featured in the one-hour program. The show will be repeated at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. 9:30 p.m.

EH Taxi On the eve of a big fight, Tony's girlfriend announces that she may be expecting his baby, ffl CD CD Wagner in Venice Wagner's view of Venice is captured in a special filmed in the city and set to music from The Ring, Tristan and Isolde, Die Meistersinger and The Flying Dutchman. BED Electric Blue I Marilyn Chambers hosts an entertaining look at sex. EM Movie "Charles and (1979) Daniel Ceccaldi, Ginette Garcin. A couple whose marriage is as severely impoverished as their financial condition discover each other anew when their fortunes hit rock bottom. 10:00 p.m.

iwrovl Quincy Quincy and some 500 disabled persons go to Washington to get the attention of an apathetic senator who could hold up proposed "orphan drug" legislation. Repeat. Offl ffl Dynasty Almost everyone is in a life-threatening situation, and will be in this season-ending cliffhan-ger until new episodes begin next fall. 9 ffl CD CD In Our Own Backyard The reactions of government officials, residents and their advisers to the events German Jews is forced to return to Germany after being denied permis- sion to enter Cuba. IH Movie "Carbon Copy" (1981) George Segal, Susan Saint James.

A successful white business-' man discovers that he has a grown son who is black. (PG) ED Movie "Blow Out" (1981) John Travolta, Nancy Allen. A sound technician who works on horror films witnesses an assassination. (R) EH Movie "Shame of the Jungle" (1975) Animated. Voices by John Belushi, Bill Murray.

A ribald spoof of Tarzan movies. (R) ffevl Movie "Galaxy of Terror" (1981) Edward Albert, Erin Moran. A spaceship crew encounters a coterie of frightening alien creatures while looking for another vessel stranded on a forbidding planet. (R) ISHQl Pippin Ben Vereen, William Katt, Martha Raye and Chita Rivera star in this Tony Award-winning musical. Taped at Ontario's Hamilton Place.

8:05 p.m. TO Jacques Cousteau Special "Cries from the Deep" Captain Jacques Cousteau visits the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and the Labrador Peninsula. 8:30 p.m. Ml Square Pegs Patty blindly tries to prove her theory that glasses decrease popularity. 9:00 p.m.

6) EEO The Facts of Life Eastland's oldest living graduate considers leaving her estate to Jo. qj ffl ffl Ryan's Four Dr. Gillian's decision to specialize in internal medicine is ignored by his father, a prominent physician who wants him to become a surgeon. Eg Movie "Avalanche" (1978) Rock Hudson, Mia Farrow. The opening festivities of a luxury ski resort turn into disaster as a mountain of snow catapults toward the celebrants.

Repeat. 1 AR TS I Rigoletto Verdi's opera starring Franco Bonisolli. EOMovie "Go Down. Death!" (1944) Myra D. Hemmings, Samuel H.

James..