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LOS ANGELES TIMES WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2000 F13oc Richter: Sidekick Leaves late Night' Friday TODAY ON TV 10:00 a.m. CHANNELS Lot Angeles 03 KVEA (Tele) 23 Orange County 03 KDOC (Ind 56 KCBS (CBS) 02 BQKJLA(WI25 II KNBC (NBC) 04 BO KLCS (Edu.) 17 KTLA (WB 05 G8 KRCA (Ind. 1 20 KABC (ABC) 07 Palm Springs KCAL (Ind 09 36 KMIR (NBC) 04 mmviFoxin 42 kesq iabo 7, DB KCOP(UPN) 13 25 03 KSC1 (Ind 18 EHKWHYlnd22 3 JcvT WBCI07 BU KCET (PBS 28 3 YTIABC'D7 B3 KPXN (PAX) 30 San Bernardino B3KMEXUni.14 24 KVCR (PBSI 24 DISN Bear in the Big Blue House ESPN America's Horse ESPN2 Legends of the Road FSN2 Yoga Zone HIST In Search Of MTV Tom Cruise: An MTV Movie Special 249960 NICK Franklin 321750 SCI-FI The Twilight Zone (TVPG) TLC Jay Jay the Jet Plane (TVY) TMC "Captive" '98 1hr32 USA Fired Up (TVPG) tween the two. All in all, it was a dynamic that developed organically, and Ross doesn't want to force the process now that Richter is leaving. "It would be insulting to Andy to think that we could actually find somebody and sit them in the seat," Ross says.

But while noting that "three-quarters of the show is O'Brien talking to guests," Ross conceded that the show faces new questions with Richter's departure. "I'm the last one to minimize the effect of his leaving. There will be a lot of adjustments. The writers will have only one character to write for instead of two." Interviewed last fall while he was in Los Angeles taping a week's worth of shows, O'Brien said he'd 11:00 a.m. DD KTTV Divorce Court KCOP Montel Williams 48732 mi KSCI I Can Do It! KWHV "En las Garras de la Muerte" 2hr 42057 KVCR Sesame Street 34502 HD KCET Barney (TVY) 80144 KTBN Dr.

Cherry EC KOCE Instructional TV KVEA Mrjnica 36960 KDOC Life in the Word Si KJLA Mike Russell (TVG) ED KLCS Reading: Basic to Success AMC "Tarzan's Savage Fury" '52 1hr30 401908 Night Court BET Videolink BRVO Moonlighting CNBC Power Lunch 28415 CNN Newsday COM Whose Line Is It Anyway? DSC Assignment Discovery (TVG) DISN Otter (TVY) El Talk Soup (TVPG-D) 607076 ESPN SportsCenter ESPN2 NBA Today FAM It's Itsy Bitsy Time (TVY) FSN Sports Geniuses FX Picket Fences (TVPG-D) HIST The Real West (TVG) LIFE Designing Women (TVPG-D) NICK Little Bear 226386 SCI-FI Highlander (TVPG) TBS Matlock TLC Bingo Molly (TVYI TMC "Tourist Trap" '79 (PG) 1hr25 6955502 (9:15) TNN Dukes of Hazzard TNT Lois Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (TVPG) USA Hearts Afire (TVPG) Continued from Fl run on the show during which he established himself as a goofy, unassuming presence on the talk-show couch and a versatile co-medic performer in various "Late Night" sketches. These included "The Year 2000," in which O'Brien and Richter, like bored adolescents creating fantasy games over a long summer, sat in a darkened studio, shining flashlights in their eyes and making predictions about the future. While O'Brien seemed to be figuring out his talk-show host personality right there before our eyes, Richter appeared more sure of his offbeat persona, helping to build the show's popularity among college-aged viewers. "The funny thing is that people think you just in the chair and throw in a jab every now and then," says "Late Night" producer Jeff Ross, assessing the fine art of being a talk-show sidekick. "It looks easier than it is, which is fine, because nobody needs to know how hard it is." Ross says O'Brien will host "Late Night" alone, at least for the time being, and that new sidekicks will be tried out informally in the coming months.

Richter announced last summer that he would be leaving the show, but "Late Night," while fielding tape from would-be successors and mulling plans, hasn't exactly been grooming a replacement, Ross says. Hired originally as a writer, Richter became O'Brien's sidekick after test shows confirmed comedic chemistry be and he will engage in one more staring contest with O'Brien (a recurring bit). From there, it's on (o fame and fortune in TV and film, or some facsimile thereof. A former performer in various Chicago improv companies, Richter played Mike Brady in the New York and Los Angeles productions of "The Real Live Brady Bunch," a staged spoof of the 1970s sitcom. He met his wife, actress Sarah Thyre, in the LA.

production. "I'm a frustrating interview right now because I don't know what I'm doing," Richter says, though he will be seen as one of Richard Gere's hunting buddies in the upcoming Robert Altman comedy "Dr. and the Women." Beyond that, he would like to push his profile past the "fat slob roles" he says he's offered on screen. Like "Late Night" itself, Richter has a strong cult following while remaining unknown to most of the country. But who's to say that others will catch on, now that Richter lacks a comedy platform to say nothing of the regular paycheck that "Late Night" afforded him? "I have moments where I'm' a little nervous about it, but I still want to see what's out there," Richter says.

For starters, he may have to explain to people what he was doing on TV these past seven years. Even many in the entertainment industry think he's just been an announcer all these years on "Late Night," Richter says, some guy standing in the wings, his arms clasped politely behind his back. "Like I'm Gary Collins," he says. KCBS The Price Is Right (TVG) 1 3 1 KEYT Home Improvement a KNBC EXTRA (TVPG) 66908 13 KTLA Sally Jessy Raphael (1V14) 35540 KABC 42 KESQ The View 3908 KCAL Jerry Springer (TV1 4) 55328 iB KTTV Queen Latifah (TVPG) Absent parents. 73724 IB KCOP Forgive or Forget 56182 24 KVCR Creative Living HD KCET Sesame Street 29618 KMEX Maite 3ft KMIR Judge Mills Lane 3 KTBN Behind the Scenes EB KVEA "Cazadorde Tiburones" '81 2hr 23429 KJLA Richard Saxton (TVG) SO KLCS in Me: Entrepreneur in You: World of Work (10:15) KRCA Cine Murder, She Wrote BET Hits From the Street BRVO "The River" '84 (PG- 13)2hr45 97212881 CNN CNN Today COM "Little Darlings" '80 (R) 2hr 9957892 DSC Home Matters (TVG) DISN RoliePolie Olie (TVY) El The True Hollywood Story (TVPG-DL) "Divine" 324231 ESPN Racehorse Digest ESPN2 Legends of the Road FAM The 700 Club FSN2 The Method FX Beverly Hills, 90210 (TVPG) HBO "Wrongfully Accused" '98 (PG-13)1hr25 692724 HIST In Search Of (TVG) LIFE Chicago Hope (TVPG-L) NICK Kipper 866786 SCI-FI The Twilight Zone (TVPG) SHOW "For Pete's Sake" '74 (PG1hr30 858328 TBS Hunter TLC Pappyland (TVY) TNN Matt Houston (TVPG) TNT In the Heat of the Night (TVPG-V) USA Ned and Stacey (TVPG) VH1 New Videos (TVPG) "I'm a frustrating interview right now because I don't know what I'm doing." ANDY RICHTER HD KTBN (Ind.) 40 Ventura County 03 KOCE (PBS) 50 63 KADY(UPN) 16 Cable Services 39 El 63 NICK 38 AMC 35 ESPN 34 SCI-FI 87 BET 57 ESPN2 84 SHOW 41 BRVO 54 FAM 47 TBS 43 CNBC 31 FSN 27 TCM 88 COM 79 FSN2 59 TLC 51 CSPN 29 FX 89 TMC 58 CMAX 45 HBO 33 TNN 49 CNN 42 HIST 30 TNT 52 DSC 37 LIFE 46 USA 44 DISN 53 MTV 48 VH1 62 Use numbers after call letters to set VCR Plus.

Where there are two numbers, repeat the procedure. (R in the grid, denotes a repeat program. TV RATINGS (TVYI All Children (TVY7) Directed to Older Children ITW7-FV) Directed to Older Children; FantasyViolence (TVG) General Audience (TVPG) Parental Guidance (TV1 4 Parents Strongly Cautioned (TVMA) Mature Audiences Only ID Suggestive Dialogue Coarse Language (SI Sex (V) Violence Movie Ratings A CLASSIC FIRST RATE FLAWED: HAS MOMENTS DESPERATION TIME Morning KCBS The Young and the Restless (TV14 77502 KNBC News KTLA Judge Mills Lane KABC 3 1 KEYT Port Charles (TVPG) 36618 KCAL Judge Mathis (TVPG) DO KTTV Living Single EH KCOP Jenny Jones (TV14-DL) 43618 KWHY La Corte del Pueblo 24! KVCR Sewing With Nancy HD KCET Noddy (TVYI 96618 H3 KMEX Querida (TVPG) 34960 361 KMIR The People's Court EE KTBN James Robison 42 KESQ Leeza 16144 03 KDOC Southland Today EH KJLA Local Angle (TVG) ED KLCS Using Maps. Globes, Graphs, Tables, Charts and Diagrams; Taxes in U.S. History (11:15) Magnum.

PI. BET Jam Zone CNBC Street Signs CSPN U.S. House of Representatives 6594366 DSC Lynette Jennings Design DISN Winnie the Pooh (TVY) ESPN Cheerleading ESPN2 A Race for Heroes FAM Who's the Boss? (TVG) FX Beverly Hills, 90210 (TVPG) HIST FBI: The Untold Stories LIFE Unsolved Mysteries (TVPG) MTV MTV Movie Awards Uncensored 786076 NICK Franklin 282540 SCI-FI Star Trek TBS "White Lightning" '73 (PG 2hr05 72875057 TLC Bingo Molly (TVY) TNN Cagney Lacey TNT "jaws: The Revenge" '87 (PG-13)2hr 857279 USA Wings (TVPG) VH1 Back to Back Videos (TVPG) 9:30 a.m. rather risk it alone than risk hitting false notes with a new sidekick. "What I'm a little reluctant to do is, if it happened naturally with Andy, is to then say, 'All right, Andy will leave on a Friday.

On Tuesday, a sardonic, dry Nordic guy named William will be sitting This coming Friday night, meanwhile, Richter, 33, will be sent off with a musical number, 10:30 a.m. ED KTTV Divorce Court HD KCET The Puzzle Place 27163 EH KTBN Dean and Mary Brown S3 KDOC Benny Hinn KJLA Dow 30 Report (TVG) S3 KLCS Reading: Basic to Success Night Court CMAX "The X-Files" '98 (PG-131 2hr 701811 CNN Burden of Proof 333873 COM Win Ben Stein's Money (TVPG) DISN Out of the Box (TVY) El Mysteries Scandals (TVPG) ESPN2 RPM 2Night FAM CBN Special Edition 999453 FSN2 Gilad's Bodies in Motion HBO The Making Of: Entrapment (TVPG) (9:45) LIFE Designing Women (TVPG-D) NICK Blue's Clues TCM "A Woman's Face" '41 1hr46 2166927 TLC Salty's Lighthouse (TVY) USA Almost Perfect (TVPG) 31 KEYT Mad About You ITVPGI KNBC Access Hollywood 49144 9:00 a.m. Sweeps: Adult Viewers Under 50 Still Up for Grabs KVCR Kaye's Quilting Friends 36 KMIR Judoe Mills Lane 11:30 a.m. fM KCBS Martha Stewart 87076 KNBC 36 KMIR Later Today 72144 KTLA Sally Jessy Raphael (TV141 18960 KABC! 3 KEYT 42! KESQ Regis Kathie Lee 10328 0 KCAL Maury (TVPG) 61076 131 KEYT News El KTLA Judge Mills Lane a KABC News ED KTTV Roseanne E0 KTBN Casey Treat ED KDOC Froozles (TVG) 994160 S3 KJLA Bio-Med Check-Up BO KLCS Hands On: Crafts for Kids 11106 AMC "Winds of the Wasteland" '36 Ihr 581665 Continued from F2 grasp at signs of "Millionaire's" vulnerability, encouraged by two recent offerings NBC's "Frasier" season finale and CBS' miniseries Please see TV LOG FU Prime-Time TV Rankings ing supremacy among adults under 50 the age group that most closely translates to advertising rates as NBC clings to a paper-thin advantage by that standard. NBC's competitive standing is noteworthy given that ABC posted across-the-board wins in total viewing and key demographics during this season's previous sweeps periods in November and February; however, NBC, CBS and Fox have all lost audience versus last May, while ABC's results have soared, due principally to "Millionaire." The only other broadcast net work to achieve year-to-year prime-time gains is UPN, thanks to the ratings hold of the wrestling show "WWF Smackdown!" Overall viewing of the major networks is essentially even with last year a good sign, executives say, in light of past audience erosion as viewers fled to cable.

"At least it's not a decline," noted NBC Entertainment President Garth Ancier. Hoping to secure its demographic win, NBC hastily scheduled a rerun of last week's season-ending "Friends" tonight at 8, directly opposite "Millionaire." NBC Episodes Top List of Season and Series Finales "Jesus" that drew more viewers in head-to-head competition. "People will watch this show if there's nothing else on they want to watch," said David Poltrack, CBS' executive vice president of planning and research. "What can beat it is appointment television." Though ABC holds a commanding sweeps lead in overall viewing, there is some suspense left regard Made-for-TV movies have generally struggled to find viewers during the current sweeps competition, and Sunday was no exception. CBS' Linda McCartney biography stumbled badly, while NBC fared better with its behind-the-scenes look at "The Brady Bunch." The Wednesday conclusion of "Jesus" opposite the "90210" send-off and NBC's "Law Order" slipped by almost 25, or about 5.7 million viewers, compared to its opening night.

ABC's "2020" also surged to its highest rating in more than a year thanks to Diane Sawyer's interview with Michael J. Fox, which bodes well for the actor's "Spin City" farewell episode, which will be shown tonight. -BRIAN LOWRY Season-ending episodes and series finales dominated the prime-time standings last week, including the most-watched "Frasier" ever, "The Practice's" second-best rating thus far and the biggest assembly for "Beverly Hills, 90210" in more than four years, based on viewing estimates issued Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research. NBC's trio of Thursday finales also included season-high viewing of "Friends" and "ER's" second-biggest audience of the year. "The X-Files," meanwhile, unearthed its top rating in three months, although "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" soundly beaten by "Frasier," starring Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce, and edged May 14 by the CBS miniseries "Jesus" rebounded somewhat Sunday as the show began a tournament of champions.

National Nielsen Vlewershlp at fir Here are the rankings for national prime-time network television last week (May 15-21) as compiled by Nielsen Media Research. They are based on the average number of people who watched a program from start to finish. Nielsen estimates that there are 260 million potential U.S. viewers age 2 and older. Viewership is listed here in millions.

Nt- View. 98. I Dare You! UPN 2 20 99. "Chameleon 3: Dark Angel" UPN 2.01 100. Movie Stars WB 1.66 101.

Zoe WB 1.51 Cable Top 10 Here are Nielsen's top 10 cable programs in prime time last week, also ranked by total viewers (in millions). mL Net. Vte Program won en 1. Wrestling 10p.m.) USA 7.54 2. Wrestling (Mon 9 p.m.) USA 6.99 3.

Wrestling (Mon 8 p.m.) TNT 4.05 4. NBA Playoffs (Fn.) TNT 3.74 5. Wrestling 7 pm) USA 3.69 6. "Good Night. Sweet Wife" UFE 338 7.

Snick House NICK 3.20 8. "Cheaters" HBO 3.17 9. Wrestling TBS 3.14 10. TNT 3.13 David Hyde Pierce, Kelsey Grammer Get a Festival of Books mug. Network Averages Here is the number of viewers that each network averaged per hour of prime time, for last week and for the season.

A great selection of official 2000 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books merchandise is now available for purchase. Net- View- Program work en 1. ER NBC 34,59 2. Frasier NBC 33.70 3. Friends NBC 30.73 4.

Millionaire (Sun.) ABC 27.73 5. Millionaire (Tue.) ABC 23.57 6. The Practice ABC 23.18 7. Millionaire (Wed.) ABC 22.41 8. Millionaire (Thur.) ABC 18.63 9.

"Jesus" Part 2 CBS 18.42 10. Law Order NBC 17.49 U. DharmaSGreg ABC 1743 12. Touched by an Angel CBS 17.33 13. Everybody Loves Raymond CBS 16.72 14.

2020 (Wed.) ABC 1626 15. The Dte Carey Stow ABC 16.04 16. 60 Minutes CBS 1596 17. JudgingAmy CBS 1577 18. The X-Files FOX 15.27 19.

Spin City ABC 15.19 20. Becker CBS 15.11 21. Malcolm in the Middle FOX 14.39 22. Beverly Hills, 90210 FOX 14.37 23. NYPD Blue ABC 14.02 24.

Just Shoot Me NBC 14.01 25. "Air Force One" ABC 1387 26. The Simpsons FOX 13.84 27. Providence NBC 13.51 28. "BehindScenes: Millionaire" ABC 13.42 29.

The West Wing NBC 13.30 30. "Murder, She Wrote CBS 13.27 31. JAG CBS 13.21 32. Walker, Teias Ranger CBS 13.16 33. Daytime Emmy Awards ABC 12 77 34.

60 Minutes II CBS 12.66 35. 48 Hours (Mon CBS 12.59 36. lawS Order SVU NBC 1216 37. "Growing Up Brady" NBC 12.07 38. King of Queens CBS 12.01 39.

Will 4 Grace NBC 11.97 40. Dateline NBC (Fri.) NBC 11.83 41. Third Watch NBC 11.54 42. AllyMcBeal FOX 11.50 43. Dateline NBC (Tue NBC 11.29 44.

Ladies Man CBS 1115 45. "The Mask" NBC 1108 46. Sports Night ABC 11.07 47. NashBndges CBS 1063 48. "The Rainmaker' NBC 10.01 49.

"Ansla Record Anniversary" NBC 987 50. "The Unda McCartney Story" CBS 943 51. 48 Hours CBS 982 52. "Dukes ol Hazard" CBS 8 76 53. Whose Line Is It? (8 30) ABC 8 57 54.

Titus FOX 8.53 55. Whose Line Is It Anyway? ABC 8.52 56 Best Commercials. .4" ABC 844 57. That '70s Show FOX 8.40 58. "Judds Reunion" CBS 8 22 59.

America Most Wanted FOX 8.09 Ust Senon week to date ABC 14.35 million 14.22 NBC 13.82 12.34 CBS 12.56 12.44 FOX 8.94 8.98 UPN 3.98 3.93 WB 3.62 3.63 Net- View-Program work era Cops 8:30 p.m.) FOX 8.09 61. Dateline: NBC (Wed.) NBC 789 62. WWFSmackdown! UPN 7.74 Will Grace (8:30 p.m.) NBC 7.74 64. Earn; Edition CBS 7.51 65. King ol the Hill FOX 7.22 66.

Cops FOX 7.02 67. 7 th Heaven WB 6.94 68. 3rd Rock From the Sun NBC 6.79 69. "Air Force One" (Sal) ABC 6.78 70. "Tine Lies" FOX 6.52 71.

"After DitTrent Strokes" FOX 629 72 Greed FOX 608 73. "Unauthorijed Brady Bunch" FOX 6.03 74. "Beverly Hills Ninja" NBC 5.88 75. Futurama FOX 5.47 76. Angel WB 5.14 77.

World's Wildest Police Videos FOX 4.96 78. Buffy, Die Vampire Slayer WB 485 79. Star Trek: Voyager UPN 4 82 80. Charmed WB 4.54 81. The Parkers UPN 4.17 82.

Dawson's Creek WB 393 83. Moesha UPN 388 84. Roswell WB 3.81 85. Moesha Hue I UPN 3.52 86. The Steve Harvey Show WB 3.33 87.

Steve Harvey Show (8:30) WB 3.30 88. The Parkers (Tue.) UPN 3 29 89. Grownups UPN 2 99 90. The Jamie Fon Show WB 2.98 91. Felicity WB 290 92.

7 Days UPN 289 93. Malcolm Eddie UPN 2.86 94. For Your Love WB 2.62 95. Charmed (Sun.) WB 2.56 96. Popular WB 238 97.

7th Heaven Beginnings WB 2 26 Adult T-Shirt While with full-color design, 100 cotton Youth T-Shirt While with full-color design, 100 cotton Poster on high-quality paper, Refrigerator Magnet Book Bag Sturdy fabric bag, Mug Ceramic, white with full-color design, 15 oz. Journal 100 sheets of lined paper with heaxy-duty black coyer and full-color design Book Plates Sel iidhesive labels to identify your f)iulis, W-pack Southland Viewing Here are Nielsen's Top 10 prime-time programs in the Los Angeles area during the same week. The rankings are based on the number of households watching. Sta- Progriei muds KNBC 1,319,144 KNBC 1,240,624 KNBC 1,235.389 Order today at latimes.comfestivalofbooks Click on "Merchandising" 832,317 Friends ER Millionaire (Sun.) ThePracuce Beverly Hills, 90210 Millionaire (Tue.) Millionaire (Wed.) "Air Force One" 2020 (Wed.) KABC KABC KTTV KABC KABC KABC KABC 832,317 806.144 790,440 753,797 753,797 727,623 RADIO CosAtujclcs (Times FestivalofBooks. In association with UCLA' 8 Jj Tips for Today 8- 10 p.m.

Evening Concert: Verdi soprano Alessandrea Marc, tenor Placido Domingo, Chicago Symphony Orchestra), KMZT-FM (105.1). p.m. Rockllne: Music and interviews wiih members of Jefferson Starship, KCBS 1M (93.1). Drama-Comedy-Family 9- 9:30 p.m., a.m. Gunsmoke: "How lo Sell a Ranch," KNX (1070).

Classical 8-9 a.m. Commuter Classic: Rossini Thieving Magpie: Overture," Hoyal Philharmonic). KMX. I IM (105.1), Rock-Urban 10 p.m.-midnlght Chocolate City: Cast members from "2 G's," a street-version play based on Shakespeare's "Two Gentlemen of Verona," KCRW-FM (89.9). Sports 5-8 p.m.

Baseball: Angels at Minnesota Twins, KLAC (570), XPRS (1090). 7-10 p.m. Baseball: Cincinnaii Reds at Dodgers, KXT'A (1 150), KWKW (1330). Talk-Interview 1 1 a.m.-Noon Sam Rubin. Kl.SX-l (97.1).

1 1 a.m.-1 p.m. Talk of the Nation, KPCC-FM (89.3). Noon-1 p.m. Let's Do Lunch, local culture, KCSN-PM (88.5). Noon-2 p.m.

George Putnam's Talkback, KIHV (870). Noon-3 p.m. Dr. Laura Schlessinger, KH (640). Noon-3 p.m.

Jonathon Brandmeier, KLSX-l'M (97.1). Noon-3 p.m. Dan Lungren, KPLS (830). Noon-3 p.m. Dr.

Tonl Grant, KHLA (1110). p.m. Al Rantel, KABC (790). 1- 2:30 p.m. Talk of the City, KPCC-FM (89.3).

2- 5 p.m. Michael Medved, KIEV (870). 3- 7 p.m. Larry Elder, KABC (790). 3-7 p.m.

Minyard Minyard, KRLA (1110). latimes.comfestivalofbooks Los Angeles Times Archives. Call today. 1-800-788-8804 Or log on to latimes.comarchives i 1.