Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 46

a i 5 Q. On The what was the Kramdens' favorite restaurant? "Answer tomorrow. Saturday's answer: Wo Fat -was the arch-enemy of Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) on 'Hawaii Monday, April 10, 1989 Page 46 ii I i 1 I i I I Qp i iiiviiivhw ''IW I i wmm ij i iii.n if coin's TONIGHT'S HIGHLIGHTS THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET Channel 29 8 p.m. An Me Effort 'Nearly Departed' Appears Haunted iven the always interesting, II often inspired solo work by such former "Monty Python Flying Circus" members as John Cleese. Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Graham Chapman, you would think Eric Idle's first foray into network series television would carry with it an in- Joe Morton said not a word in the title role of this much-loved 1984 John Sayles science-fiction movie.

But to many observers, he was the most eloquent black hero in recent movie history. In its unassuming way, the movie also offered perhaps the most expansive portrait of Harlem life ever captured on celluloid up to that point DESIGNING WOMEN Channel 10 9:30 p.m. streak of innovation, imagination, even a little You would, alas, be wrong. You would wonder, in fact. Talk about fast work! Couple of weeks ago, Charlene (Jean Smart) announced she was finally going to the chapel and getting married to Bill (Douglas Barr).

Tonight, they tie the knot but not without the usual pre-nuptial nervousness and confusion. LEARNING IN AMERICA GENE SEYMOUR will 1 Eric Idle (center), a ghost in "Nearly Departed," helps Henderson Forsythe get his driver's license tonight Channel 12 10 p.m. how a self-respecting former "Python" member like Idle would allow himself to get involved in something as flaccid and toothless as "Nearly Departed" (8:30 p.m. tonight on Channel 3). Did 1 mention that it also is shamelessly derivative? 1 wont have to.

I'll merely recite the premise. A giant rock falls on a car bearing Grant (Idle) and Clair (Caroline McWilliams) Pritchard. When they return to their house, it is as ghosts. Grant, a stuffy, elitist English professor, isn't at all happy about being dead (hard to imagine why) and is even less happy to see his immaculately decorated suburban Chicago home occupied by Mike Dooley (Stuart Pankin from "Not Necessarily the a plumbing contractor, and his family. Though the formerly blue-collar Dooleys are a burr in Grant's tony saddle, good-time Clair is rather fond of Mike, his wife Liz (Wendy Schaal), son Derek (Jay Lambert) and crotchety Grandpa Garrett (Henderson Forsythe), who, as it happens, is the only one who can see Grant and Clair.

Well, gracious, somebody had to! Just so you understand, it isn't the concept that bothers me. I liked "Topper," both the movie and the television series. And I loved "Beetlejuice," which furiously spun the grand old haunted-house-comedy genre into a whole new shape something trape zoidal, hexagonal, rhomboid and concentric-circular, all at once. But you wouldn't know from watching "Nearly Departed" that such advances had ever been made. And given the choice, why would you settle for warmed-over potatoes when you know spaghetti carbonara exists? It isnt even as much fun as watching the old "Topper" series, in which you had the stuffy, fussy Cosmo who was the haunted party, while the lively, earthy George and Marion were the spooks.

What's the point of reversing the situation here? You think of comedies like "The Beverly Hillbillies" in which the subtext was the "lowlifes" making the snobs more human. Is the intent now to show yuppies civilizing the lumpen-, proletariat'! If this is a new trend, give me the Clampetts anytime. You watch Idle throughout in the vain hope that some of that "Monty Python" anarchy will pierce through the swamp gas. But he offers little, beyond a dotty enthusiasm that, given the overall lethargy of the enterprise, seems more anarchic than it actually is. It's only when he acts out an eye chart to help gramps pass a driving test that you get a hint of what this show could be if it took the starch out.

You know what I like about this show? I like the fact that they don't take the easy way out. They don't blame the kids. They don't blame the teachers. They go after the tools, the circumstances. Like tonight, for instance, they go after the textbooks, the limited school budgets.

It's easier to attack people than it is to attack the problem itself. Gene Seymour Amateur Tapers Make News Video Magazine aking videotapes may mean big bucks Montreal vs. Phillies PrismBaseball 7:30 p.m. Atlanta vs. San Diego TBSBaseball 10 p.m.

for camcorder owners who are in the right place at the right time. Several 1 the better the quality of the tape. Hold each shot for at least 10 seconds. This makes editing easier. Avoid panning too quickly and zooming in too fast.

Decide whether your tape is of local or national interest. If it's not for coast-to-coast viewers, call a local station or network affiliate. For national interest stories call ABC News -(212) 887-2700, CBS News (212) 975-1114, Independent Network News (212) 210-2411 or NBC News (212) 664-4691. In addition, ABC's "2020" is looking for well-shot footage of human interest stories. "2020" prefers Beta or 34-inch tape, but can convert any format.

"2020" is currently in the process of determining payment guidelines for ama- CNN's Atlanta headquarters. The tape was incorporated into that evening's news. CNN pays amateur videographers $125 if their videotape is used. Though CNN obtains first rights, the tape owner may later resell the-footage to other organizations. CNN accepts tapes recorded in all formats and can be reached at (800) 544-NEWS.

Stations like the Weather Channel are always on the alert for footage of violent or unusual weather. The Weather Channel does not pay for amateur tape and accepts all tape formats but Beta. (404) 434-6800. Tips for newshound hopefuls: Use a tripod when possible. The steadier the camera is held, Today 7 a.m.

(3) 25th anniversary of Job Corps news organizations are actively seeking well-shot footage of newsworthy events from the public to use in news broadcasts. A videotape submitted for use on television can earn its owner more than $100. In April, 1988, an amateur videographer vacationing in Hawaii recorded the landing of an Aloha Air 737 after the plane's fuselage had ripped apart. While professional news media rushed in to cover the aftermath of the disaster, CNN airlifted the vacationer's cassette from Maui to Hawaii and sent it via satellite to 7 a.m. Good Morning America (6) Anthony Perkins Regis Kathle Lee 9 a.m.

(10) Richard Lewis.