Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 45

TELEVISION TATTLE 'Without' a doubt, NBC's got reason to worry about 'Trace' Rich Rich gets to play his movie WITHOUT A TRACE. 10 tomorrow night, Channel 3. That probably doesn't make things any easier for investigators working the Beltway sniper case, whose own show running round-the -clock on CNN, Fox WHY NOT J. 95? JUST CALL it must-flee TV. Faced with the possibility that tomorrow's episode of CBS' "Without a Trace" might beat a rerun of "ER" ELLEN GRAY THE TOWN of Paulsboro, N.J., planted a big wet kiss on the cheek of filmmaker Kevin Smith (left) yesterday, by renaming Tyler Street after the "Jersey Girl" director.

The thank you was for bringing J.Lo, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and Hollywood burg. Speaking of Ben J.Lo, see "Toast of the coast." JOSEPH KACZMAREKFor the Daily News time but only if they ask him. The former bassist, who left the band in 1992, admits to just By HOWARD GENSLER genslehphillynews. com WE ALL KNOW the rich are different they're rich but now a Manha ttan judge has confirmed their wealth alone makes them newsworthy. New York State Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornre-ich has ruled that NYU film student Jamie Johnson, 23, an heir to the Johnson Johnson fortune, has the right to distribute his documentary "Born Rich," featuring offspring of wealthy families.

The movie, which Johnson has submitted to the Sundanc Film Fest, includes chats with Georgi-na Bloomberg, daughter of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Ivanka Trump, daughter of real estate mogul-McDonald's pitchman Donald Trump; Juliet Hartford, of mone and Luke Weil, son of the man who ran Autotote a gaming technolog compan y. Ay, there's the rub. The judge's ruling dismis sed a dare-we-say frivolous lawsuit filed against Johnson by Weil, 22, who said in court paper that he was "tricked" into taking part in the project and that it "embarrassed" and "humiliated" him and his family. Weil said he signed releases that allowed Johnson to use an interview for what he thought was solely a school project. But the judge said what Weil signed clearly represented the film as a commer cial undertaking, and since the language was unambiguous, he couldn't say he was tricked or defrauded.

So there, rich boy. Weil also whined that Johnson "publicly and maliciously" referred to him as an 'heir of a gaming thus making him an object of disdain, derision and obloquy." Obloquy C'mon, Luke. You can't under stand a release form and your tossing around Scrabble words like obloquy Besides, Jamie's family made its zillions in baby shampoo You don't see him crying about it. Bass-ic book promotion Bill Wyman just might rock with the Rolling Stones one last News Channel and MSNBC is a real downer, full of talking heads and idle speculation and clues that go nowhere, not to mention victims who won't be turning up as guest stars on next week's "Law Order." The disparit between real-life police work and Hollywood's version is "one of the things that we've tried to address in our show," LaPaglia said, noting that of the eight episodes filmed so far, half "have ended in unresolved issues." Thanks in part to television, there's an impression "that crimes should be solved instantly," he said, but in cases like that of the sniper, "it's impos si-ble sometimes to pin these people down." Viewers of cable news or "Without a Trace" might also get the impression that child abductions are at an all-time high, an impression that LaPaglia is eager to dispel. "The facts are that most children are abducted by someone they know," usually a family member, said the actor, who said he's talked to FBI agents, including those paid to consult on the show.

"Eight times out of 10 a kid is taken by the person he saw last," he said. "There's nothing particular ly random about it. It's still scary, but it's not random." A local 'Sopranos' note Fans of CBS' "As the World Turns" probably recognized AJ's new girlfriend on HBO's "The Sopranos" as Jessica Dun-phy who plays Alison on "ATWT." The actress, who's from Glen-side, Montgomery County, turns 18 today. the tiniest bit of nostalgia now that the group's turned 40. Tattle, however, suspects that Wyman's plea to play ploy has less to do with slap a show that's notoriously weak in repeats NBC's opted to substitute a rerun of "Law Order: Criminal Intent," ensuring that whatever happens, Friday's headlines won't read 'ER' loses." Bragging rights aside NBC has reason enough to worry about Thursdays, CBS' "CSI" having already unseated "Friends" from the top of the Nielsens and the "Survivor" franchise continuing to hold its own with a format that only pays one of its cast member $1 million and that for 13 weeks, not a single episode For Anthony LaPaglia, who returned to television this season as FBI missing-persons investigator Jack Malone on "Without a Trace," the timing of CBS' Thursday night upswing couldn't be better.

"The last time I was on Thursday night when he took over the lead in the second season of ABC's "Murder One" I was up against 'Seinfeld' when it was at its peak. And I joined a listing ship," he said yesterday. "This time, I think there's been less pressure." Indeed. No one at CBS was predicting that "Without a Trace" would make "ER's" audience vanish, and it hasn't. They just wanted to make a dent.

So far this season, the medical drama's ranked third, with an average 25.56 million viewers, while "Trace" is 15th, with 15.37 million. Last season's "ER" challenger, "The Agency," ended up in 49th place for the season. LaPaglia, who claimed to only be "paying a little bit of attention" to the show's ratings, added, "I can tell the producers are either happy or they're not" on Friday morning s. Like a number of the fall's more successful shows, "Without a Trace" pits cops against criminals. Not surprising ly, most have the cops winning, and handily, before the credits roll.

Wyman gas shows, and then make them sit outside in the desert and let them watch their skates melt." Rickles is obviously not wasting his good material on a bunch of college hockey players. TV Tattbits Emmy-nominated actress II-leana Douglas is joining NBC's "Law Order: Special Victims Unit" as a public defender. Her first episode airs Nov. 22 Peter Falk has inked with ABC to make a new TV-movie, "Colum-bo Likes the Nightlife." Toast of the coast In Malibu, taking a break from "Jersey Girl" to shoot a new video for her upcoming CD, Jennifer Lopez and her soon-to -be-husband father- of-her- childr en Ben Affleck borrowed rocker Vince Neil's yacht and quickly began acting like Neil's Motley Crue bandma tes. imdb.com reports topless carousing, lap dances and toe sucking.

Expect spam e-mails hyping that video shortly. Now Tattle has to go and commandeer a chopper Daily News wire services contributed to this report. ping his bass and more to do with flogging his book "Rolling with the Stones," due in stores Monda y. "I haven't directly spoken to any member of the band," he said. "I'm not wildly excited by it or anything but if they approach me and ask me, I might well think about it." Breath holding will commenc now.

Mr. Warmth on ice Hey, hockey pucks! Insult comic Don Rickles is honorary captain of the University of Arizona's hockey team. "I'm pleased to have been chosen by Coach G. (Leo Golem-biewski) and the team. I know they'll do me proud," Rickles said Monday.

"If not, I'm going to invite them to leave Tucson and come to one of my Las Ve You can reach Ellen Gray by e-mail at elgrayphillynews.com, by fax at 215-854-5852 or by mail at the Philadelphia Daily News, Box 7788, Philadelphia, PA 19101. REGINAMEDINAeim assignment. PAGE 46 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2002.