The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 180

Orange County Television Listings Coo Amides (Times Thursday, May 15, 1986 Part VI CALF NBC UNVEILS ITS FALL PROGRAMS COMPLEXITY OF COVERING TODAY'S NEWS DEBATED "Easy Street," sort of a "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" variation starring Lonnie Anderson, formerly of "WKRP in Cincinnati." Here she plays a rich young widow who angers her in-laws when she brings her down-at-the-heels uncle (Jack Elam) and his scruffy pal (Lee Weaver) to live with them in Beverly Hills. NBC's powerhouse four-show Thursday -night comedy lineup, led by "The Cosby Show," remains unchanged, with the durable police series "Hill Street Blues" continuing to conclude that evening. Please see NBCS, Page 1 1 spokesman called the most in the network's history. Three of the sitcoms are new. They are: "Alf," starring Max Wright, formerly of "Buffalo Bill," as as "an ordinary guy caught up in something extraordinary when an Alien Life Force" identified as a furry puppet named Alf joins his family.

"Amen," starring Sherman Hemsley, late of "The Jeffersons," in a clerical comedy set in recent high-rated two-hour "Return to Mayberry" reprise of that bucolic show. Griffith will be folksy in his comeback, but as an Atlanta lawyer on Tuesday nights in "Matlock," a one-hour courtroom series based on another NBC movie, "Diary of a Perfect Murder," which scored well in the ratings in March. Other new one-hour series coming to NBC are: "Crime Story," a Chicago-based, 1960s-era police action show by Michael Mann, executive producer of the contemporary "Miami Vice." "L.A. Law," a bustling Los Angeles law -office series created by Steven Bochco, co-creator of "Hill Street Blues." "Our House," a family drama series in which Wilford Brimley of "Cocoon" fame plays a cranky retiree whose love of privacy is disrupted somewhat by the arrival of his recently widowed daughter-in-law (Deirdre Hall) and three grandchildren. NBC's fall roster, which shifts eight returning series to new slots on the schedule, has 13 new and returning comedies, which a Comes In Third Liberation Front and has acknowledged organizing the October hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro, which resulted in the death of an American passenger.

NBC has been criticized for making a deal with Abbas not to reveal his location. "After a painstaking review of our decision, we have concluded that we would do the same again," Brokaw said. "It was our initial judgment that Abbas was newsworthy in himself. His location was too, and we wish we had not had to make a deal (not to disclose it), but we did." Jennings agreed with Brokaw that "no harm has been done" by letting the American television audience hear Abbas' point of view. "This is especially important given the reality of what's going on in the Middle East today and of America's place in it," he said.

"Journalists as well as governments make mistakes when dealing Please see ANCHORS, Page 1 1 By JAY SHARBUTT, Times Staff Writer NBC, first in prime-time ratings but last in unveiling its 1986-87 schedule, said Wednesday that eight new series, including one that returns Andy Griffith to weekly television in a dramatic format, will be on its comedy -laden roster next fall. To make room for the newcomerswhich represent 6V hours of new programming, including NBC News' previously announced "1986" series such old reliables as "Silver Spooris" "Knight Rider" and "Remington Steele" were dropped. Each had been on NBC for four seasons. Also axed: "Punky Brewster" and a trio of first-season efforts, "The Last Precinct," "Blacke's Magic" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." "Helltown," "Stingray" and "All Is Forgiven" were dropped earlier. The new Griffith series may surprise some who expected him to return in a new version of "The Andy Griffith Show" or "Mayber-ry, R.F.D." especially after the GARY FRIEDMAN Los Angeles Times 'Second Serve' 'Si I econd Serve" was not I figures from the A.C.

Nielsen The national ratings even second best in the ratings, Co. showed Wednesday. revealed that the CBS-TV movie, in which Vanessa Redgrave dramatized the sexual transformation of Renee Richards, drew fewer viewers than the programming on ABC and NBC from 9 to 1 1 p.m. Tuesday. In the final hour, "Second Serve" actually edged out the competition from NBC's "Stingray" and ABC's Joe Piscopo special, but its low ratings during the first hour against ABC's "Moonlighting" and NBC's "Hunter" knocked the overall average down to third.

Overall, "Second Serve" attracted about 22 of the viewing audience, compared to 26 for ABC and 24 for NBC. By CLARKE TAYLOR. NEW YORK-The news anchormen of the three major television networks agreed publicly on one thing Wednesday: It is increasingly difficult to know exactly how to cover the news in today's fast-changing world. "(Reporting) the news in this day and age is a crude art, not an exact science," summarized CBS' Dan Rather, referring to the complexities of shifting global events. Rather was joined by NBC's Tom Brokaw and ABC's Peter Jennings in a question-and-answer session before about 1,000 members of the International Radio and Television Society at a luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria.

Initial questions from the audience reflected the current problematic nature of making news judgments. Many concerned the decision by "NBC Nightly News" to broadcast an interview last week with terrorist leader Abul Abbas, who heads the radical Palestine RANDY LEFFINGWELL Los Angeles Times have fared well in the profits column; "Resort," which opened in 69 theaters, brought in $204,000 over the weekend. All but one have been distributed by her husband, Roger (as in B-movie mogul Corman, producer, director and former owner of New World Pictures The fact that the low-budget independent film director-turned-producer has a spouse who is also a producer may come as a surprise to Roger Corman buffs. That's no surprise to Julie Corman, a striking, saucer-eyed woman with a shy but easy laugh. "I don't know how many books Please see JULIE CORMAN, Page 16 life (r llilllllp 'ff -w 7aj SUIT NAMES KDOC-TV, EXECUTIVES By RANDY LEWIS, Times Staff Writer A former advertising saleswoman for KDOC-TV in Anaheim has filed a lawsuit charging that the station's general manager encouraged KDOC's sales staff to lure sponsors by giving out "false and misleading" information about the station's ratings.

In a suit filed May 1 in Orange County Superior mmmmmmmmmm. Court, Linda FnrTI" Ford also claims ORANGE that KDOC's COUNTY flamboyant tele- vision personality Wally George threatened her with the loss of her job if she did not "protect" general manager Michael Volpe by keeping quiet about alleged unethical business practices. According to the suit, Ford resigned under duress" in January, 1985, after less than two years at KDOC, Channel 56, Orange County's only commercial TV station. Ford's is the third suit in less than two years to be brought by former KDOC sales representatives leveling similar charges against the station and Volpe. Ford's suit, charging breach of agreement, fraud and deceit, asks for at least $150,000 in advertising commissions she claims she did not receive, as well as unspecified punitive damages.

Volpe, contacted at the station Wednesday, said he had not been served with the suit. "I haven't seen it or been notified about it." Of Ford's allegations, Volpe said, "That's all old news yesterday's newspapers." "Waiiy George flatly denied the charges. KDOC attorney and stockhold-Please see SUIT, Page 12 AL STEPHENSON Julie Corman: "I just try to do the best I can every step of the way." ANOTHER CORMAN MAKES GOOD AS A MOVIE MOGUL EXPO 86 JANET BAKER ILLUMINATES VANCOUVER By MARTIN BERNHEIMER, Times Music Critic VANCOUVER, Canada-Orchestras aren't playing a particularly important role in the Expo 86 World Festival. The biggest symphonic event, no doubt, will take place next week when Riccardo Muti brings his Philadelphians to Canada. Also on the sparse agenda are the Or-chestre Symphonique of Montreal under Charles Dutoit (July) and the State Symphony of the Soviet Union under Evgeny Svetlanov (October).

For the time being, however, attention is monopolized by the local band. The local band is the Vancouver Symphony, which plays an ambitious season at its renovated movie-palace home, the Orpheum. In recent years, the ensemble reportedly has improved its fortunes under the leadership of Ka-zuyoshi Akiyama. Since September, however, the music director has been Rudolf Barshai, the former conductor of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, who emigrated to the West in 1977. Tuesday night, Barshai led a decidedly ragged ensemble through a conventional Gluck-Mahler-Beethoven program.

The main attraction, obviously, was Dame Janet Baker in her Vancouver debut. It was a rather late debut for the great British mezzo-soprano. She doesn't command the volume or the vocal substance these days that marked her singing in her absolute prime. Nevertheless, she remains a communicative artist of rare taste and eloquence. In "Che faro senza Euridice" from Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice," she projected the hero's grief and Please see BAKER, Page 5 THE POWER OF NOH TO AWAKEN By FAUBION BOWERS WASHINGTON-After 600 years, Noh dance-drama may no longer be the Shoguns' "official entertainment for convivial occasions, for recreation and for the security of the world," but it still has the power to awaken a sense of mono no aware-.

the sadness and pity in all things. Thus, Southern California residents who thought Kabuki at UCLA last year was the ultimate Japanese theatrical experience may have another think coming Monday and Tuesday when the Japan America Theatre presents a star-studded troupe of 22 Noh and Kyogen performers. A number of people will go to the theater to catch a glimpse of the handsome 20-year-old Kyogen actor Takeshi Nomura, who recently starred in Akira Kurosawa's movie "Ran" as Tsurumaru, the blinded noble. However, the star of the troupe is Sadayo Kita, who at 59 is already an official "Intangible Cultural Asset" (his next honor doubtless will be designation as "Living National By birth and achievement he is destined to become the 16th head of the Kita School. "I have been many times Janet Baker sings Mahler with the Vancouver Symphony.

111 By DEBORAH CAULFIELD, Times Staff Writer Julie Corman looks like an actress, talks like a scholar and thinks like an accountant. She would hardly seem a candidate for producer of such low-budget movies as "Boxcar Bertha," "Crazy Mama," "Saturday the 14th" and "Chopping Mall." Yet those are only a few of the 10 pictures that she's produced in as many years (her latest, "The Last Resort" with Charles Grodin, opened last weekend). All have been made on relatively low budgets ($2 million to $3 million) and abroad," Kita explained before a performance here this week. "In fact, I was in the Noh group that went to Italy in 1954, the first Noh that ever left Japan. In Europe, people are proud of the age of their own culture and are a little sensitive to Noh's greater antiquity, although they're very flattering to your face.

America embraces us more warmly, because it is young and open to the new, no matter where it comes from. "Each time we come here, we play in more places and more people see us. This time I am doing 'Aoi no a play I have wanted to do in America for a long time Only now has it become possible." Kita, his hair slightly graying around his aristocratic countenance, looks directly at his visitor as he explains his art. Disappointment crosses his face when he Please see NOH, Page 8 'm. CRITIC AT LARGE COACH FOCH PREPARES HER PLAYERS By CHARLES CHAMPLIN, Times Arts Editor Acting is the most mysterious and contradictory art of them all.

If you can see it, it's not working. If it's working, it looks "real," and even the most familiar star performer becomes totally immersed in a fictional being who exists only in the author's and the actor's mind. Amazing- By extension, the teaching of acting has always seemed to me almost as mysterious as the art itself. Over the years I have talked with any number of young men and women who were taking acting classes and who spoke of doing scenes, improvs and cold readings. At an introductory level, at least, it sounded to an outsider like a blend of freshman mixer, instant psychoanalysis, voluntary embarrassment and at least some fleeting attention to such rudiments as how to get from one side of the stage to the other without tripping and falling.

The Dutch -born actress Nina Foch, whose film credits include "A Song to Remember," "An American in Paris," "Executive Suite" and "The Ten Commandments," has been a private acting coach in Hollywood for 15 years. The accent is on private because many of her established clients would as soon not have it known they were brushing up. What is particularly aggrieving to some of her star students is that they are boning up on cold readings because they are having to audition for a generation of young executives whose memories don't reach back much beyond "Sesame Street." For Foch, preparation is all. The performance comes from inside, from a thorough understanding of the character and of the character's relationship to the whole shape of the drama. "As an actor, you're servicing the writer, the playwright which is our business, of course," Foch says.

"The actor has to know the story absolutely and decide what the movement of the piece is, how the character changes from beginning to end and in each scene. You're preparing to play a grandmother; not that many lines, perhaps. As homework you have to discover where she is at that moment, where she may have been. You have to prepare a context in your head for your movements and your postures. "I never tell people what to do.

But I ask them every possible question, and I get them to ask themselves every possible question. When they leave me, it's unlikely they'll be asked any ques-Please see NINA Page 4 Noh actor Sadayo Kita, left, offstage and above in demon mask confronting Kan Hosho in the Noh drama "Aoi no Ue." INSIDE CALENDAR MUSIC: Pasadena Chamber Orchestra reviewed by John Henken. Page 5. STAGE: Stage Watch by Lawrence Christon. Page 6.

"The Boss" at Megaw reviewed by Ray Loynd. Page 7. TV: Tonight on TV and cable. Page 9. Bono Hewson of U2 will be among performers at Amnesty International concert.

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