The Paducah Sun from Paducah, Kentucky • 31

the A TTIEILIEVnSnOPM In The Sun-Democrat Area January 11 Through January 17 Burning hung on, along came 'Cop' 2 'T I 1 I 'km A I 1 -lL "The Cop and the Kid" casts Durning as a pudgy policeman who is a bachelor, who suddenly finds himself as a foster parent stepfather to a young black boy, played by Tierre Turner and a domineering mother, portrayed by Patsy Kelly. The early reaction was cautious. Most reviewers did see the seed of an appealing series, well paced, light and entertaining. Durning drew mostly rave notices. Principal criticism was of the writing, but that's a common TV problem.

When the show failed to maintain the ratings of the first week, NBC did not despair, but decided that "Grady" was a weak lead-in and that "The Cop and the Kid might prove stronger at 7. So the shows have been Dip-flopped. The irony is that burning's career in films has been going so well the past two years, he greeted the news that the series was picked up with mixed emotions. But now he has second thoughts. Nothing like television for instant recognition the wonders of mass exposure.

"I'm getting calls from producers and directors. People stop me in the streets. They never did that before," Durning observed, then added candidly, "Let's face it. The show is not the greatest to come down the pike. But we're not selling It is as good as anything on television, and better man a lot of shows." He has no concern about the show not making it into next season.

"The impact of television is great, he said. "The least that can happen is I'll work all the time. The best that can happen is that I'll become a big star. Who cares, as long as I keep working." Some critics cut it down as Continued on Page 4 By DAN LEWIS Charles Durning is the classic story of the man who finds sue- cess if patience holds up. He waited long enough, once even spent a dozen years as a dancing instructor in a Fred Astaire studio in New York all the time yearning an acting career.

It suddenly happened. He became a hit on Broadway in three top shows, "That Championship Season," "The Au Pair Man" and "Boom, Boom, Boom and even then, the offers didnt pour in. But he didn't despair. Instead, he signed a contract with Playboy Productions, whose executives were impressed with his acting on Broadway The production company had a three-year option on Durning 's services. They paid him $500 a week, just for his availability, while they searched.

Nothing happened. There were scripts and pilot offers but, Durning exercised his right to disapprove and refuse. Last winter, as the option was winding down to its final months, the production company came up with "The Cop and the Kid." NBC liked it very much, and came up with money for a pilot. The pilot was made but the network failed to pick it up for the fall season. Durning gave the company an extension.

"They had been so nice to me," he noted, "that I thought it would be the right thing to do. They seemed to feel there was a good shot for the series as a midseason replacement." There only were two weeks remaining on the extension with Durning still collecting $500 a week when NBC put "The Cop and the Kid" into production as a replacement for "Fay" on Thursday nights, Answer Man: Alex Karras never was 'Spanky' By RICHARD K. SHULL Whatever happened to Michael Evans of "The Why did they put the newguy on? M.S. Mike quit the show in a huff because his part wasn't fat enough, so they replaced him. As Evans saw it, the only reason "The Jeffersons" got started was because of his Lionel character on "AD in the Family," and he was miffed because he had such a minor role in the new show.

Settle a bet for me. Did Ales Karras ever play the part of Spanky McFarland in "The Little MS. Ever since his childhood in Gary, Karras has played only Karras. Spanky McFarland is a real person who played on the "Our Gang" comedies. Charlie Rich has been a favorite of mine for a long time, but his performance on the Country Music Awards really turned me off.

Just to appease my mind, was he really drunk? G.F. Let's say (a) he wasnt himself on camera that night, and (b) it didnt help him or the show for him to make a fool of himself in front of several million people. But, on the other side, he was the last man on stage on a very long day and night of celebrating in Nashville. Where is Marvin Kalb? Dwight Smith? Delighted to see John Hart on "Meet the Press." Thought he was great on the CBS Morning News. JJ Kalb's still around.

He merely hasnt been as obvious lately. Dwight transferred out to Baltimore. What was wrong with Howard CoseU's show? We all en-Joyed it, and it was the only thing on TV where there were different kinds of acts. SJ.C. The' problem can be summed up in two words: Howard Cosell.

His particular brand of charm is a very tenuous thing and is palatable only in small doses. Two and a half hours on Monday night and another hour on Saturday was entirely too much Cosell. Why would Wayne Rogers want 'to quit a good show like "M-A-S-H" to be in a dumb detective show when there are already too many detective shows on? N.S.M. It's an ego thing. On "M-A-S-H" he was a face in the crowd.

Continued On Page 4 FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT (Edward Herrmann), dressed in silk shirt with diamond tie pin and black tuxedo, clasps the hand of his bride on March 17, 1905, when he married Eleanor Roosevelt (Jane Alexander). "ABC Theatre" will recount the Roosevelts' life and love together in "Eleanor and Franklin," a two-part special airing Sunday and Monday at 8 pan. on Channels 3 and 2. The program is a part of ABC's Bicentennial project, "The American Spirit." Doc raced plane and the plane won 'IT'K walking lessons from President Ford." For "Tonight" show viewers, Doc will be nobbling around, leading the band in his cast for the next few weeks. "I blow with my lips, not my feet," Doc declared when asked if he would be able to continue the trumpet and leading the band while recovering.

Meaifwhile, Doc ia- now negotiating with NBC for a couple of prime-time specials, and a possible variety -hour pilot. His current contract runs out this spring. "People don't realize that I'm an old song-and-dance man, and so they're surprised when they find me working a nightclub," Jack Albertson tells his nightclub audiences. He's known as the actor who won an Emmy for "Chico and the Man," an Oscar for "The Subject Was Roses," and a Tony Award for stage production before that a clean sweep of major acting awards. Not many can make that claim.

He has a delightful act, a lot of the charm and similar talent of Continued On Page 3 Sports Telecasts By DAN LEWIS Doc Severinsen, the garrishly dressed bandleader for Johnny Carson's "Tonight" show, recently wound up a 10-day Las Vegas engagement, which he played entirely with his left leg from toes to knee in a cast. Doc was racing to catch a plane at Bur bank airport the afternoon of his Las Vegas opening at the Frontier Hotel when he tripped and fell in the boarding area. He managed to limp aboard the plane, but by the time the aircraft set down in Las Vegas, Doc was in severe pain. Rushed to a local hospital, X-rays revealed an ankle break. He was put in a platform cast, and went on mat night, costarring with Jack Albertson, star of "ChicoancfmeMan." Doc's manager, former dancer Bud Robinson, telephoned Carson to report the bad news.

An hour later, Carson called back, with some one-liners for Doc to use in his opening show relating to his accident; Among them: "I broke the ankle tripping over Ed McMahon's breath." "I tripped and fell after taking Sunday, January 11 12:00 Noon (3) (2) -World Series Tennis. 12:30 P.M. (6) (4) Senior Bowl. 12:30 P.M. (12)(5)-NBA Basketball.

Boston at Philadelphia. 2:00 PM. (3) (2) -Superstars. 3:30 P.M. (3) -Wide World of Sports.

3:30 PM. (6) (4) Tucson Open Golf. Monday, January 12 10:30 P.M..(6) Basketball. Kentucky vs. Georgia.

P.M. (2) Basketball. Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee. Tuesday, January 13 8:00 P.M.

(21)-WorldHockey. Saturday, January 17 (6) (4) -Basketball. 1 :00 P.M. (2) Wide World of Sports. 2:30 PM.

(3) (2) -Pro Bowlers Tour. 3:00 PM. (6) (4) NCAA Basketball. Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt 3:00 PM.

(12) Sports Spectacular. 4:00 PM. (3) (2) Wide World of Sports. 4:00 PM. (12) (5) Phoenix Open Golf.