The Ottawa Citizen from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • 62

D14 THE OTTAWA CITIZEN WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1989 Television MsGoe jsissodl nap ffi? aaodloein) STARGAZING Citizen news services Wo mmumm riw fauna By Michael Hill The Baltimore Evening Sun LOS ANGELES Wheel of TTt A I l-mi I 1 ronune nosi rai aajax saia ne decided against having a female sidekick on his late-night talk show because it might upset view ers accusiomea to seeing mm with letter-turner Vanna White. Explaining why he chose sidekick Dan Miller rather than a woman, Sajak said some viewers miffht tWl "ac thnnah Vanni ami Man in the Brown Suit travelled for fun. The main journey takes the story from 1924 to 1988. Christie wrote this story 64 years ago, so it is fairly certain that you don't first meet the heroine at an airport in Cairo where she's just stepped off a jet. Setting it in the proper period would have been much more expensive to produce, but would have made the patented Christie assortment of characters and suspects much easier to believe.

The heroine is Anne Bedding-feld, played by the always-appealing Stephanie Zimbalist pretty much as she played her character in Remington Steele. Other characters include Ed Christie as an entertaining writer whose works are a bit creaky with age and need to be spruced up, jazzed up, and updated for a television audience. The truth probably lies where it usually does, somewhere in between. Some of these BBC versions the next batch of Miss Marple stories will appear in February are stifling in their accuracy. There's almost no sense of fun about them.

And certainly Christie wrote these stories as something to read for fun, not as heavyweight works of great literature. So, CBS is to be commended for emphasizing the entertainment that lies at the heart of Christie's pieces. But there seems little reason to go quite as far as The ward Woodward as a rather pompous bit of minor royalty a character who would have played much better in period; Nickolas Grace as his assistant; Rue McLanahan playing her Golden Girls character as a much-divorced member of the international jet set; Tony Randall getting to have the most fun as an curmudgeonly old British preacher, Ken Howard as a mysterious American intelligence functionary; and Simon Dutton as the title character, an elusive, handsome young man who keeps popping up in the wrong place at the right time. The Man in the Brown Suit is not a great movie, but it is a nice little piece of entertainment. (Distributed by the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service) There are two sets of Agatha Christie stories being made for television these days.

One is an ongoing production by the BBC in conjunction with Boston's WGBH that will make all of Christie's work. It is seen on the PBS Mystery series. The other is a deal CBS has with Warner Brothers to film a variety of Christie stories that are seen as TV movies. The latest, The Man in the Brown Suit, airs tonight (channels 7 and 10R at 9). The BBC version treats Christie as a literary giant whose text is sacred as it adapts her works for television.

The CBS version treats I had gotten a divorce or something." However, The Pat Sajak Show, which debuts Monday on CBS, has booked Vanna to appear some night before the month of January is out. Zimbalist, Sutton Entertainment first uiuereni sivie Selkirk sale may mean one less bidder for new station Robin Leach, who has made a bundle grovelling before the lifestyles of both the rich and the famous, has filmed a 60-second public service announcement on behalf of the National Coalition for the Homeless in the U.S. It will air next month. In the swim As every Sports Illustrated reader knows, the annual February swimsuit issue is the mag's best seller. Now NBC is getting into the act with Swimsuits, a 7 TONY ATHERTON ljT I Citizen MAt staff TELEVISION two-hour romantic comedy, to air Feb.

19. Cyd Charisse, in her TV-movie debut, plays the owner of a fashionable swimsuit line that launches a national campaign to find the perfect model. Chance to shine stations and a newspaper in London, had been a partner in Selkirk's Ottawa application. It pulled out, ostensibly because Selkirk insisted on being a majority shareholder. Now some are wondering whether Blackburn had already had a wink from Maclean-Hunter about CHCH.

Of course, this whole deck of cards could yet topple. It will be interesting to see how Maclean-Hunter tries to convince the CRTC that its purchase of Selkirk was anything but profiteering. The CRTC approves the sale of broadcast licences based on the contributions they make to Canadian broadcasting. With this bit of contrived juggling, while the contribution to Maclean-Hunter shareholders is clear, the contribution to broadcasting is still pretty obscure. None of these deals is likely to receive CRTC approval before the commission considers the Ottawa applications.

But even if the whole thing could be untangled, and Selkirk was left with some reasonable platform from which to continue its Ottawa bid, its credibility has been severely eroded. No doubt the other applicants, Metro, CHUMCITY-TV, CanWest and Mid-Canada, are already gloating. Up until last week, there were five applicants for the new Ottawa TV licence. Now, for all practical purposes, there are only four. An application by Toronto's SeK kirk Communications is still officially on file, but don't let that fool you.

Selkirk's application didn't just have the rug pulled out from under it last week; its entire foundation was pulverized. Wielding the jackhammer was Maclean-Hunter Ltd. Maclean-Hunter is the company that recently bought Selkirk, whose holdings include TV stations (such as CHCH in Hamilton) and cable companies (such as Ottawa Cablevision). Maclean-Hunter long knew of Selkirk's bid to extend its sway in Ottawa, and had given its blessing. Then last week, before the CRTC even had a chance to consider the sale of Selkirk, Maclean-Hunter started divvying up the spoils.

Selkirk has been all but dismantled, sold in bits and pieces to other companies. Maclean-Hunter says it plans to retain only Ottawa Cablevision and radio station CFNY-FM in Toronto. So does Selkirk's application for an Ottawa licence make any sense anymore? "That's a very good question," of receiving WOKR (ABC), WHEC (CBS) and WROC (NBC) in Rochester, and maybe even for WNPE-PI (PBS) in Watertown. How much extra? Check back next fall. By that time the government will have appointed a three-person copyright board, listened to the arguments of producers and cable companies, and come up with a compromise.

The federal department of communication has suggested that it could cost Canadians $10 to $15 million a year. The cable industry fears that may be low. Assuming it is only about $12 million, it averages out to about 17 cents per subscriber per month. Unfortunately it doesn't "average" out. Remote communities, which get the bulk of their signals, foreign and domestic, from elsewhere, will pay more than large communities huddled near the U.S.

border. (Under the strict application of the definition of distant signals, Toronto cable subscribers would pay less than Ottawans. Toronto cable companies are close enough to the Buffalo network affiliates that they carry to be exempt from royalties.) Remote communities already pay exorbitant rates for cable. Cost dickering We are now a year away from the time when we start paying extra for TV signals from outside our own region. However, cable companies and government agencies are still no closer to knowing exactly how much it will cost us.

Free-trade legislation stipulates that beginning January 1990, cable companies will have to pay royalties (collected directly from you and me) on TV signals from any TV station that is a prescribed distance away from the companies' antennae. Government and industry forces have spent the last year dickering about what that distance will be. They'll spend the next year figuring out how much to ding us. The' rationale is that a TV station buys the rights to the programs it offers within its own broadcast area. If that TV signal is shown outside that area by a cable company, the producers of the programs and the artists involved in their creation are not getting their due.

TV royalties became a free-trade issue because many of the so-called distant signals carried by Canadian cable companies are from the U.S. In Ottawa, for instance, we'll have to contribute a little something for the pleasure Micnaei raiDott, Detective Stanley Switek of Miami Vice, gets a rare chance to shine on the Jan. 20 episode of the NBC series, titled "Hard Knocks." Switek and a buddy, both in debt from gam Selkirk's head of broadcasting, Brian Foley, said Tuesday. Foley who returned from holiday this week to find a bizarre new landscape on the broadcast playing field, says a decision on whether to pull the application will have to be made by the directors of Selkirk and Maclean-Hunter. Details of the application have yet to be released, but it undoubtedly boasts of the strength of the company after the Maclean-Hunter purchase, and of potential programming linkups with other Selkirk stations, particularly, CHCH in Hamilton, the nation's largest independent.

On Saturday, however, we learned that Maclean-Hunter had struck a deal with London's Blackburn Group to sell CHCH. That deal leads to other speculation. Until a few months before the application deadline, Blackburn, which owns TV and radio bling, connive to throw a college football game. Father knows best Barbara Stock, Susan on Spen- rr rr: i act: rvi juicy ctuu xvici nuuuu, late of Hill Street Blues, play a pair of corrupt federal agents in the season premiere of Father Dowling Mysteries. The show airs at 8 p.m.

Jan. 20 on NBC. WHAT'S ON TONIGHT deviennent amants et s'engagent, sous forme (24T) Joe David: Spirit of the Mask Artist Joe David has become a strong contemporary force in the preservation and revitalisa-tion of the art of his people. (29) Movie Running Man" de recherche psycnoio-gique, dans de bizarres jeux de comportement. (10R) Night Heat O'Brien and Giambone investigate a shooting and theft at an art gallery.

(R) (40, 51) Queen's Park 11.00 o.m. (6M) (7 (8R) 6.30 p.m. (6) News 7)c(10R) CBS News 8m NBC News (CC) 10) (40H) Charivari 12CF) C'est chouette 13R) ABC News (CC) 14, 30-V) Family Theatre (Premiere) "Leadfoot" Philip Mckeon stars in this drama about a reckless teen-age driv- (23, 31) Trap (24T) Sharon, Lois Bram's Elephant Show A neighbourhood slee-pover with entertainment by the Potato People. (28) SportsDesk (30-Q) Cinema "Vaquero" (30) Cine-Cadeau (35) Des chiffres et des lettres (39) Bibi et Genevieve (49) La Maison iiam News 9) Meteo 10) (40H) Les Nouvelles TVA (CC) 12 13) CTV News (12) Movie Atlanta Child Murders" (1985) (Part 2 of 2) Jason fiobards, James Earl Jones. Atlanta music promoter Wayne Williams stands trial on charges of mur-dering two adults whose names appeared on the Atlanta police department's list of victims.

(13R) Nightline (CC) (21, 24) Carol Burnett and Friends (R) (23, 31) Movie CC) izijr) Les hntrepre- neurs (14. 30-V) Roots: Faith and Culture (R) (18) Adam Smith's Money World (R) 21, 24) Contact (23, 31) Burns and (24T) Realities (R) I sponsuesK I SportsPlus p.m. (6) Sport- 6.50 sline I 7:00 I 7:30 I 8:00 I 8:30 I 9:00 I 9:30 I 10:00 1 10:30 CD 8 8 CBC Front Page Best Years Nature of Things Wonder Years Hooperman National Journal CD 8 8 CBC Who's the Boss? From Scratch Nature of Things Knots Landing National Journal (D 3 3 GLOBAL Wheel of Fortune Family Feud TV 101 Adderly Earth Odyssey CD 20 34 CBC Front Page Best Years Nature of Things Wonder Years Hooperman National Journal CD CBS Wheel of Fortune Family Ties TV 101 Movie: "The Man in the Brown Suit" CD 9 9 NBC Current Affair M'AH Unsolved Mysteries Night Court Baby Boom Tattinger's CD 11 11 CBC Laser 33-45 Le Grand remous Actual Le Telejournal Le Point 43 TVA L'Heure juste Movie: "Touche" Alfred Hitchcock Ad lib (3) 13 13 CBS Cosby Show Cheers TV 101 Movie: "The Man in the Brown Suit" (35 43 50 CBC Perfect Strangers Full House Nature of Things Wonder Years Hooperman National Journal 16 20 CTV Ent. Tonight Park Avenue Metro Exhibition Hockey: Central Red Army at Pittsburgh Penguins CF 12 12 TVOntarlo Les Carnets de Id bat la vie Sciences en Images I'Etoffe d'un pays Le Lys et le trillium Aux petites vues: 50e anniversaire de I'ONF 33) 7 7 CTV Ent. Tonight Sounding Board Exhibition Hockey: Central Red Army at Pittsburgh Penguins (33) 19 19 ABC Wheel of Fortune Jeopardyl Growing Pains Head of the Class Wonder Years Hooperman China Beach 03) 4 4 PBS Business Rpt.

Rod and Reel Power Game Infinite Voyage Paying for College '89 (3)0 22 OH Cable Page '89 Cont'd Christmas Around the World Sign-Off (S)S 22 SKY Cable Page '89 Cont'd Christmas Around the Work) Sign-Off 2 2 TVOntario Box of Delights Couchiching Realities Movie: "East of Ipswich" Joe David S3) 37 37 Radio Que. Cine-Cadeau Cont'd Le Tiroir secret Movie: "Les Russes arrivent" )H 10 10 TVA L'Heure juste Movie: "Touche" Alfred Hitchcock Ad lib 5 Quatre Saitont Les Arnaqueurs S. Tele Programme Sacree generation Cheers Le Grand Journal Surprise-Party MM 27 27 MuchMusie VJ: Steve Anthony Muchmusic West Hostess Sneak Previews VJ: Steve Anthony Rockflash News Sheena Easton Rockflash Wrap-Up TVS 35 35 French Int'l Nouvelles Nouvelles Au Norn de la loi Les Cinq dernieres minutes VTV 30 14 Vision TV Images of Love Bahai Roots: Faith and Culture Hallelujah Family Theatre Images of Love Bahal YTV 24 21 Youth TV Muppets Can't on TV Circus EMU TV Home and Away Going Great Bonanza AE 28 26 Artt Ent Chronicle World of Survival Battle Line Air Power Vietnam War With Walter Cronkite Winston Churchill World War I CNN 32 25 Newt Net Moneyline Crossfire PrimeNews Larry King Live News CNNII 31 Headline Headline News Headline News Headline News Headline News FAM 23 31 Family Disney's Legends and Heroes Sidekicks Movie: "They Got Me Covered" FC 29 29 First Choice "Empire of the Sun" Movie: "No Blame" Movie: "The Circle Man" "The Running Man" FFC 36 30 Prem Cholx Movie: "Vaquero" Cont'd Movie: "Quand souffle le vent" Movie: "Ford: I'homme et la machine" LCF 39 39 Famllle China Vision TLC 32 Learning Ch. To Teach Math Review of Arithmetic Paving the Way Review for Act Encounters A Letter from Brian INN News GEO TNN 33 24 Nashville Fandango Crook and Chase Nashville Now VideoCountry Crook and Chase New Country TSN 28 26 Sports Net Sports Page Rinkside Pins Game Bowling: Men's Ten Pin NBA Today Indy 500 Highlights It's Your Call "Poor Little Rich Girl" (28) Pins Game Bowl- ing (R) 12.12 a.m. (13) Movie Two" (1979) James Caan, Marsha Mason.

Based on the lay by Neil Simon, oon after his wife's death, a writer finds himself reluctantly fal- ling in love again. 19 15 a.m. (29) Movie (4) 6M) Challenge 7.00 p.m. Front Page 11.05 p.m. (9) Les Nouvelles 11.10 p.m.

(30) Buster Keaton 11.15 p.m. (35) Jazz a Montreal Le vingtieme anniver-saire de son orchestre. 11.25 p.m. (9) Cinema (1984) Richard Berry, Victoria Abril. Une jeune femme est prise a voler dans un suoermarche.

(10)(40H) Franc-parler 11.30 p.m. (4) (6M) "Rent-A-Cop" (35) Nouvelles euro- peennes 12.30 a.m. (5) Movie Now, Comrade" (1976) Leslie Phillips, Roy Kinnear. When a renowned Russian ballet dancer defects to the West, chaos befalls all those who try to help him. (6) (8R) Late Night With David Letterman Scheduled: sportscaster Marv Albert; musician Tfimmu P.nnwell.

(11) World Junior Hockey Canada vs. U.S.S.R. From Anchorage. 5) Benny Hill (6) Sportsline (7) NKJht Heat (8R) Tonight Show Host: Johnny Carson. Scheduled: actors James Stewart and Bob Saget.

13R) Sweethearts 15) Infotext 24) Golna Great R) 10R) Cheers (CC) 12) News 12CF) Villages et vis 4a) Le larano journal jOPIGE 37JOIOEG.T. 'BETS Jfe (5) Who's the Boss? A raging thunderstorm at Kissing Rock forces Angela and Tony to spend the night at a secluded motel. (Part 2 of 2) (6) (7) (13R) Wheel of Fortune (CC) (8R) Current Affair 9) Laser 33-45 10) (40H) L'Heure Juste (10R) Cosby Show Denise's friends show off the latest break dancing steps while Cliff's buddies demonstrate the jitterbug. (CC) (11) Perfect Strangers (12) (13) Entertainment Tonight Celebrity romances. (12CF) Les Carnets de F'aventure (14, 30-V) Images of Love, Words of Hope (18) Nightly Business Report (21, 24) Muppets (23.

31) Disney's Legends and Heroes (24T) Box of Delights Kay must act quickly to save his friend as Ab-ner summons powerful forces to retrieve the Box and wreck Christmas celebrations. (Part 3 of 3) (28) Sports Page (35) Nouvelles euro-peennes (49) Les Arnaqueurs 7.30 p.m. (4) (6M) Best Years Topics: fighting diabetes; crime-proofing; polar bear watching. (CC) (5) Starting From Scratch James and Helen discover that their divorce may not be valid. 6) Family Feud 7) Family Ties i10)(40H) Cinema (1985) Anthony Edwards, Linda Fiorentino.

(10R) Cheers (CC) (111 Full House (12) Park Avenue Metro (12CF) Id bat la vie (13) Sounding Board (13R) Jeopardyl (CC) (14, 30-V) Banal Perspective: Unity In Diversity (ip) Rod and Reel Chapter Two: Starring James Caan and Marsha Mason. (13 at 12:12 a.m.) Hockey: Central Red Army at Pittsburgh. (12, 13 at 8 p.m.); Canada vs. U.S.S.R. (Junior).

(4, 6M, 11 at 11:30 p.m.) Tonight Show: Johnny's guests include James Stewart. (8R at 11:30 p.m.) 12.40 a.m. (7) Movie (1985) Patrick Houser, Christopher Allport. College athletes endure their coach's hard-driving training methods and their own personal trials to gain positions on the U.S. Olympic men's volleyball team.

(R) (30-Q) Cinema Cerveau meca-nique" 12.45 a.m. (35) Radio France Internationale 1.00 a.m. (13R) Hollywood Squares (21, 24) Bonanza (R) (28) Pro Wrestling Plus Magazine 40, 51) Queen's Park '49) Sacree generation ages Des villageois retracent les diverses etapes de revolution de cette re- ion, bien enracinee ans sa tradition fran-caise. (Partie 2) (13R) USA Today Scheduled: Las Vegas, and Atlantic City, N.J.'s competition for gambling dollars; exercise addiction. (18) Movie Yourself" (1951) Farley Granger, Shelley Winters.

The ownership of a very special dog draws the mob's attention to a proud couple. (23, 31) Nature Probe (24T) To Be Announced (28) Thoroughbred Sports Digest (49) Le Cascadeur 11.32 p.m. (13) story; a Los Angeles disc jockey's rnysteri-ous death; a Florida fraud; a 9-year-old San Francisco girl's abduc and Law, launches the 1988 Couchiching Conference and discusses the incredible advances in technology. (Part 1 of (28) Pins Game Bowling Men's Ten (Taped) (30-Q) Cinema souffle le vent" tion, (uo; (9) Le Grand remous 12) (13) Exhibition Hockey Pantral RaH Armv At (49) SportsPlus Rei vent" (1966) Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint. L'echouage d'un sous-marin russe seme la pa-nique dans une ile coders.

(49) Cheers 9.30 p.m. (4) (6M) (11) (13R) Hooperman Harry infiltrates a loan shark's hangout; Pritz-ger and Captain Stern Face a Chinatown shoot-out. (R) (CC) (8R) Baby Boom (10) (40H) Alfred Hitchcock presente (14, 30-V) Family Theatre "Leadfoot" Philip Mckeon stars in this drama about a reckless 9.45 p.m. (35) Les Cinq dernieres min- utes 10.00 p.m. (41 (5) (6M) (11) National (CC) (6) Earth Odyssey A study of how illegally captured orangutans are re-introduced to the wild.

(8R) Tattinger's (CC) (9) Le TeleTournal (CC) (10) (40H) Ad lib (12CFJ Aux petites vues: 509 anniversaire de I'ONF (13R) China Beach (14. 30-V) Images of Love, Words of Hope ijj) Paying for College 30) Le Tiroir secret 35) Au Norn de la loi prise; 1.10 a.m. (10R) Movie My Grits" (1982) Bruce Davison, Tony Franciosa. A young parolee who' uuants tn etau otrainht 49) Programme a (21, 24) You Can't Do That on Television (28) Rinkside (Season Premiere) AHL Hockey news. (29) Movie ''No Blame" (35) Nouvelles cana-diennes (40, 51) Queen's Park (49) S.O.S.

Tele 8.00 p.m. (4) (5) (6M) m) Nature of Things Forensic scientists unravel the mysteries behind the tragic Franklin expedition which took place in the Arctic tundra more than a century ago. (R) (CC) (6) (iOR) TV 101 Upset by the class's reaction to his Christmas video, Sherman goes on the road; Holden claima to know the mystery graffiti artist's Identity. (CC) (8R) Unsolved Mysteries Cases include: a strange Valentine's Day (Premiere) Thora Hird stars as a Salvation Army captain in this comedy series. (R) (15) C.U.

on TV (18) Infinite Voyage Examines the life and death of the dinosaurs, and whether any surviving animal species are descended from these mighty beasts. (Part 6 ofl2)(CC) J21 24) Home and Movie Got Me Covered" (24T) Movie East of Ipswich" (1966) Edward Rawle-Hicks, John Wagland. A pair of vacationing teenagers turn the sleepy English town of Soutnwold into their private playground. (28) NBA Today (29) Movie Circle Man" (30) Cinema ''''Les Russes arri flees to Mexico when 9.00 p.m. (4) (6M) (11) (13R) Wonder Years Kevin is terrified at the thought of making his first telephone calf to a girl.

fR) (CC) (5) Knots Landing (6) Adderly Adderly '8 assigned to protect a philanthropist who turns out to be a Nazi war criminal. 7) (1 OR) Movie ''The Man in the Brown Suit" (1988) Stephanie Zimbalist, Edward Woodward. Premiere. Agatha Christie's 1924 novel inspired this tale of an adventurous American tourist who plays amateur sleuth following a suspicious "accident" in Egypt. iCC) 8R) Night Court 9) Artuel 12CF) Le Lys et le rillium (14, 30' V) Hallelujah (40H) 11.35 p.m.

(10) lei Montreal i id usi.uvaisi mo lias been sentenced to an-, other term. p.m. (10) (40H) Nouvelles du Pittsburgh Penguins. (12CF) Sciences en Images presente (13R) Growing Pains (14, 30-V) Roots: Faith and Culture (18) Power Game The power wielded in the decision-making process by non-electea members of the press, lobby groups and staff. (Part 3 of 4) (CC) (21, 24) Circus (22o) (22s) Christmas Around the World (24T) Couchiching Biotechnology: Blessing or Curse Dr.

Margaret Somerville, director of McGill Centre for Ethics, 11.45 Les SDort teen-age driver. (R) 21. 24) Bonanza (35) Milleslme it intotext communiquer 8.30 p.m. (12CF) I'Etoffe d'un pays (13R) Head of the Class Alan promises everything to everyone in his bid to be class president. (CC) (21, 24) EMU TV (23, 31) Sidekicks (24T) Realities The first of a two part interview with one of Canada's most diversely talented artists, Harold Town.

(Part 1 of 2) 28 It Your Call '49i Surprise-Party 21, 24) Going Great midnight (5) Just Add Water 28 IndV 500 Hlon- 10.25 p.m. (4) (5) (6M) inhts 6) Benny Hill (30-Q) Cinema 10H40H) Cinema Tete en delire" Radio listings, page B7 till journal (9) Le Point 10.30 p.m. (14, 30-V) Bahal Perspective: Unity In Diversity JR) Ford: I'homme et la machine" (40, 51) Queen's Park (4H) Le Grand Journal (1980) Sally Kellerman, Stephen Lack. Une psy-chiatre et un professeur.