The Vancouver Sun from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 20

1 TELEVISION 08 The Vancouver Sun, Monday, October 30, 1989 Audienc es eagerly await Degrassi kick-off HESTER THIS part of the world, school usually begins day after Labor Day. Imagine, kids, a school that doesn't 4 1 i V'V" 1 RICHES Television 1 1 i rhetoric and pamphleteering (on cither side) and stuck to strong drama from real characters. 1 was wrong. I'd guessed that Lindsay Wagner's CBS zoo series, A Peaceable Kingdom, would be the first U.S. series to be cancelled this season.

A kids' series, when the under-live set can barely pronounce Anyway, first to be shot down eas. (drumroll, please) The People Next Door, a feeble CBS sitcom about a cartoonist (Jeffrey Jones) with a fertile imagination. At Least I had the right network. I'm a little late getting this news out, because a second series met the sharp end of the axe over the weekend. NBC's put an early end to Nutt House, the Mel Brooks-produced sitcom starring Harvey Korman and Cloris Leachman.

It just wasn't nutty enough. Tonight, CBS is running an extra episode of The Famous Teddy in The People Next Door's timeslot (8:30 p.m.). And next week Murphy Brown will move into the spot, keeping it warm for the permanent, mid-November return of Doctor, Doctor, a bright spring season entry starring Matt Frewer. So, I'll readjust the prediction: A Peaceable Kingdom will be the first one-hour series to meet its end before the final sweep of November sweeps. actors in the Degrassi repertory company.

Unlike children who become stars in Hollywood, who must give up school and be tutored on the set, the actors on Degrassi stay in their own schools. They work part-time during summer and throughout the school year, and the filming schedule is constantly adjusted to accommodate exams and proms and anything else resembling a real life. The documentary also shows a creative meeting between the show's producers and the young actors, and an acting class that the production company offers. Degrassi: Between Takes should be used as a training film for any TV or film producers who hope to work with children in the future. From the final results in the series, the efforts are obviously worthwhile.

The regular season starts next week with a one-hour episode. All the usual suspects have been rounded up for initiation day at the high school Joey is searching for a classier name for his rock band, The Zit Remedy, while Alexa copes with her boyfriend's new-found fame and fortune as a fashion model. There's bound to be controversy over the main storyline, dealing with abortion, but it's probably the most even handling of the topic for a TV drama. The writers have gone easy on the open until after Halloween. That school exists and, believe it or not, thousands of Canadian teenagers are waiting anxiously for that school to open its doors.

More than a few adults too. But the school only exists on TV. The school is the fictional Degrassi High, a slightly more grown-up extension of the hit series Degrassi Junior High. The doors finally swing open as the program launches its new season next Monday night (Nov, 6), but tonight there's a sneak preview of season with a short documentary on this innovative Canadian series. Peter Gzowski is the off-screen narrator of Degrassi Between Takes (8:30 p.m.

on Ch. 2), a brief documentary which explains some of Degrassi's peculiar charms. A hit in the U.S., as well (where it's seen Sunday mornings on PBS), the Toronto-filmed series gained momentum a few years ago when CBC shifted the program from a weekend afternoon timeslot to Mondays in prime-time, with a strong lead-in from Newhart. Then, parents and teachers started watching with their kids. Books based on the series were published, and actors launched publicity tours.

All the fuss was over a TV series that treated its children as authentic human beings. They are the central and only focus of half-hour dramas that deal with serious subjects such as drinking, inter-racial dating, peer pressure, teen pregnancy, birth control, AIDS and cheating on your homework. These problems are not magically solved by the interventions of teachers or parents or older siblings. The adults are peripheral characters in the world of Degrassi. The documentary shows that the world behind-the-scenes is similar.

Adults are indeed in charge of the series, but their needs take a backseat to schedules of the more than 50 young tops-ware in 'iiiiiitirtViiMiirir'-'rf'lrlirtiiiii'Mii it DEGRASSI HIGH: documentary looks behind scenes I liiniilBiif inrtii ii I Ch. Cable 5:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m.

p.m. 7:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m.

9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m. 11:00 p.m. 11:30 p.m.

12:00 a.m. 12:30 a.m. 3 Video Hits Golden Girls News Pacific Report Danger Bay Wonder Years Degrassi Takes Design. Women Teddy National Journal News Newhart Kale ft AHIe Movie ABC News (News NFL Football: Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants Bruce King's Monday Night News Nlghtllne MacGyver (1 2 News NBC News News Enl. Tonight Evening ALF Wickedest Wlteh Movie: Settle the Scori News Best Carson Letterman 6 Night Court News News My Two Dads Cosby Show Free Spirit WoH Miss Canada Pageant CTV News News Cheers Trial by Jury (7) 8 News CBS News Cosby Show News USA Today Garfield Teddy Murphy Brown Teddy Design.

Women Newhart News Pat Sajatt Trial by Jury 11 News Cheers News Ent. Tonight Anything Love ALF DoogleHowser Murphy Brown Miss Canada Pageant CTV News News Alter Hours Night Court (9) 9 Mister Rogers Wld. of Animals Business Rpt. MacNeilLehrer Newshour No Place Singing Detective Singing Detective Pacilic Northwest Ballet 09 13 Growing Pains News Westcoasl Wheel Fortune Jeopardyl Hitchcock Wickedest Witch Movie: Settle the Score Sportspage World Tonight Inside Edition Letterman 0 20 Punky Brewster" Charles Charge" Family Ties Cheers Who's the Boss? Night Court Movie: Wild Horses Nm Cheers Hunter Twilight Zong 12 Win Lose Draw M'A'S'H Hunter Movie: High Anxiety Movie: The Burning Bed Arsenlo Hall McHale'sNavy 2nd Paycheck (H 17 Small Wonder Webster Love Connection Hard Copy Inside Edition Current Affair 21 Jump Street Allen Nation AraenloHaH Love Connection Current Affair Atter Hours Carson Classics 7 Une paire d'as CTYVON Temps paix CeSoir Le Telejournal Une slgne de leu Cine-Quest Le Point Cinema: Blen joue Matt Helm "fj" 7j" Travels Television Art ol the Western World Never the Twain Day the Universe Changed Wild America Travels (Television Art of the Western World (323 5 Gather Dreams Introduction to Sociology II Mathematics Women and Violence Reckoning NFB Theatre Destruction Destruction QJ3 "Si" Count Duckula Doctor Who YTV Rocks Muppets Cant on TV Circus Hitchhiker's YTV Rec Room Home and Away Bread Smith and Smith Incredible Bonania MB 26 This Country Business World This Country Arts Ent This Country Cover Story This Country Your World Business World Le Telejournal Le Point National Journal World Report GO "55" Highway iTessMe Hallelujah Can't Take It This Is the Lite Peter Trueman Connection Highway Bless Me Hallelujah CanlTakeft This la Ihe Lile G33 29 Movie: Hair Spotlight Test Pattern Fax MuchWest VJ: Steve Anthony Rockllash News VJ: Steve Anthony Rockllash News 33 Movie (4:30) Movie: Messenger of Death Attractions Movie: fg Movie: Running on Empty Movie: Ceribe "24" NHL Hockey: Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers (4:30) It's Your Call SportsDesk Wln Place Show NBA Exhibition Basketball SportsDesk Hockey News NHL Hockey: Flyers at Rangers 34 Ovide Gang Little Vampire Movie: The Track of toe African Bongo Ghost Ship Movie: The Proud Rebel Burns and Allen Nature Probe Movie: Just Around the Comer a 39 Memories ol China Our Century: Russia Shortstories Daphne Maxwell Reid Memories ol China Our Century: Russia Shortslories Daphne Maxwell Reld i mn pwiii Remember with (tirsery Songs NOVEMBER 3 4, 1989 QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE 8 PM Irish Fantasy The Desires of Merlin Variations on a Nursery Song 4 .1 A. 4 made possible by A Gift in Memory of Angus McPhail BALLET BRITISH COLUMBIA Ticketmaster 280-3311 $13 $26 ipim charge mmm try, w-vx Classical Ballet with a Difference 1 rerrormance rt ic WfesTcoarf Patricia Neary, Artistic Director a presentation jp Sponsor: Energy SK DESIGNING WOMEN: featuring an aging beauty queen TONIGHT'S BEST BET Shir beauty queen as a recurring character.

Tonight, Guiding Light soap star Kim Zimmer makes a guest appearance as Charlene's cousin, a woman under the spell of an abusive husband. DEAD POETS Pauline ii We'll be ignoring the Miss Canada Pageant tonight (we won't even tell you what channel it's on), favoring instead a program that dares to examine the dark side of the world of former beauty queens. Yes, we're talking about Designing Women (10 p.m. on Ch. 7) to feature an aging VAM 111.

SOCIETY Robin Williams iQ Specializing in Movie Theme Merchandise Available exclusively at Capitol A -HESTER RICHES i. and Station Square 7. ilMNkv, B.C. WARNING firiiilMnaxniirirJ Some very coarse Evenings 9:15 languaoe, occasional No Matinees nudity suegesllve scenes. -TV TIMES UPDATE- Eyeninai-'iOO When Harry MATS.

SatSun-2 (IS liiitiiiiiiiiiiSimA 1 Billy B.C. WARNING some very coarst) Crystal suwesfiva language. No Watinws WATS. SatSun-iJ5 MATS. SalSun-M5 Jf, MMF M3F WQMIW Ch.

7: USA Today on TV at 7:30 p.m.; Trial By Jury at 12:30 a.m.; Movie: Didn't You Hear at 1 a.m. TSN: NBA Exhibition Basketball at 9 p.m. Tuesday daytime: TSN: NBA Exhibition Basketball at 9:30 a.m. The following list identifies tonight's and Tuesday's daytime program changes made by the television networks after TV Times magazine had gone to press. The schedule for Tonight's TV (above) incorporates these changes.

Tonight: Ch. 6.: Free Spirit at 8 p.m. 0 WARNING Occaiiondl vorv Evenings 7:04 fron coarse language A MATS. "FILLED WITH WARMTH AND EXCITEMENT!" PAKENT'8 CHOICE JOIINN THE BEAR WARNING Some suggestive coarse language; scene of chlMblrlft. Mickey Rourke wmmmt Oaiiv 2 00 :00 Evei -MS MATS Sat'Sun-M! MAI MATS.

Eveninos :30 9:25 Evenlngs-M5 MATS Sat'Sun-J 30. Sat'Sun-3'00 BC WARNING-Frenoenl violence ft very coarse language. aM4ki Evenings 7:30 9:30 MATS.SatSuri-2:) Daily 2:15 4:30 7:009:15 (ctnouij Evenings 7:35 Evenings 7:05 9:10 LETHAL Evenings 7:00 9:10 MATS, Sat'Sun-2 30 MATS MATS ''i-r ifn Tiiiii'iM1i Starring 9:00 Evenings 7:10 9:20 MATS MATS SatSlin-WO Sat'Sun-J'OO MATS 'Uk Gross Anatomy Tom Selleck WARNING BC WARNING Occasional coarse suggestive language, fUjaymti Thurs. Nov. 2nd at Van.

Centrel scenes ot autopsy. AN INNOCENT MAN Frequent violence very coarse language. MATS 4:30 4 vtry coarse lamiuagt. Daily-2: Evenings 7: 9-sn Evenings 7:10 9:30 PETER PRINGLE "a witty, songful, delightful evening featuring a dozen of Coward's most popular songs." has succeeded in creating an exciting, funny and stimulating evening of theatre." ACCLAIMED IN OTTAWA, TORONTO, MONTREAL, CHARLOTTETOWN. 9:25 MATS MATS MATS Sat'Sun-2 Evenings 7:10 9:15 9:35 Evenings MATS Evenings 7:15 9:40 MATS Sat'Sun-MO MATS Sat'Sun-MS MATS sat'Sun-J-70 MB WARNING Cinrv luwniivt Paul Newman 9:40 I rrfrrri Drr iT) lillLLDUI tC WARNING.

Seme violence A vtry CMrwUnouatN, 9:40 Evenings 7:15 9: JO B.C. WARNING Some swearing, QucntQ xcasional suggestive kstws. Evenings 7:00 9:30 MATS Ortiiy 2: IS 4:30 7:15 9:40 MATS. SatSun-WS MATS. Opens This Nov.

2 to Nov.14 (Special prices Wed. preview Fri. Nov. 3rd) ROBSON SQ. MEDIA CENTRE, 8 p.m.

TICKETMASTER 280-4444 to charge. mm Outran BC WARNING vKWntt. OCCJ-OOgJI Eveninos-MXJ Evenings 7:00 9:30 One srlow at 8:00 9:45 Daily J.IO Evenings 7:00 9:30 9:20 MATS.SatSun-!:05 Evenings 7:20 9:35 MATS WATS SatSun-y-n MATS ,445 7'I0 9.IS 4 tWMriDB. MATS Sat'Snn-rnO MATS MATS StSun-1-M.