Alberni Valley Times from Alberni, British Columbia, Canada • 28

6a Weekender FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1990 STAR VIEW For Audrey Meadows, the idea of starring in a series about a somewhat offbeat family is nothing new. Meadows starred as Alice Kramden in the classic "The Honeymooners," and played a nagging mother-in-law from 1982-83 on "Too Close for Now she has entered another unusual household In "Uncle which premieres Monday, Sept. 17, on CBS. The series is based on the hit movie about a rather, uh, strange relative who takes over his brother's household. "The script for the series was the strongest thing I had explains Meadows, describing why she took the role.

"You could really see how the characters would unfold. I'd been reading a lot of scripts, and this was very wellvery tight. The characters ON LOCATION By Evan Levine 'SCTV' gang moves into 'Maniac Mansion' By Michael Rechtshaffen TORONTO The cameras are rolling In a downtown Toronto studio, capturing the antics of 'Maniac Mansion, a spanking new, innovative half-hour comedy series starring Joe Flaherty The 'SCTV' alumnus plays Professor Fred Edison (no relation to Thomas), a well-meaning scientist- inventor whose experiments usually go terribly wrong; Professor Fred once accidentally turned his uncle into a fly. He also struggles to keep his wife. Edna, and three children happy, one of whom 1S a 6-foot-4-inch.

250-pound 4-year-old. Eugene Levy, Flaherty's old "SCTV' cohort, heads the show's writing team along with fellow Melonville expatriates Michael Short (Martin's brother). David Flaherty (Joe's brother) and John Hemphill, as well as Second City's Don Lake. The offbeat series described by its creators as "Back to the Future' meets "Family Ties' meets Addams Family" is actually based on a computer game of the same name by Lucasfilm Games, which is set to make its Nintendo debut this summer. 'Maniac Mansion' will open to the viewing public starting Friday, Sept.

14, on The Family Channel south of the border, and on Monday, Sept. 17 on YTV Also beginning this month. Vancouver will be going to the dogs, thanks to "Bingo'," an adventurecomedy starring Bingo the Dog and featuring her four doubles. No word yet on the movie's human contingent. Casting is also being final- 'Honeymooners' still shines for Meadows were well-delineated.

You have to take everything under consideration when you choose a Meadows has strong opinions, and not just about her new series. While some actors try to separate themselves from roles with which they were long identified. Meadows has no such qualms. 'When I watch 'The it's almost like I didn't do them," she says. "But I love to watch them.

To see Jack (Gleason) and Art (Carney) work together was such a joy. The only problem I have is that I was so much thinner then." And while Meadows feels positively about the show, she doesn't like other people taking advantage of it or her. "I still get mail about 'The she says. 'And sometimes people send me old photos to autograph. But I think they sell them.

One woman sent me 14. and said they were all for her children! They weren't for her children at all. And then she wrote back again! Sometimes people sell those photos for $300 each. premed think it's Still, her memories of those days are not in the least diminished. "They were all wonderful she remembers.

"I love the -hour show where we adopted the baby. And the Christmas show. They were all such wonderful characters. And we had no idea when we were doing it what we were creating." For now, she's busy working on "Uncle Buck," trying 'Car 54' Toronto shoot had a sputtering start By Michael Rechtshaffen TORONTO Psst! Goldie Hawn will be ringing in the new year in Toronto, where she stars in the Walt Disney picture 'The a murder mystery set in the world of high culture. Pass it on.

For a while, it looked like "Car 54 Cast. Where Are You?" Up until a week before the start of production in Toronto, producers of the movie version of the popular 1960s sitcom "Car 54. Where Are You?" were still finalizing casting for the roles originally played by Joe Ross and Fred Gwynne. But the 53rd Precinct's trusty twosome has finally been regenerated with actor-singer David Johansen as Officer Gunther Toody and John McGinley as Officer Francis Muldoon. Johansen.

whose alter-ego Buster Poindexter's rendi- to create another wonderful character this time, a grandmother. And she indulges in a secret passion. "I love television," she admits. mean watching it. Most people won't admit she says thoughtfully.

And then, proudly: "But I will." Audrey Meadows tion of "Hot, Hot, Hot" has become a standard at weddings, has appeared in "Scrooged" (1988) and the recent Richard Dreyfuss movie "Let It Ride." McGinley has been featured in a trio of Oliver Stone movies, "Platoon" (1986), "Wall Street" (1987) and "Talk Radio" (1988). The Orion Pictures release also boasts a couple of familiar faces from the series, which originally ran from 1961 to 1963. Al Lewis will reprise his Officer Leo Schnauser role, while Nipsey Russell, who appeared during the first season as Officer Anderson, will also be back, having been promoted to Captain. Rounding out the "Car 54" cast are Daniel Baldwin, yet another acting Baldwin sibling (along with Alec and William), as a crime boss, and comedian Fran Drescher. Occupying the director's chair is Bill Fishman, who called the shots for "Tapeheads" (1988).

Speaking of acting families, Robert Carradine, halfbrother of David and Keith and son of the late John Carradine, has descended upon Toronto, playing the title character in "Clarence," a seasonal TV special to air later this year on The Family Channel. Carradine plays a newly winged angel who returns to Earth to prove his worth. If the circumstances sound remotely familiar, it's because, yes, the character is intended to be the same Clarence who showed Jimmy Stewart what life would have been like without him in Frank Capra's 1946 classic "It's a Wonderful Life." The original Clarence was played by gifted character actor Henry Travers, who made such a memorable mark in that movie. So Carradine certainly has some impressive robes to fill. Joe Flaherty ized for 'K2" (not to be confused with 'K9'), an adventure drama based on the popular stage play about the ascent of a dangerously high mountain peak.

The complicated production will be directed by Franc Roddam, who previously called the shots for The Who's "Quadrophenia." Back in Toronto, Sunrise Films. the people who brought you "Danger Bay" and "My Secret Identity, have a trio of TV movies in the works, all based on true stories. They include Marlene Barnes about a mother's fivesearch for the man who molested her child; "Hilltop an account of a young couple who just said no to a group of drug-dealers and cleaned up their neighborhood; and 'Winners for about the lives of dance instructors Guy Holt and Richard Rex, who have successfully "created' Miss USA for five years running. The projects should start production some time next year. SOAP SCOOP from Page 5A riage was probably rushed because Rocky and Rio (yet another case of a soap couple with alliterative names) are the most appealing couple on this -rated show On "As the World the show's usual Mr Straight Arrow.

Dr. Bob Hughes (Don Hastings). finds it hard to resist temptation in the form of Dr. Susan Stewart (Marie Masters). A -night stand with Susan nearly broke up Bob's perfect marriage to saintly Kim Hughes (Kathryn Hays) last spring.

But will the couple's uneasy reconciliation endure? On Another World," it will be Who Shot Jake? Since Jake (as in Jake McKinnon, played by Tom Eplin) has slept his way through the whole Love family wife Marley, her twin sister Victoria (both played by Anne Heche) and mother-in-law Donna (Anna Stuart) we're surprised it didn't happen a long time ago. But look for lots of other suspects. On "Days of Our newly widowed Bo Brady (Peter Reckell) will find a new love. Also to be widowed shortly IS Bo's sister Kayla (Mary Beth Evans). Stephen Nichols, who plays male soap idol Patch, has chosen not to renew his contract..