Richmond Times-Dispatch from Richmond, Virginia • 162

J-6 Kirkmuad uuda April 20 IMlWi TELEVISION Film story characters show flashes of brilliance DOUGLAS i DURDEN of its leaders Wing who obviously cant afford the medical care his wife needs is in debt to Bliss So when Bliss asks him to spy on the other side and sweetens the request with cash Wing cant say no Besides there is a small thought of pleasure at the idea of being on the side of power When the fight turns vicious and various Save Our Bay members are threatened and physically attacked Wing horrified that he has played a part in such a scheme He pleads ignorance but his desire to be punished reflects his guilt "A Flash of Green" based on a 1962 novel by John MacDonald and directed by Victor Nunez is a quietly told understated tale which may explain why it widely distributed as a theatrical release (like tbe film a few years back "A Flash of Green" was commissioned by "American but first made available to the big screen) Wing is an unlikely hero On the one hand he looks after an older reporter with a drinking problem but he is not above selfishly using an old girlfriend Played by a less sympathetic type Wing would be implausible But with sweet-faced Harris in the lead dilemmas become understandable "A Flash at cone with the built-in publicity of "Testament" which was a dramatic exploration of the horrors of nuclear war But its cast should do much to attract an audience to a public television program Ms Brown is well-known to TV miniseries audiences for her work in and Harris is a splendid actor who usually shows up in significant but not starring roles such as Goldie husband in "Swing Shift" and "The Right John Glenn Jordan Ms longtime companion was most recently seen playing another bad guy in "The Mean Like the flashes of green in the title film is filled with flashes of a happier past the modest hones and simple pleasures of unspoiled marsh land that seem Idyllic now that they are impossible to come by As is obvious from the well-developed Florida of today groups like Save Our Bay successful How can you fight progress? asks the movie How can you not? is its answer According to folklore a brilliant flash of green at sunrise or sunset bodes good luck for the viewer The same can be said of Flash of Green" an "American Playhouse" production to be broadcast at 9 pm tomorrow over Gunnel 21 Set in 1961 in a small Florida community this is an all-too-modem tale of ecology vs economy A group of local developers wants to fill in a bay to create a new manmade island A smaller hand of local citizens wants to preserve the bay's beauty and wildlife Tbe hero of the story played by Ed Harris turns out to be a man drawn to both sides of the issue romantically attracted to the Save Our Bay side but financially drawn to the developers Harris' character Jimmy Wing is a newspaper reporter but his work arena is unlike the large newspaper settings of two other recent Florida films "Absence of Malice" and "The Mean Season" Unlike the other tiro films "A Flash of Green" so much about the sometimes confused ethics of Journalism as it is about the confined ethics of one man wife is in the hospital suffering from an illness that has left her mentally incapacitated Wing spends his days covering the trite and the senselessly tragic in a variety of stories ranging from trailer park politics to car wrecks His few happy moments are spent with his best friend's widow one of the leaders of the Save Our Bay group As played by Blair Brown she naively believes that a few loud protests and posters can stop Progress is represented by a character aptly named Elmo Kiss (Richard Jordan) a county commissioner with an eye on a bigger political future Kiss is playing a complicated game that requires him to pretend to be opposed to the bay development while in truth being one SEASIDE STROLL Blair Brown (left) and Ed a novel by John MacDonald to be broadcast Harris star in Rash of Green" a film based on tomorrow evening at 9 on Channel 23 Sitcom reruns to dominate new statiovbs prime time viewers have heard of WTLLChan-nel 63 and only 5 percent watch in a given week So WVRN will be using a direct mail campaign to cable TV subscribers to remind them that there is a Channel 63 that it is changing formats and that it can be found on cable channel 11 Why only cable subscribers? the second hurdle for the new Channel 63 The present Channel 63 is hampered by inadequate tower height and wattage strength Tb reach the audience it wants to both tower and wattage must be increased which is major promotional announcements until fall when he hopes WVRN will become known as the TV station where on Fleming and Rumore see a problem in the fact that Richmond already has an independent TV station WRLH They point out that many TV market have three even four independents Rumore describing Richmond as a "dream added that cable has also proliferated the number1 of choices in many TV markets want to be entertained and if you give them good entertainment it doesn't matter which station planned by September (With the $3 million paid for the station plus start-up tower and transmitter costs Rumore estimates his company is spending 5 million on WVRN) we advertise now in the paper and on billboards we would reach people who get a good explained Fleming from his office in Chesterfield Southport office park we convince people to watch and they found they see it when we come back in September with a heavy promotional blitz those people might not try So excepting mail to cable subscribers Fleming is holding off on and Phil Silvers Show" Reruns are certainly nothing new to television but the people at Channel 63 say their scheduling method is Most independent TV stations and you can use WRLH or WDCA as examples broadcast movies or specials in prime time Not so WVRN Lode at 5 pm through 11 pm: Brady "Leave It to "The Beverly "The Andy Griffith Heroes" "The Carol Burnett Dream of a second serving of Andy Griffith "Goner "Get "The Phil Silvers and The schedule will also offer a few newly syndicated programs like and starting at 11:30 pm Sundays will include "At the at 7 JO pm and some entertainment specials later in the night But the emphasis is on the old sitcoms As far as WVRN General Manager Bruce Fleming and Sudbrink President Victor Rumore can determine theirs is tbe first station in the country to program this way As proof of the potential success of the format Fleming points to some of the top-rated series of the season: "The Cosby Golden and the Unlike the past few seasons when prime time soap operas or action-adventure ruled the top 10 half-hour comedies have staged a remarkable conieback And you don't have to look beyond the success of last to to realize that viewers forgotten their TV friends from the Fleming and Rumore like hearing the word asso dated with their programming but they acknowledge that syndicated series from the '60s cost a lot less than more recent ones An added benefit is that many of the older series ran for years giving a station a larger stockpile than newer shows But whatever the climate for nostalgia comedy the all-new Channel 63 has several hurdles to overcome First of all very few TV viewers are aware of Channel 63 which signed on two years ago According to the survey only 38 percent ol local By Douglas Durden nmes-Dispatch stall writer If you could pick a new TV station what kind would it be? All action adventure? All comedy? All sports? All drama? According to a survey done in Rich-" mondin January area viewers would prefer a comedy channel with a nostalgia channel coming in third 1 which is what well be getting starting April 28 when the new WVRN-TV begins operation (A sports channel came in second place but the potential ratio of male viewers to female attractive enough to advertisers) WVRN is UHF station Gunnel 61 Alert viewers will recognize this as the current WTLL a religious channel National Capital Christian Broad-casting of Manassas recently sold its Richmond station to Sudbrink Broad-1 casting Inc of Delray Beach Fla Sudbrink took over Channel 63 on April 1 but is waiting for new equip- ment and programming before mak- ing the switch from religious format to situation comedy nostalgia If all goes according to schedule starting a week from tomorrow Channel 63 will be offering 19V4 hours of programming a day featuring such -classic comedies as Andy Grif- fith "The Beverly THE CITIZENS FOR PUBLIC RADIO DWAIN ECKBERQ UD CHAIRMAN Ann Landers gives great advice in The Leader Which is your favorite Radio Program AH Thingo Considered Chicago Symphony The folk ampler The Boston Pope A Preirio Home Companion Tin Music Room First Hearing The Morning Edition Adventures Good Music Marian McPartland's Jazz -i Alii WMMnQ canon Thi PtiilaiMphii Orchestra NawYofkPNhuinoflic Amund Tht Horn The Stainwqr Hour The Metropolitan Open An Hour With The Guitar Mid-Day BBC Radio Newsreel Jazz Revisited NPR Ptaytiouee The Boston Symphony BSC Music Showcese Sunday Worship Service Soon you can take a truly killer vacation because Murder Mystery Weekend is coming to the Omni Norfolk So anyone who appreciates the good life and a good whodunit should get ready to enjoy both May 2-4 Solving the Case of the Murder By The River is going to tike more than a good set of gumshoes In fact find the plot twists and turns positively mind-boggling But thereis more in store for you during Mystery Weekend thanjust food for thought Thereb a buffet reception i prime i costume party Saturday and our famous Omni brunch Sunday Plus there will be great prizes for those who can finger1 the felon As for the cost of this entire caper a mystery how we keep it so low Just $295 for City Side accommodations or $325 for the Harbor View based on double occupancy So pack up a thinking cap with your best garb and call today for reservations And make your next vacation a killer and wouldn't it be a shame if you couldn't hear it anymore TODAY 2:30 PM THE CITIZENS FOR PUBLIC RADIO ARE FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL LISTENERS TO THE ONLY FINE ARTS PUBUC RADIO PROGRAMMING IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA The Citizens for Public Radio commissioned an engineering study of the area which shows no real substitute for frequency of 1065 Its 50000 watts of fu8 power or its 240 foot radio tower In North Richmond The Citizens for Public Radio have petitoned the FCC to make the WRFK frequency of 1065 a non-commercial frequency for Public Radio NOW THE CITIZENS FOR PUBLIC RADIO NEED YOUR HELP! WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND YOUR SUPPORT IN GETTING THE FULL STORY TO EVERY FINE ARTS PUBLIC RADIO LISTENER IN RICHMOND AND CENTRAL VIRGINIAI BS300 OFFJH FOR HALF-PINTSD NOS a UNDBI MS SMO 0IV ALL SEAR 1 $9 TicUH Cdmum Bo OWo nd HTtcMCantarouMa IncL MticM Standard Drag 8km before 8 pm Frid literal btenide 777 1 Valet parking available itenide Drive Norfolk A 23510 PLEASE awnd your Tax-OwductWe GREAT SEATS STILL AVAILABLE! COME STRAIGHT TOTHE COLISEUM! PLEASE awnd ceplaa ol We adwrtleemant fcxUy to ALL YOUR FRIENDS WHO LISTEN TO FINE ARTS FUBUC RADIO BUT MAY NOT1 SEE THIS APPEAU a a vonwiiiioni woiyi to THE CITIZENS FOR PUBUC RADIO PO BOX 11341 RICHMOND VIRGINIA 23230.