The Toronto Star from Toronto, Ontario, Canada • 11

THE TORONTO STAR 1 WJ RkI I I flCTC Monday September 18 1989 8 1 1 I PagesCl C8 7I MMKEKtfil £1 XjL lAfa a ifl ia xJw i i Toronto director surprise winner of $25000 film prize Eye on grammers that he screened it free 1979 Best Boy later won an i Sid Adilman i to more applause he rapped CBC TV has a long way to go in showing independent Roadkul which featuresun known Toronto actors was com pleted this summer on location near Toronto Jesus Of Montreal won the our Seasons International Critics Award voted on by some of the 427 accredited media Run ners up were Sweetie and The Ici cle Thief Jesus Of Montreal also was a runner up with The Icicle Thief for the most popular film award And it placed second in the best Canadian film award a Canadian jury member later said privately were all impressed by the energy and skill of Roadkill even though it is much rougher made and much more loosely scripted than Michael Roger And Me won the John Labatt Classic ilm Award as the most popular movie at the festival voted on by festival goers It is a documentary indictment of General Motors for closing its truck plant in hometown lint Mich throwing 30000 employees out of work and wrecking the economy spoke to Michael this morn ing in Washington where his house is under siege (from) every film company in North America: wmcn an want to buy his film said Helga Stephenson the festi executive director Roger And Me is the first docu mentary to win the most popular film award since Best Boy in i Oscar I Alan 28 minute Steal ing Images won the National i ilm Board Award for shortJ films presented for the first time and in honor of the film 50th anniversary UT wnc iiioi Innnnir twin Kzv' cio juol lu gvi iiicu Liiv Zweig said land lord is waiting at the back (of 34 The short film jury gave Please see ROADKILLpageC3i! i INNELLTORONTO STAR A SURPRISED MAN: Director Bruce McDonald yesterday won the Toronto City Award for excellence in Canadian fltqia am he said those in a festival lineup When the prize for Roadkill was announced at the awards brunch in our Sea sons Hotel a buoyant McDonald walked to the podium with a glass of champagne in his hand and a cigarette in his mouth With the cigarette still in his mouth he said hope the $25 000 will buy something for my hangover I am And to laughter he continued is going to buy me a chunk of hash You can tell the guys in the back alley that things are going to be okay He praised CITY TV has been doing good And Bruce McDonald a little known Toronto director was the big sur prise winner at the Toronto film festival Roadkill his first feature movie which cost about as much as most other productions spend just for coffee yesterday won the $25000 Toronto City Award for excellence in Canadian films In other words the best new Cana on the back of a panel truck for aian mm at the festival The comedy rock roil road odyssey beat out odds on favor ites Denys much prais ed Jesus Of Montreal and Speak ing Parts by Atom Egoyan one of most favored a van garde directors The choice among 20 other movies that qualified was made by an eight person international jury The cash prize and a statu ette in the shape of a television set were donated by the City of Toronto and CITY TV It was a triumph for McDonald who three years ago was so anger ed that one of his short films had been rejected by festival pro IB I I I Lonesome sweep lost to war inning prescription Television Major Emmy winners Bill ABC Please see WARpage C4 Womb With A View ABC Derek Jacobi Hallmark Hall Of ame: Emmy show a humorless affair mystical holistic Antonia Zerbisias Greg Quill iram: The SMART KID: Nail Patrick Harris (right) plays Howser MD who finished medi cal school at 14 now at 16 a doctor Allan udge (left) plays a colleague in new TV aeries that debuts tonight on Channels 9 and 13 at 8 Emmys aired live from the Pas adena Civic Auditorium in Califor nia were a sad disappointment for viewers and a sobering testament to the profound paranoia that grips American TV in the teeth of the 1 990s not' to say Candice Bergen deserve her best comedy series actress award or Diane English the best comedy writing award for Murphy Brown that the Tracey Ullman Show the best comedyvariety special that Holly Hunter deserve the best miniseries actress award for the feisty and controversial pro abortion drama Roe Vs Wade These were all risky brave deci sions on the part of the US TV awards judges especially consider ing that a good number of the win ning shows network staples or outright commercial take a quick vote After last Emmy Awards show aired on CTV and on the ox net work (Channel 49) from Buffalo can anyone among us resist Milton (Mr TV) closing challenge: always What a dreary artless humor less starless dour affair it was! A boost for nameless faceless showbiz movers and shakers and investment brokers maybe A chilling thrill for countless techni cians editors and hairdressers certainly' But was it mainstream TV entertainment? Not bleeping like ly! What it was was a get on get off race to an unsatisfacto ry finish that saw Cheers win the American TV award for best comedy series after eight years in production LA Law take out the best drama series prize after years of denial and a shameless shutout for Lonesome Dove by critical and ratings standards the best TV miniseries since Roots in favor of the lugubrious and seemingly never ending World War II epic War And Remembrance As TV awards! shows go the 4 1 st AP PHOTO BRASSY BARMAID: Rhea Perlman was named best support ing actress in a comedy series for Cheers at Emmy cere monies in Pasadena Calif last night Lead ActorMiniMriM or Special: James DiroctingMiniaoriac or Special: Lone Woods Hallmark Hall of ame: My Name Is some Dove CBS Bill ABC WritingComady Seriee: Murphy Brown: Load ActroatComady Seriee: Candice Respect CBS Bergen Murphy Brown CBS WritingDrama Series: thirtysomething i Lead ActraaaDrama Seriee: Dana Dela irst Day Last Day ABC ny China Beach ABC WritingVaristy or Music Program: Satur i Lead ActrossMiniseries or Special: Holly day Night Live NBC I imi 1 1 nr i ETPD: If you caught last sci fi movie success Alien Nation probably been waiting for the to land on the small screen Tonight they do on Channel 11 at 9 Whether stay is difficult to predict Only half of the two hour opening special was avail able for preview and even that still had the grease marks on it As in the movie 1995 A slave spaceship is stranded in California Three hundred thou sand mottled head beings who get high on sour milk prefer raw rodents on their hot dog buns and who are much smarter than humans become landed immi grants Gary Graham and Eric Pier point reprise the James Caan and Mandy Patinkin roles of bigot earthling cop and his bril liant partner But while the movie was basically a crime 1 drama the series premiere fo cuses on the integration of the aliens into our society But plenty of shoot em up action some nifty (nd icky) special effects and quite a few laughs Alien Nation the TV series takes the premise and flies with it But can the series go the distance? a bit of a black hole right now Aloha irst it was The Hawaiian Then Kahuna Now Island Son These are the symptoms that Richard new Dr Kildare Goes On A Luau series is in trouble All that was available for pre view was a disjointed collection of scenes showing sunsets lapping waves Chamberlain running through the surf with a beautiful woman Chamberlain chanting native spells to the from a patient to his Hawaiian stepbrother more sunsets more waves more surf These scenes may or 'may not still be in the show when Island Son debuts tomorrow night at 10 on Chahnel 11 Chamberlain plays a mystical holistic doctor who gets kicked out of a hospital (This may change) He says such things as dream is tomorrow" and a sharp pain in the kharma" This might be the most sensitive male character on TV since Beauty And The Vincent ine if you like that sort of thing But all too easy to cast adrift if you The TonM Many CBS Supporting ActraaaComady Sariaa: Rhea Perlman Cheers NBC Supporting ActraaaDrama Seriee: Mel nie Mayron thirtysomething ABC rA Supporting ActreaaMiniaerioa or Spe cial: Colleen Dewhurst Those She Left Be hind NBC Individual PerformanceVariaty or MuaP rkW formances: uanctones de mi Padre HBS successes J) But they were treated almost ar embarrassments the winners whisked on and off before points were made or issues aired or all the attention they were given iny the grand scheme of things the re i suits might have been posted home 9 All that might have been forgiv en had Hollywood displayed its I usual gluttony for glitz and gla mour last show however was a offering A much touted tribute to most charismatic comedian th6: late Lucille Ball was mean spirited I and unfocussed Miss Piggy ana? Kermit The rog were by far most animated presenters all evening Bob Hope was given a standing ovation for no apparent reason and the moments of TV interspersed through! out the 3 hour show (scenes from Roots Miss Jane Pittman The Mary Tyler Moore Show among others) seemed random and apolts getic Not one black star writer or director won an award last night Hollywood for ya 1 And that's TV May radio live forever But overprotective grandmother (Erica Yohn) is suspicious do they make at that she demands to know says Teddy without giving anything away Teddy manages to get out of both the bakery and the mail room This is a funny show that' revels in skewering Hollywood And bound to get even better as its unusual non LA writing team of real estate agents and lawyers gets a little seasoning So while the Hollywood types may get a bitter taste the viewers are going to dine on laughs Van Go: The People Next Door bother unpacking They may be moving out as quickly as they moved in The new CBS sitcom debuts to night at 830 on Channels 6 and 41 and Channel 4 It stars Jeffrey Jones as Walter Kellogg a car toonist with an imagination so powerful that his thoughts come to life His answering machine is possessed his mirror complains iffy Too bad Nothing ails the his mounted moosehead speaks It a groaner Wait till you hear the overbite jokes The People Next Door relies too much on special effects to get its all too few laughs Once is funny A whole worth is hot or CBS this is the low point of an otherwise promising lineup of Monday night sitcoms The network should hire a van and get The People Next Door out PASADENA Calif (AP) Here is a list of major winners at the 41st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards presented by the Televi sion Academy of Arts Sciences: Drama Sari LA Law NBC Comedy Seriee Cheers NBC tVar Anri IVuiiiiJi AQf' Drama Comedy Special (a tie): Day One Progrem: Linda Ronstadt Great CBS Roe Vs Wade NBC formances: Canoones de mi Padre PBS Variety Mudd or Comedy Program: The DirpctingCoinedy Seriee The Worxggi Tracey Ullman Show ox Years: Our Miss White ABC Load ActorCemedy Seriee: Richard Mulli DiroctingDrama Seriee: Tanner Ttej gaiJ CTItpiy rVBSl IYDU uvnuvni riuv Leed ActorDrama Seriee: Carroll 0 Con DirectingVariety or Muaic Progn nor In The Heat Of The Night NBC Henaen Hour: Dog City NBC Doogie Howser MD can wield a scalpel but not a razor 1 He Has great bedside manner but never been kissed His medi cat refutation is impeccable but1 his room is a mess Thd boy genius doctor is the Jtesf child of Steven Bochco the i TV behind Hill Street 1 Blues and LA Law 1 Does Bochco have another pre I scription for series longevity? This might be a difficult case Twe two telecasts and see what overnight in the Nielson ratings 1 boogie Howser MD debuts i tfnight in Canada on Channels 9 anti 13 at 8 with a second epi sode at 830 In the US the ABC series begins Wednesday at 930 Channel 7 Doogie (Neil Patrick Harris) gt8dUated Princeton at age 10 became a doctor at 14 now at a hospital wherejust about everyone hangs on to i htj words never wrong 5 home a different story doctor father (James is a strict disciplinarian Hfj mother (Belinda Howser) is a I pushbver proud of her son the doctor tli Tlys could have been a sitcomthe possibilities are there But 'Bochco instead resuscitated the bittersweet dramedy form (Hooperman The Slap Maxwell Story) not a roaring success todate Based on the medi cal history prognosis is show The scripting is intelligent the casting ideal the production 1 beautiful And best life sign of althe show is full of surprises VWogie is also in a life threat enihg schedule situation On at930 it may fail to attract youngviewers if ABC would perform an air time transplant Doogie might be saved Laugh Kebob: Hold onto your sides when you tune into'The a Teddy surefire sitcom hit debutstonight at 930 on Channels 3 5 12 and Channel 4 i 'Teddy Zakalokis (now a I name I like) is a nice Greek boy'Who lands a job in the mail room of the Unlimited Talent Agency The big time But expected to' go into the family bakeryWhere make and ighalactopoureko Lrl' Make it yes' Pronounce it? £11 ah Nevertheless Jon CryerPretty In Pink) docs Teddy with i iy cast Jwdods i A fcharm and aplomb perfect RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN: lv the hnbe in the Hnllv PlBVS a mystical holistic Im a a A aocior in mana son PASADENA Calif (AP) War And Remembrance which critics said 'took longer to show than World War II which it chronicled won outstanding TV miniseries and led a charge that stampeded favorite Lonesome Dove out of town last night at the 41st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards 'No clear single winner emerged with awards spread over several series and miniseries Lonesome Dove led the nominees with 18 but took home best director for Simon Winser and six technical awards major exclaimed producer Dan Curtis after his vast War And Remembrance took out standing miniseries The Emmy for dramatic series went to LA Law while dramatic series actor awards went to Dana Delany the compassionate nurse in the Viet Nam war series China Beach and Carroll the crusty policeman of In The Heat Of The Night Delany seemed a dark horse win ner over Susan Dey and Jill Eiken berry of LA Law Angela Lans bury of Murder She Wrote' and Linda Hamilton of Beauty And The Beast like to thank the women who served in Viet Delany said will never know what it was like to have been there I would like to thank you for sharing your experi ences and allowing be to pay you the tribute you so greatly she said who won four previ ous Emmys as Archie Bunker in All In (The amily was not present to clairti his statuette or Steven A Law it was the second victory as out standing drama series in three years James Woods who played the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous in My Name Is Bill and Holly Hunter as the Texas woman who won a pro choice verdict from the US Supreme Court in Roe Vs Hunter Roe Vs Wade NBC WritingMinirie or Spacial: Murderers! Wade were named outstanding Supporting ActorConrody Sarita: Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal story Itar nf a minicarioe nr crucial Woody Harrelson Cheers NBC HBO Supporting ActorDrama Sorias: Larry MakoupSoriaa: The Tracey Ullman Show Woods who won an Emmy two DrakoLA Law NBC ox Supporting ActorMiniaeriM or Spacial: Art DiroctionSoriee: Moonlighting Al fl jr MM a A I I 1 I I I Wlw I 1 gw Milt Jib I 1.