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H TI1^1 I>DUD( 'Cente By Peter J. B< AP Television \ "Television is not an art form. It's just The words of John Wilder, an emb producer who thought being good was turnnrt ff A Vll^t Wilder is the man who made the Michener's saga of the American Wesi book, you know that NBC's Centennial adaptation that is true to the spirit of the When NBC asked him to produce a 26-1 network: "I'll do this as long as you ui please one man ? James Michener. i! someone else." Michener, the closest th pleased. Wilder knew the project would take tii series until midseason. "But NBC sairf I felt they had to have something of substa So, it was agreed that Centennial wc would air two or three consecutive Sur gap, then return for two or three more Su Centennial was cheered in its debut, well, and the network hoped the show < Holocaust miniseries the season before. Then the thing started to fall apart. Sc noticed that another network was airing the Sunday night Centennial was to mak moved to Saturday at the last minute, wi the change. Centennial fans were confused. The rai was also aired on a Saturday. But the then, you needed a map to find Centenni for it. Then NBC told Wilder it wanted a n Instead of airing the final episode Sunda it for this past weekend, a back-to-back, 5 John McMahon, vice president of prog wanted to help the show, give it the best e As to the rush job ordered on the last we'd kept it the way it was, he'd have t Wind and the Elvis movie (ABC)." But McMahon does admit NBC goofe< slots with Centennial in the early going. It's hard to doubt McMahon when he we did, we thought it was in the best intt the battering NBC took in the fall set tennial's help. The botching of Centennial pains Wild where it really hurts: in the ratings. Rehi -_r 7- ^ John Schuck and S ^jgaaaww oyer (Vriter a business." llllSilfiiiSS littered man ? a writer and good enough, and was proven television version of James t. Centennial. If you know the is a rare thing indeed, a film lour Centennial, Wilder told the SBB -' ' * nderstand that I only mean to f you can't live with that, get A; t ^v iing to an idol Wilder has, was wy^yf ne. Ht wanted NBC to hold the refl -fc hey needed it for the fall; they nee for the fall season.'' 'T ^ >uld be presented in blocks; it iday nights, then a production j indays, and so on. " Its first three episodes rated :ould carry the clout of NBC's >mebody in NBC programming H S I the popular movie The Sting on e its first return. The show was thout much promotion notice of Pockets has beer hint's HronnpH Tho n?vt enionrfo grOUp 01) lis way ?0_?rr- -?second album, apt nex appeared on Sunday By in the ^ al. It was easier just not to look pebiB at 8*30 p n ... 4u i 4 * u temporary Sounds ?T f {T Pockets was fix ,y Feb. 11 the network wanted when th release< ^aturday-Sunda^'airing. v and ^ ^ .ramming at NBC said, "... we wi^d andFire Thc exposure we could.' t crowd t ^ five hours, McMahon says, "H t have alr ?en up against Gone With The puts on 1 when it played musical time- ev e father ****>' nhhe"hWe"rth HhmgS pearances*by^n :rest of the show.' Considering |^re_ Pocke^ 1Ism. ison, it coura nave used ten- varied styles'rang .... .. to ramontic balla< er, I'm sure; but it stings NBC and high.spirite{1 , on Take It On Up ai ish of old i r? ^ " Turnabout is a play women's roles <jpp Director Kichard "; raspy voice that horon Gless transition perfect] O^P^TlB ragQSS |SS^ *\f 1 Columbia recording artist 1 i i cKeis to a i steadily gaining a reputation as a All of the m< to superstardom. Fresh off their Baltimore, ea< iy titled Take It On Up, they will local bands, ell House Ballroom this Thursday, player of the g under the auspices of the Con- (who coined t Committee. was time to st brought to national attention background a i their first album, Come Go With members of w U.S. as the opening act for Earth, became the ci se of you who were among the sell- things began t< r Carolina Coliseum concert this A mutual fr eady witnessed the exciting show material to Ve he played the t ind and Fire connection goes series of coi s the recent album was recording agr< on White and features guest ap- that just could he members of Earth, Wind and becoming a m< I Take It On Up to showcase their Don't forge inrt fmm nrvfomrut ? II ? lL!~ ?'(-) 11 win u(/~vtiupv uaiiv.c UUUIUCI a oam UUII1 UI1!) Is. Their versatile, brassy sound will be Chris B musicianship make each number door, and are i exciting listening experience. Center and Scl show amu H^wrJur John Shuck as Sam fairs almost e well, coming off a bit simpy t rehash of a times but still amusing and, o< jinn i>nmoHu vaaiuiiaujr, j^itc^uvc. ^ear's AH That era where men The loud laugh track detract and vice versa, from the comedy to a great exten e same concept but the writing makes some bol different style, comic points about men an y it may seem, women ? from a hystericf well-done. bathroom sequence to th nts the tale of a inevitable argument in public. ase an ancient Turnabout is a one-joke shoi ling to legend, witli good performances that ma ts one wisn. In ^ amusjng for a while. After th e, tne wife ab- fjj-st twelve episodes, however, i ics she and her prmiH ioHiahc ? ? __ vVIt ViVptllU tch places. The entirely on how well the writer y a the find plausible hooks for th m there. comedy. For the present, tlw Crenna is well- prospect seems solid enough, cky pace and somehow the The producers of One Day at h. Sharon Gless Time have found themselves i e's female soul less-than-agreeable waters wit a wonderfully McLean Stevenson as the divorce : makes her father of two girls. What may wor (y believable, for Bonnie Franklin and cast ma ft )?/?? uMMfcuuogv ? Hag?t NHMB a ii?nnnnnw - ': km Bre HSr^KiflH9^HWf!! me ' ^^ - B Jfe V'; f gjjSI " ^ ;Mggvi Wf^^WKKBm t^^BIHB. *H s: Pockets ppear embers of Pockets grew up together in :h gaining his experience in a variety of A1 McKinney, leader and keyboard [roup, was playing with Luther Ingram he name Pockets) when he decided it branch out. He reached into his tnd neighborhood to find the other hat was to become Pockets. They soon ity's most popular club act, and good ^ u r? 4.1. J llitppcil 1UI U1CIII. iend sent a tape of Pockets' original rdon White, who was so impressed that ape for his famous brother, Maurice. A itracts followed, which included a jement with Columbia Records. A band n't miss, Pockets was well on its way to ajor new act. t, Pockets will be appearing in the Thursday night. Opening for Pockets liss. Tickets are $4 in advance, $5 at the available at the Russell House Travel 100I Kids Records and Tapes. Lsing is not work for Stevenson ? his style it and timing were much better c- suited to the too-quickly-cancelled In the Beginning than in this dribble. The daughters of this show is have noor material arwi ~? s .v.wa MMa UI*VI OlC |AWI t, actresses, leaving Stevenson with d some limp fat jokes thanks to cast d member George Mammoli, who >1 plays the chief engineer for e Stevenson's "Hello, Larry" phonein radio show. What makes this show so bad is w - - that Stevenson is not believable as a radio announcer, and the writers too often forget that Stevenson's k physical shtick, however clever, s cannot be seen by the radio e listeners who are somehow amused by it. All in all, Hello, Larry is in dire need of an overhaul before it can a even begin to show promise. There n is not a well-performed role in the h show, and the set-design and d writing is nothing to write home k about, either. y Goodbye, Larry.