Will Robert Blake have a prayer with Helltown?
Why has New York gone daffy over a duck and a crazy wabbit?
Who will grab the gold in 88?
Which house is a whiter shade of pastel?
Entertainment Tonight steps lively on Wednesday the 11th of September, 1985.
Who is responsible for this?
Hello everyone, I'm Rob Weller.
And I'm Mary Hart.
Tonight, the fall TV season gets underway a few weeks early.
NBC is getting a jump on the competition by premiering Helltown, the first of the new
TV series to air on its regular night and in its regular time slot.
The men who have a vested interest in where shows air and who watches those shows gathered
in Beverly Hills yesterday.
And if that gathering was turned into a TV show, it could have been called the Bud, Lou
and Brandon show.
Scott Osborne has the story.
We've got the gunshots, CBS.
The network's promotion for their 21 new series has now reached a pounding pitch.
But the three men who programmed the networks were not asked about their own wares at this
Beverly Hills luncheon.
They were asked which of the opposition's new shows they were most nervous about.
In terms of CBS, not that I'm not nervous, but I have to say.
ABC's Lou Ehrlich said he had qualms about Steven Spielberg's amazing stories for NBC.
I'm nervous about the Colby's because Aaron is sitting next to me and wanted to mention.
Producer Aaron Spelling's Dynasty 2, The Colby's will appear on ABC in mid-November.
But B. Donald Bud Grant of CBS defined the programmer's preseason attitude.
I can't single out any single show on the other networks.
We're nervous about them all.
How confident are the network programmers in their new lineups?
Well, they took this august occasion to announce two mid-season replacement shows.
A one-hour show from Disney Studios for ABC and a half-hour comedy from Jack Plugman for
NBC.
Scott Osborne, Entertainment Tonight.
It's been seven years since Robert Blake last hit the streets and primetime TV screens as
Barretta.
Now he and NBC are praying hard for a hit with Helltown.
You don't have to confess, Pocot.
You're already even.
You did something good and something bad.
Welcome to the same club I'm in.
Tough guy Robert Blake is starring in a new television series this fall, playing a tough
priest, Father Hardstep Rivers, who sometimes doesn't play by the rule book.
But sometimes I have to do something wrong in order to stop a bigger wrong.
Blake created the series, is executive producer, and supervises every aspect of the production.
Part of the success of anything is to make sure that everybody around is terrified at
all times.
And everybody connected with Helltown is usually terrified because there's not enough money
and there's not enough time and the people who don't recognize that terror usually wind
up getting out of here.
He's the boss and anyone would be stupid not to listen to what he has to say because he
knows this property because he created it and he knows exactly what he wants.
The only scary part is the other side because on the other side if you fall you get killed.
In an attempt to give the series a look of gritty realism, it's produced on location
in East Los Angeles.
People from the neighborhood often work as extras.
We are actually here in East Los Angeles.
We are using the real people that live in the neighborhood and the only ones that are
playing roles are the leading characters, which there are about eight.
When the full season is underway, Helltown will air opposite Dynasty, one of the toughest
time slots on the primetime schedule.
I would rather do 13 shows in a tough time slot and prove something beside the fact that
I can get up early and memorize lines and hit the marks than to do five years at 10
o'clock on Saturday because it's a soft hole.
There's a lot riding on Helltown tonight for Blake and NBC.
While TV viewers in the long run make the final choice about a series life or death,
Rona Barrett has previewed the cloth and dagger drama and made up her mind.
Rona?
Thank you Rob.
Instead of shooting from the hip as he did as Beretta, Robert Blake is now shooting from
the lip as a tough talking priest in his new series.
The premiere episode finds Blake as Father Noah Hardstep Rivers up to his biceps in Sin
at his ghetto parish in Los Angeles.
One of his flock is a black sheep who's become a prostitute despite the fact she was raised
at the parish orphanage.
But now the girl played by Duran Clark is being mistreated by her pimp George Shakiris.
Blake decides to put a stop to this and kidnaps her.
But there's just one problem.
She likes her job.
That's when Blake tracks down the girl's long lost mother, Bibi Besh, locked away in prison.
It just so happens Mom is not only an ex hooker herself, but she worked for the same pimp.
In fact, he's the girl's, well, you get the picture.
Pat O'Brien used to wrestle with much the same problems in some 30s movies, but on a
different turf, Brooklyn.
More recently, as recently as last Friday, Miami Vice dealt with a young girl kidnapped
from her pimp dealer, but it was her sister, not her mother, taking revenge.
Whatever city it's in, this is one tired plot and Blake, along with the audience, deserves
better.
And one scene in which Blake confronts the young hooker really shows this series potential.
You didn't get turned out because you were poor.
You didn't get turned out because you weren't loved.
You got turned out because you let yourself, Jenny.
You gotta face that.
That's what you have to do to save your life.
You have to face that.
You can't blame me.
You can't blame Helltown or St. Dominic.
You can't blame God.
You gotta face that you did it, Jenny.
From this sermon, it's clear Blake is a hell of an actor and this show has a powerful message
to deliver about self-determination and the refusal to be a victim to one's environment.
But the writing and direction have to be more original and less confused and cliche-ridden.
In addition, none of the show's supporting cast is given a chance to show its stuff.
Blake may have an angel on his shoulder, but he should go straight to St. Elsewhere for
immediate script resuscitation.
Mary?
Thanks, Rona.
Well, here's your chance to be the critic.
We are conducting our ET instant viewer poll.
If you watch Helltown tonight and you like it, call 1-900-220-3344.
If you do not like Helltown, call 1-900-220-3355.
And remember, the call will cost 50 cents.
Be sure and wait until the program is over to make that call.
We'll have the results on tomorrow's program.
Get a pencil ready.
We'll repeat those phone numbers later on in today's program.
Here's the ET Digest for Wednesday, the 11th of September.
On television, a CBS TV movie, Brass, starring Carol O'Connor.
And an ABC TV movie, Joe and the Colonel, starring Terrence Knox.
On home video, Friday the 13th, part five, A New Beginning.
And celebrating birthdays, Lola Falana is 39.
Mr. Brian DePalma, 45.
And Earl Holliman is 57.
Coming up next, the Miami Vice guys visit the White House.
And ahead, Nancy McKeon.
She's switching from comedy to drama in the best interest of Tracy.
They were celebrating music and practicing statesmanship at two big events in Washington
last night.
Peter Quinhacus has the DC update.
Boy, the tunes glad Miller played, songs that made the hit parade.
The man singing wrote that song.
And Charles Strauss was joined by a host of other famous songwriters at the annual ASCAP
dinner.
Entertainment featured the likes of Sammy Fane, who wrote Love is a Many Splendored
Thing, and Julie Stein, who did the music for Funny Girl.
And specially honored was ASCAP president Hal David, who's the subject of a new documentary
by the US Information Agency.
No, I like that.
Without the performance royalty, which is ASCAP, I think it would be impossible for
most of us to make a living.
That was a common theme during the festivities.
Praise for ASCAP's 70 plus years of protecting songwriters.
If they could see me now, that little guy on mine.
It's far between, you know.
Sometimes we get a bunch of them together, and what it's done is it's managed to sustain
me.
And in other words, as if I had a great sponsor.
But the songwriters weren't the only ones having fun.
President Reagan had a few friends over the house, and they came from as far away as Hollywood
and Denmark.
The state dinner saluting Danish Prime Minister Schluter and his wife drew a large group of
celebrities, including first visits to the White House for the Miami Vice Stars, who
came with a whimsical invitation for the president to guest star.
Well, we thought maybe if he needed a gig to fall back on, we'd offer him the opportunity.
In Washington, Peter Quinhakis, Entertainment Tonight.
Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue have joined the list of co-hosts for the September 19th
AIDS benefit in Los Angeles.
Among the others, Burt Reynolds, Shirley MacLaine, and Elizabeth Taylor.
Taylor will also deliver a message from Rock Hudson, who is too ill to attend the event.
Well, 2,700 seats have been sold out, and there is a waiting list of 600.
And the issue of whether or not Kathy Evelyn Smith should stand trial for the murder of
John Belushi is a complicated one.
Dick Shoemaker has an update from our news studio.
Mary, the prosecution contends that John Belushi died because Kathy Evelyn Smith gave him injections
of cocaine and heroin.
But Smith's attorney says Belushi's death was caused by prolonged drug abuse, brought
on by the comedian himself.
Yesterday in court, a Los Angeles police officer testified that on the day Belushi died when
Kathy Smith was questioned, he examined her purse.
Inside the purse was a syringe with a liquid residue, and also I believe there was a prescription
vial.
Laboratory tests found traces of cocaine and heroin on the syringe.
Finally given at this preliminary hearing, will determine whether Smith must stand trial
for contributing to the death of Belushi.
One has to wonder about the philosophy behind prosecuting somebody for murder given the
fact situation here, where you have a man like Mr. Belushi, who was a known abuser,
who was paying for the drugs, who was furnishing the cocaine, and paying for the heroin.
It's basically undeniable that John Belushi had a history of using cocaine and did snort
cocaine, but the events of the last week of his life were a lot different.
He had never injected before, he had never taken heroin, he had never injected heroin,
and as the evidence will come out, the heroin really was what was critical in causing his
death at that particular time.
One has to wonder why this young lady, who was an addict at the time, and was doing what
Mr. Belushi requested her to do, she was under the influence as much as anybody else, she
should be prosecuted for murder.
The person administers or furnishes to another drugs which end up killing that person under
California laws murder.
The key to the prosecution's case is an interview Cathy Evelyn Smith gave to the National Enquirer,
where she allegedly stated, I killed John Belushi.
However, so far, the three reporters involved in the interview have declined to testify.
Representatives of all three networks are in Switzerland today getting ready to submit
their bids for the television rights of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea.
They've not only come bid in hand, but with some video tape to promote themselves.
NBC is presently in the strongest financial position to bid and is reportedly the odds
on favorite to secure broadcast rights to the 88 Summer Games.
ABC is in the midst of a management change and CBS has incurred debts of nearly a billion
dollars in successfully resisting Ted Turner's recent takeover bid.
But price remains the major concern for all the networks.
I don't think that any one of the three networks is going to bid the $750 million that some
people have said it's worth or even $500 million.
I don't think that it'll be anywhere near that price range.
At what point does the pendulum swing too far in one direction or another to make the
Olympics too much of a business risk to make the effort to get them?
There are other factors involved in network bidding strategy.
On the positive side, the games will take place in mid-September, which could provide
the winning bidder with an attractive kickoff to their fall season.
Negative factors include a time zone difference of 13 hours to the East Coast, making live
coverage difficult at best.
Also looming on the horizon is the threat of another communist boycott and the continuing
political instability of the South Korean government.
The fact is that the LA Olympics probably set a high water mark, and Seoul will be something
less than that.
But even having said all that, I think you're dealing with an extraordinarily attractive
event that the American public does want to see.
The bidding results will be announced Friday, but the South Koreans are under no obligation
to accept any offers at this time.
Two items of note from the Steven Spielberg TV and movie factory, one of the 44 episodes
of Spielberg's new series, Amazing Stories, on NBC will be pulled out and turned into
a feature film for next summer.
And because one episode of Amazing Stories might be a bit too scary for youngsters, Spielberg
and NBC have decided to air it on a different night and at a later hour than the scheduled
Sunday night time slot.
Miss Michigan and her black belt, Nancy McKeon and the real facts of life.
More stories and more when Entertainment Tonight continues.
It's that time of year again when people across the land are wondering who will be the next
Miss America.
We won't know until Saturday when the winner is announced, but a computer expert surveyed
the candidates and is predicting that Susan Aiken, Miss Mississippi, will be the new Miss
America.
Maybe, but it looks as though Miss Michigan will take the crown for the most unusual talent
demonstration.
Alicia Masolkoski, a martial arts expert, says she'll break a four inch piece of concrete
with her foot and she'll walk on broken glass.
Says Miss Michigan, quote, it will help me stand out.
Nancy McKeon goes for the laughs on the facts of life, but in her new TV movie, she's playing
a dramatic role.
Jean Wolf has more.
Can everybody hear me?
Can everybody see me?
Any questions so far?
Nancy McKeon has played Joe on the facts of life since 1980.
This season, 19 year old McKeon stars in a television movie called In the Best Interest
of Tracy, playing a pregnant teenager who gives up her baby for adoption.
Kimberly, I'm afraid I need you to sign a few forms.
Does someone like her?
Exactly.
You see, in order for you to relinquish, to make the adoption official, the state requires
your signature on a few.
That's all right.
You don't have to make a big deal about it.
I'll sign anything you want.
The conflict in the story results when McKeon's character decides she wants the baby back.
She, you know, says, no, I can't.
I don't have the money to raise this child.
But then she forms a bond with the little girl and wants her back, needs her, finds
out that she's empty without her.
For the drama to work, doesn't the audience have to have sympathy for both of the mothers?
I think once we get into the courtroom scenes and you hear the testimony of both women,
especially the parents, you know, Chris and Lindsay and myself, you know, it's really
an issue you have to decide for yourself.
You know, I'm the real mother, but they've raised her for two and a half years.
It's a hard issue.
It's very difficult.
Lindsay Wagner plays the adoptive mother.
I understand from the adoptive parents point of view why they would want a closed adoption,
not wanting to have the rearing of the child interfered with and all that possible things
like that.
On the other hand, I feel that the birth parent does have a right to have a relationship with
that child at some point in time in their life.
You know that you are a role model for a lot of young women who will be watching this.
What do you think they'll take away from this complicated issue?
I think you have to be real mature before you make any kind of decision about families
and raising them and starting them.
And hopefully they'll learn something from that.
The King of Roomba squelches the wedding rumors and the Museum of Modern Art pays tribute
to the masters of cartooning.
Those stories and more when we return.
Coming up this week on Entertainment Tonight, tomorrow, Kirk Douglas, Phil Donahue, and
Friday, Dustin Hoffman, and behind the scenes on the Golden Girls.
And check your local listings for time and station this weekend as Entertainment This
Week features Tony Curtis, Bruce Dern, and Joan Rivers interviewed by Rona Barrett.
This weekend, all new on Entertainment This Week.
As we reported earlier, Helltown is having its season premiere tonight on NBC.
And with our ET Instant Viewer telephone poll, it's your chance to be the TV critic.
If you like Helltown, phone 1900-220-3344.
If you do not like Helltown, dial 1900-220-3355.
Now remember, each call costs 50 cents.
And please don't call until after the show has aired.
We'll have the results tomorrow.
Some of the biggest stars in Hollywood have been given glossy salutes over the years.
Last night in New York, the salute was strictly celluloid.
Leonard Bolton was there.
Disassociated press.
The public has been demanding my life story.
Bugs's life story and Daffy's and Porky's are on display at the Museum of Modern Art
in New York, on the walls and on the screen.
A golden jubilee celebration of these famous characters and their unsung creators.
Who is responsible for this?
I demand that you show yourself.
It's bewildering.
I can't, I feel like a celebrity tonight, really.
You don't have to deserve something in order to enjoy it.
So I'm enjoying myself whether I deserve it or not.
I'm not exactly a disinterested observer here.
I helped put together this tribute and for a very important reason.
I love these cartoons.
And apparently I'm not alone.
On behalf of Cher and myself, Cher does not want to appear on camera due to her braces.
We both discussed that we like Daffy quite a bit.
I love Bugs Bunny because of his attitude toward the establishment, his absolute refusal
to take any stuff from anybody.
And here I am as an adult saying that, yeah, I think that they're great.
Leonard Malton, Entertainment Tonight.
Cougat won't.
Monday, we reported that band leader and ladies' man Xavier Cougat was going to get married
for the sixth time.
Well, now he's denied that story.
Cougat told Spanish radio that he has no plans to marry his Mexican nurse whom he described
as, quote, a good friend.
Cougat, who has suffered four heart attacks and has respiratory problems, said his health
and age leave him, quote, unprepared to marry.
Cougat is 85.
He was divorced from his last wife, Charro, seven years ago.
Well, that clears up that matter.
You bet.
And tomorrow on Entertainment Tonight, the facts of life celebrate seven years of life.
Agnes of God comes down to earth at a Hollywood screening and Kirk Douglas talks about his
new TV movie.
A celebration of India's culture is currently touring America.
Last night, the Festival of Music and Dance opened a week-long stay at New York's Lincoln
Center.
You're going to get a brief look right now.
Bye-bye.
Tomorrow night at 7 p.m. magazine's Dale Harimoto visits the set of Helltown for an interview
with the show's star and executive producer, Robert Blake.
Then meet Christopher Darling, an accomplished performer at the age of six, here on WJAR TV.