Evening star., 1951-11-01
You Can Find
TVtoWutch
On Tuesday
By Harry Macarthur

4
By Harry Macarthur
Having touted you off of both
Milton Berle and Frank Sinatra,
it is up to this department to find
something else for you to do on
Tuesday nights between 8 and 8.
Wouldn't do to have you reading
newspaper, settling down with
a good book, listening to the radio,
talking to your spouse, playing
photograph records or dousing
yourself in the ferment Of the
grape out of sheer boredom.
Both DuMont and the Ameri-
can Broadcasting Co. seem to be
taking fairly realistic approach
to the erle-Sinatra problem. It
is almost as if they had become
1 aware that you can't beat Berle
/ by copying him and that there
are viewers. in spite of the ratings.
who do not seek a steady parade
of vaudeville and old jokes.
They have not done anything
drastic, like erect an American
TV counterpart of the BIC Third
Programme, but they have ac-
knowledged. even if in necessity.
the fact that tastes differ. Du-
Mont (WTTG) fills the Tuesday
at 8 hour with That's the Story"
and Keep Posted" while ABC
(WNAAL-TV) counters with
Charlie Wild, Private Detective
and How Did You Get That
Way?"
That's the Story" is still an
other of television's panel shows.
1t has a group of columnists,
Broadway type, as experts who
| try to identify events OF varying
\ Importance from clews provided
by moon-faced girl named
Eloise McElhone. "The clocks all
stopped at Sis this morning" the
clew will go and the experts are
supposed, by cagey questioning
and by guess, to arrive at the San
Francisco earthquake, which did
stop all the clocks at Sis am.
Since the name of the event
in question is flashed on the
screen with the first clue, this
gives you certain comfortable
feeling in that you know what It'll
is that those dopes can't figure
out. That's the Story" is mol
great shakes as a television pro-
gram, but it's sort Of painless and
lit 0hould not drive you in despera-
tion to watching Berle or listen-l
ing to People Are Funny" on the
radio (Which would be real des-I
peration. come to think Of it).
Things pick up considerably att
8:30 on WTTG with Keep POST
ed" This one presents Martha
Rountree twho gets around all
most as much as Faye Emersonl
used to) as moderator Of pro-
gram that is something Of blend
of her and Lawrence Spivak's
Meet the Press and Theodore
'Granik's American Forum" AS
blends go, this one has lot of
body.
It features a pair Of authorities
with opposing views on some is
sue of the moment, who make
their positions known and then
defend themselves against an on
slaught Of audience questions led
oy Mr.. Spivak. A lively argument
between people who know a little
about what they are discussing is
one Of the things television trans
mits. well and Keep Posted"
makes good use of this.
The degree Of liveliness de-
pends. Of course. on the question
of the week and the agility in
debate of its defenders and attack
ers. When the question is one
which arouses definite pro and con
vieWs-as this weeks Should the
United States Send an Ambassa-
dor to the Vatican?"-"Keep
Posted" is well worth while.
Two half hour programs pretty
well fill an hour, so examination
Of ABC-TV's Charlie Wild" and
How Did You Get That Way,
will have to await another Tues
day.
Wrong Expert - The viewer
charged with keeping track of
Saturday afternoon television is
hereby ordered to report for fair
trial. conviction and the loss of
his chevrons. It was not Morgan
Beatty who told the Saturday
WNBW audience that Clemson
was sure to win that football
game which South Carolina had
ALREADY won the previous Thurs
day. It was WNBW's ace an
nouncer, Johnny Batchelder.
Il made up that list of games
and probable winners on Wednes-
day" Mr.. B. explained over the
phone, land then I forgot to
check it again until that horrible
thing came out on the air. I do
not relish having this one hung
on me, but in all fairness I have
to take the blame. Besides, II
have to face Morgan again"
A gentleman and a scholar is
Mr.. Batchelder, whatever his
status as an expert on South
Carolina-Clemson football games.
X X X |
Programs and People-That was
Jerry Strong's younger daughter,
Jenny, on WMAL-TV's TITS a |
Hit" with him Tuesday night. |
Any one else who tried it would |
end up with a broken shin, but
Jenny upstaged her pappy like a |
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