Evening star., 1951-08-07
On the Air
New Shows
Variations
'Ono Theme
By Harry Macarthur

sion playing variation on an old
theme. Maybe not all of televi-
sion is sticking closely to estab-
lished patterns, but large part
of it is.
Occasionally, Of course, this
achieves excellent results, as in
the cases of Its News to Me"
(WTOP-TV-Monday, $500 and
Down You Go" Thurs
day. 9 p.m). two lively examples
Of the panel show.
Another panel show has now
come along. This one is called
whats On Your Mind" (WMAL-
TV-Tuesday, p.mD and the
major obstacle in it's path to
success is the fact that it is
spotted opposite ''Meet the Press"
(WNBW) and Georgetown Uni
versity Forum" (WTTG). All these
have an appeal for the same seq
ment of the TV audience and it is
not the one which thinks televi-
sion reached the peak of its per-
lection in Jerry Lester.
Whats On Your Mind"
examines psychiatric problems
through discussion by the panel
OF one psychiatrist and two lay
men,. The problem of the moment,
marriage going on the rocks, say.
is dramatized on film, then the
experts point out what went wrong
and show how it might have been
avoided. The discussion last week
seemed couched in fairly elemen-
tary terms. at the lowest common
denominator level. but it was an
enjoyable half hour.
X X x X
Another summer entry is "The
Ad Libbers" (WTOP-TV-Friday.
8 p.m), which featured Peter
Donald and cast of young per-
formers chosen TO- their ability
to think on their feet. The idea
seems to be that home viewers
send in ideas for dramatic situa-
tions, then the proper cast mem
bers are placed in a situation and
have to work the plot to conclu-
sion with ad lib dialogue. This
proved amusing on first encoun-
ter and there's no reason appar-
ent right now why it shouldn't
hold up.
Friday night also has a new
entry in Tales of Tomorrow"
(WMAL-TV-9:30 p.mD, which
is a Space Cadet t"-for-grownups
type show. The opening drama,
supposed to take place in 1852.
involved a murder trial and a
fabulous machine, a sort of su-
per seismograph, which somebody
planted here a million years ago
to report by radio when we got
around to setting off an H-bomb.
In the end a whirring sound
swelled to roar and everyone in
the courtroom rushed to the win
dows to see that the sky was full
OF space ships. Good hair-raising
stuff.
X \ Il
Convert: Felix jackson, former
newspaper editor, scenario writer
and movie producer, is turning to
televlsion. He will be the executive
producer for the Playhouse of
Stars" dramatic series, scheduled
by CBS-TV for Fridays at 9 next
season :. There's a rumor afloat
In Hollywood that g. prominent
movie mogul, who just resigned
from a major film company. is
about to go into production of TV
hlm on a gigantic scale" Why.
you ask, would anybody that rich
want to get involved in television?
Good question. Maybe someone
has convinced L. B. that he can't
take it with him.
X \ +
Summer Toasters: Jeanette
Macdonald and Gene Raymond
who were on Toast of the Town"
Sunday, were the first of a number
OF well-known personalities who
will I'LL in for the vacationing Ed
Sullivan. Johnnie Johnston and
Marcia Van Dyck will be seen
next Sunday, Victor Borge on Au-
gust l9 and Isabel Bigley and
Robert Aida on August 26.
NBC-TV is sending camera crews
to the North Pole and the Middle
East Tor interviews and spot news
coVerage. :. Gordon Dean, chair
man Of the Atomic Energy Com
mission, will report next Friday
at 10 on March of Time Through
the Years" (WMAL-TV) on the
country'S atomic and thermonu-
clear progress.
That portable TV pickup unit.
which NBC has taken to calling a
"Walkie-Lookie," will be exhibited
Friday (WNBW-10:45 p.m.) by
DR.. Roy K. Marshall as he con-
tinues his discussion of how tele-
vision works. TV set ownership
IN the Washington Metropolitan
area is now more than 278.1 100
That is the August l figure com
piled by the Washington Televi-
sion Circulation Committee. A
month earlier. on July to be ex-
act, the TV set count in the Ma
ton was 1908, 600, according to
Hugh M. Beville, jr., NBC director
OF plans and research.
Guest Stars: Helene Francois
talented singing sister of Denise
Darcel. and Violinist Joan Field
are slated to make guest appear
ances tonight at Z on the Mark
Evans-Elinor Lee show (WTOP-
TV. Both (Miss Francois and
MISS Field, not Evans and Miss
Lee) still are appearing in the
Sazerac Room at the Old New Or
leans and will demonstrate to-
niOhf yUnvy