Evening star., 1963-12-31

The problem that nettleS the !
summed up simply: Is the pur
with the induStry's handsome pr
In news and public affairs,
where one communication
Charles CoIlingwOod-a gradu-
ate of old Central high school,
could turn down a quarter-of-a-
million dollars a year offer
from ABC to remain with CHS.
The two senior networks ex-
10 anded their nightly news
shows to a hah-hour, and the
public affairs specials ranged
the spectrum Of controversy,
from the Supreme Court and its
decisions to the high cost of
dying. I
Many CHS Reports, the John
Secondari, the Saga of Man
specials for ABC, Lou Hazam's
brilliant study of Greece: the
Golden Age, and Sundays The
Making of a President, are
certain to be among the contend |
ers for TVS highest awards.
But in the entertainment
field?
The feeling is to sum it I'D in |
one word-un C h a n G e d-and
forget it.
A chap named Elkan Allan, a |
British TV official, sad it blunt
ly, after examining our new
season: American TV is middle
aged.
Come to think of it, Allan was
being quite decent.
American TV is really antique.
Allan, who noted the general
lack of youth in dramas, quiz
games and comedies, said that
while shows like The Beverly
Hillbillies involve youngsters
they pivoted on the other &C.
tors.
True. Buddy EbSen and Irene
Ryan carry the Hillbillies.
Petticoat Junction, the seasons
new smash, stars Bea Benadar-
ct, ex-crony of Oracle Aliens.
Allan told Variety: From
what l saw, none Of the Ameri-
can networks had q show like
our Stars and Carriers, in which
all the performers are under 80
years Of age, or a Ready Steady
Go, where no one is over q"
(Both score top ratings in Eng
land.)
He concluded: "It seems that
the American webs just do not
trust young performers"
Even forgetting that our
visitor may be talking about
such acts as the Beatles-right.
Anyone who has watched TV
deteriorate here for any length
of time could have told Elkan
that and saved his company the
fare. There are so many devel-
opments which illustrate the
theme that we will only point
out that NBC, running second to
CHS in the ratings race, recent
ly signed Danny Thomas and
Jack Benny, whose combined
ages would take us back to the
era Of Junius Brutus Boothe, for
its big "a comeback effort.
In addition, NBC bought an
American version of That Was
The Week That Was (TW3), the
hit BIC Satrical revue which
was retired from the British
airwaves last week because Of
the upcoming elections, and
stocked it with such "newcom-
ers" as Henry Morgan, who
must be pushing so, wrong side,
and Elliott Reed. who is in his
middle sos (at least). No one in
the original BIC Co. was over
80. TVS debutS January 10.
AS for the game shows,
touche.
The "girls" on these shows
the regulars, l mean-were
girls when Cornelia Otis Skinner
was at finishing school. A new
show on ABC called The Object
Is prefers to promote one of its
panelists, Hans Conreid, rather
than the elderly gaffer, Dick
Clark, ex-hero Of the teen-age
set, who is merely the emcee.
Mr.. Clark is now at that horri-
bic inbetween age for TV-
around 30.
We don't wish to debate the
issue with Mr.. Allan, who is
now back in London, but while /
agree with his view of our TV, I
don't think that shows like Stars
and Carriers (the snap, / sus-
pect, is predictable) or Ready
Steady Go is precisely the kind
of vibrant thing that's missing
here. They sound like a gradu-
ate school for the kind of acts
performing acts-for which
there is no longer a need or
demand. (Accordion players,
jugglers, stand-up comics, etc. }
What's wrong, Of course, is
that American TV sponsors
who now control the medium
prefer "safe," don't-rock-the-
= boat shows and performers and