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Show Televisis EXAS: By JAY BOBBIN, Tribune Media Services (Continued from Page 1) was wondering why "Boy Meets World" has been replaced by other shows', please don't tell me they're taking it off the air.: A: OK ... we won't. Actually, ABC has renewed it for next season, so there's plenty of life left in the show. It's Q: I (John Schneider) and Co!. William Travis (Grant Show, alias Jake on Spelling's popular Fox series "Melrose Place"), Also appearing in the production primarily on location in Del Rio and at Alamo of the actual site of the 1836 Village, a conflict, where John Wayne also made his I960 "Alamo" movie are Maria Conchita Alonso, Chelsea Field, Anthony Michael Hall and music star Randy Travis. . According to Spelling, the idea of initially taking ir "Texas" to the home-vide- o market and then to television was generated by executives of Blockbuster Entertainment, now the parent firm of his company. "We could not have done it without the video sales and rentals," Spelling maintains. "There's no way we could have afforded it, but (the cassette venture) was very, very successful. We had talked to Fox about doing this on a miniseries we're doing with them, but unfortunately, the dates don't work. They have to have it for a 'sweeps' period, and that wouldn't give (the cassette version) a chance. I think it's the wave of the future, on certain things that are unusual and that people would want to buy or rent. I always thought it should have been done on 'Scarlett,' since that would have been a natural, with all the interest inherent in 'Gone With the Wind.' We're going to do it again, but we're just trying to find something special enough, maybe something in the science-fictio- n genre," The financial considerations of "Texas" were such that all parties concerned have seemed to benefit. Through ABC's agreement to televise it after its video debut, the network provided a portion of the necessary budget; conversely, it also was charged a lower licensing fee by Spelling Entertainment than miniseries. normally would be attached to a first-ru- n Timing also was of the essence in ensuring giat "Texas" would reach its target audience both on video and on network TV, since Spelling explains, "The (video) promotion starts about three months before the tapes go into stores. For this, that started even before we began casting." Spelling also recogconsumers can be selective nizes that home-vide- o about what they choose So. rent or purchase, whereas the ratings from the ABC airing will indicate what sort of appeal the project has. "The only thing I'm wary about," he admits, "is that the ABC audience is not really a western-oriente- d audience, while CBS has things like 'Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman' and Chuck Norris' show ('Walker, Texas Ranger'). It'll be interesting to see what happens." et principal domain Overall, Spelling remains weekly programs such as "Beverly Kills, 90210," "Melrose Place" and countless past examples ("Charlie's Angels," "Dynasty," "The Love Boat," etc.) claims not to be overly concerned about possible rejection of Texas" by viewers who know of the tape exposure it already has had. "The truth is that no matter how many copies you sell or rent, it is miniscule compared to (the size of a broadcast) viewing audience," he reasons,' "Jeff Sagansky (CBS' former programming chief) is one of the first people who would be interested in doing something like this with us, and he did some research on that. You may drop one share point, but that would be about it. Even if you sold a ton of cassettes, it would really drop . ' " only that much." j Yet another consideration for Spelling in making Texas" acce&b& to both die video and television markets was the selection of actors deemed to be big draws in each venue, since the tape world has its own figure Don "The superstars (such as martial-art- s staple Shannon Dragon" Wilson and adult-thrillluster to nethave same the not who might Tweed) work executives. "We were under the strangest " dichotomy," Spelling reflects. The network wanted TV names, while the video people wanted names that I think we satisfied the were more movie-orienteTV requirements with Grant Show and Patrick Duffy end Stacy Xeach, then Randy Travis represented the music world. Did we satisfy ifcero, in the video world? - er d. I ". don't know, but T think the preponderance of 'names' helped, j 4 been such a strong performer for the network on Friday nights that its last new episodes for this TV year are May "sweeps" being saved 'up for the period, so you'll see it back in its usual spot very, very soon. ABC has taken advantage of its brief hiatus to give "Sister, Sister" another whirl on Fridays, but if you really miss "World's" Ben Savage, you can catch him in this Sunday's Showtime cable debut of the Martin Short movie comedy "Clifford." The film was released last year, but Savage looks a whole lot younger in it, since its debut in theaters was delayed for a long while by the ratings-importa- over-the-a- mass-mark- CCl . nt money problems that its studio (Orion Pictures) ran I recently watched the PBS "Great Performances" presentation celebrating the 00th birthday of Oscar Hammerstein, and I was thrilled by Mandy Patinkin's version of "Bali Hai." What a voice! What is his musical background? Has he recorded? 1 A: Though he's currently getting his biggest national exposure to date as the skilled but highly temperamental Dr, Jeffrey Geiger on the CBS medical drama "Chicago Hope," Patkinin has pleased New York audiences for years with his singing. He won a Tony Award in 1980 for his first Broadway role in "Evita," then was nominated again four years later for "Sunday in the Park With George"; his other credits include "The Secret Garden" and "Falsettos," so when surgeon Geiger delivers a tune in the operating room, it's very much a natural thing for Patinkin. He has released three solo albums ... "Mandy Pai inkin," "Mandy Patinkin: Dress Casual" and his latest, "Mandy Patinkin: Experiment." Before he headed to California to work on "Chicago Hope," he "Late Show was known to pop by the New York-base- d basis and With David Letterman" on a burst into song. Q: I recently read the Stuart Woods book "Chiefs." Do you think the miniseries based on the book will be televised again? Is it available on VHS tape? . A: Cable's Lifetime ran the 1983 drama a number of times after CBS' rights on it expired, but admittedly, we haven't seen it turn up there in some time. All is not with a lost, however, since the Southern-tow- n saga fine cast led by Charlton Hcston, Billy Dee Williams, has been availKeith Carraditte and Stephen Collins able for some time on the Starmaker video label, and at 9 very reasonable price. If you can't find it, you might want to ask a local tape dealer about ordering it for you. Q: Even though ABC has cancelled "Full House," I heard that another network might pick it up. Do you know anything about this? A: Reportedly, the novice WB Network was interested in acquiring the show after its ABC run ended ... but it was an deal, meaning that the entire Cast would have had to agree to return, and John S tamos evidently was ready to move on to other things. (No surprise there, since he's made that inference strongly in . semi-regul- ar - - our last couple of interviews with him for the he's been doing.) That closed out the WB possibility, then, though "Full House" will live on in syndicated repeats for TV eternity. Meanwhile, their fans can get an extra dose of the OLscn twins with the Saturday, derived from their l April 22 prirte-tim- e Adventures of Mary-Kat- e and Ashley" video releases. r Q: What happened to "Burke's Law"? I thought it was coming back, but after, seeing it once. I haven't bees able to find it again. - ; A: CBS did some hasty reshuffling after the one Tuesday airing the show had. since it was all but.' destroyed in the ratings by ABCs powerful "NYPD Blue" ... just ai "Burke" executive producer Aaron Spelling had told us he feared. After that result. CBS rapidly moved "Burke" back id Fridays, where it had surprisingly healthy ratings last season: that's where Barton mystery series you'll find the Gene Barry-Petnow, in the slot that had been occupied by Dick Van Compares TCI Prove NSC ABC 2 4 CSS S 7 KULCC P&S UbfU 2 4 5 7 KSTU 13 FOX KJZZ14 mD AfaSlatior. KUTV2 KTVX4 KSL5 KUE07 mil) a f . Insight . . 3D ii pss 13 3 2 4 5 7 9 it 13 ii 14 14 6 18 17 18 PrsKlusn CatHe Channel KS& HBO 10 - Disney Home Box Office . 39 60 15 dftTax Jt&x The Movie Channel Slsowtime Channels TMC SHO pay w 19 15 . 8 $1,62,63 16 22 4 ,21 Encore EttC Ottser CabSe Channel into. Q: Cafeis Nrtork Broadcast Stations A&E AMC Art end EnttrtaJrenent American Movto Ctasefcs BET BtackEntTV 31 .45 COUa Cartoon Network Ceaniry ISusSc Television Consumer Mews and Business Cabfcs Hews Ntworti Comedy Central KSYU Community 20 57 47 23 32 68 40 COURT. 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