HBO, ‘SAKHAROV’ CITED FOR CABLE EXCELLENCE

Home Box Office and its made-for-pay film “Sakharov” were the big winners at the seventh annual Awards for Cable Excellence (ACE), which were scheduled for presentation Tuesday night at the Beverly Theatre.

The story of Soviet dissident Andrei D. Sakharov, which starred Jason Robards and Glenda Jackson as his wife Yelena Bonner, became one of HBO’s most-watched films when it was telecast in September, 1984. “Sakharov” won as best movie or miniseries and, in that category, earned ACEs for Jackson as best actress, Jack Gold for directing and David Rintels for his script.

The music special “Tina Turner: Private Dancer” and “Ray Bradbury Theater,” both seen on HBO, won three ACEs each.

Of the 44 ACEs set to be awarded, HBO and its Cinemax channel brought in 21, followed by Showtime/The Movie Channel with 8, Arts & Entertainment Network 5 each, 2 each for the Disney Channel and WTBS and 1 for MTV. Alan Bates, Art Carney, Amy Madigan, Robert Altman and James Coco were among the other show business notables whose work was cited.

The black-tie ceremony was sponsored by the National Academy of Cable Programming. Excerpts are scheduled for telecast Friday at 5:05 p.m. (PST) and Monday at 8:05 p.m. (PST) on superstation WTBS.

Hosts Joe Piscopo and Shelley Duvall took three ACES between them: Duvall as executive producer of Showtime’s “Faerie Tale Theatre,” which picked up a special Golden Ace for its distinctive contribution to the cable industry and also won for best children’s programming, and Piscopo for best performance in a comedy special.

“The Joe Piscopo Special” on HBO also earned an ACE for its director, Jay Dubin.

In the dramatic category, “ ‘Master Harold’ . . . and the boys,” seen on Showtime, won the ACE as best theatrical special and also for playwright Athol Fugard. HBO’s “Countdown to Looking Glass” won as best dramatic special and Showtime’s “The Paper Chase” as best dramatic series.

Carney was named best actor in a movie or miniseries for his work in the Disney Channel’s “The Undergrads”; Bates for the dramatic special “An Englishman Abroad” on Arts & Entertainment; Coco for an episode of HBO’s “Ray Bradbury Theater,” a dramatic series; Ann Bell for the dramatic series “Tenko” on Arts & Entertainment, and Madigan for the HBO theatrical special “The Laundromat,” which also won an ACE for director Robert Altman.

One of the directors of “Ray Bradbury Theater,” Paul Lynch, also received an ACE, as did Bradbury himself for writing. In the comedy category, HBO’s “Not Necessarily the News” was named best series and the “Cinemax Comedy Experiment: Martin Mull Presents the History of White People in America, Parts I and II,” best special. Philip Charles MacKenzie was named best actor in a comedy series for his work in Showtime’s “Brothers,” which also brought Greg Antonacci and Stu Silver ACEs for best writing in a comedy series.

Lucy Webb won the comedy series actress award for “Not Necessarily the News” and Mandie Fletcher, of “The Fainthearted Feminist” seen on Arts & Entertainment network, earned the nod for best directing in a comedy series.

Turner’s “Private Dancer” copped trophies for best music special, best performance in a music special and for best directing in that category, which went to David Mallet. The writers of “Shirley MacLaine”--Marvin Hamlisch, Larry Grossman, Buz Kohan and Christopher Adler--shared credit for best writing for a music special.

MTV’s Martha Quinn was awarded the ACE as best music host and “DTV” on the Disney Channel was named best music series.

The complete list of Tuesday’s scheduled ACE winners, not including winners in eight craft categories announced earlier:

Movie/Miniseries: “Sakharov,” HBO.

Actor, Movie/Miniseries: Art Carney, “The Undergrads,” Disney.

Actress, Movie/Miniseries: Glenda Jackson, “Sakharov,” HBO.

Directing, Movie/Miniseries: Jack Gold, “Sakharov,” HBO.

Writing, Movie/Miniseries: David W. Rintels, “Sakharov,” HBO.

Theatrical Special: “Master Harold . . . and the Boys,” Showtime.

Dramatic Special: “Countdown to Looking Glass,” HBO.

Actor, Theatrical or Dramatic Special: Alan Bates, “An Englishman Abroad,” A&E.;

Actress, Theatrical or Dramatic Special: Amy Madigan, “The Laundromat,” HBO.

Directing, Theatrical or Dramatic Special: Robert Altman, “The Laundromat,” HBO.

Writing, Theatrical or Dramatic Special: Athol Fugard, “Master Harold . . . and the boys,” Showtime.

Dramatic Series: “The Paper Chase,” Showtime.

Actor, Dramatic Series: James Coco, “Ray Bradbury Theater,” HBO.

Actress, Dramatic Series: Ann Bell, “Tenko,” A&E.;

Directing, Dramatic Series: Paul Lynch, “Ray Bradbury Theater: Marionettes Inc.,” HBO.

Writing, Dramatic Series: Ray Bradbury, “Ray Bradbury Theater,” HBO.

Music Special: “Tina Turner: Private Dancer,” HBO.

Performance, Music Special: Tina Turner, “Tina Turner: Private Dancer,” HBO.

Directing, Music Special: David Mallet, “Tina Turner: Private Dancer,” HBO.

Writing, Music Special: Shirley MacLaine, Larry Grossman, Buz Kohan, “Shirley MacLaine,” Showtime.

Comedy Special: “Martin Mull Presents the History of White People in America, Parts I and II,” Cinemax.

Performance, Comedy Special: Joe Piscopo, “The Joe Piscopo Special,” HBO.

Directing, Comedy Special: Jay Dubin, “The Joe Piscopo Special,” HBO.

Music Series: “DTV,” Disney.

Music Host: Martha Quinn, “Basement Tapes,” MTV.

Comedy Series: “Not Necessarily the News,” HBO.

Actor, Comedy Series: Philip Charles Mackenzie, “Brothers,” Showtime.

Actress, Comedy Series: Lucy Webb, “Not Necessarily the News,” HBO.

Directing, Comedy Series: Mandie Fletcher, “The Fainthearted Feminist,” A&E.;

Writing, Comedy Series: Greg Antonacci, Stu Silver, “Brothers: Donald’s Dad, and Fear of Flying,” Showtime.

Children’s Special: “The Red Shoes,” Home Theatre.

Children’s Series: “Faerie Tale Theatre,” Showtime.

Cultural Special or Series: “Cruel Garden,” A&E.;

Programming for Special Audience: “A Journey Through the First Year of Life,” CBN, SPN.

Programming for Minority: “Santa Teresa,” Galavision.

Informational Special: “Soldiers in Hiding,” HBO.

Informational Series: “Grassroots ‘84,” C-SPAN.

Informational Host: Hal Holbrook, “Portrait of America,” WTBS.

Interviewer: Edwin Newman, “Freud: The Drama of a Life,” A&E.;

News/Public Affairs: “Public School Sex Abuse: A Report Card,” CNN.

Sports Coverage: “World Championship Boxing, Hagler vs. Hearns,” HBO.

Sports Information: “The Not-So-Great Moments in Sports,” HBO.

Sports Host: Nick Charles, “Coors Sports Page,” WTBS.

Golden Ace: “Faerie Tale Theatre,” Showtime.

Cinematography: Thomas Burstyn, “The Hitchhiker: Murderous Feelings,” HBO; Richard Ciupka, “The Blood of Others,” HBO.

Lighting Direction, Video Tape: George Riesenberger, “Faerie Tale Theatre: Thumbelina,” Showtime.

Art Direction, Video Tape: Michael Edwards, “Jane Eyre,” A&E.;

Art Direction, Film: Denis Gordon-Orr, “Timeslip,” Cinemax.

Costume Design: Jane Greenwood, “Heartbreak House,” Showtime; Gill Hardie, “Jane Eyre,” A&E.;

Music Score: David Sanborn, Michael Colina, “Finnegan Begin Again,” HBO.

Film Editing: Edward Abroms, “The Guardian,” HBO.

Video Tape Editing: Danny White, “Not Necessarily the News,” HBO.

Writing, Music Special: Marvin Hamlisch, Christopher Adler, Larry Grossman, Buz Kohan, “Shirley MacLaine,” Showtime.