TV & VIDEO - Aug. 18, 1988

Saying, “I’m glad to finally have my day in court,” Valerie Harper appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday for the the first day of the trial to settle her $70-million lawsuit against Lorimar Productions and NBC over her dismissal last August from her TV series “Valerie,” now called “The Hogan Family.” Harper said she was pleased that an earlier agreement reached with NBC and Lorimar--allowing the producers to continue to use the name “Valerie” in the show’s title for a season--had ensured her of this early court date. “It’s a saving of five or six years,” Harper said. “It’s wonderful to have it settled in a very timely fashion.” A spokeswoman for Harper said the trial could continue for as long as six weeks.