TV & VIDEO - Sept. 21, 1988

Larry Gelbart, who began as a gag writer for Bob Hope and then worked for Sid Caesar, says that unlike his generation, many young comedy sketch writers today have few past masters from whom to learn. Thus, he quips, they “learned by watching ‘The Captain and Tennille.’ ” Gelbart, who wrote “MASH” for four years, spoke Monday in New York at a Museum of Broadcasting salute to him. Among other things, he said he couldn’t, despite his comedy expertise, help Republican vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle: “You can’t improve on the funniest material.” Gelbart also said he has a new play afoot, “Mastergate,” about “governmental self-abuse.” What does he watch on TV? His reply: “I watch mostly public affairs . . . mostly news, and then I wake up and there’s a blue light.”