TV Reviews : ‘Wickedest Witch’ a Diverting Piece of Fluff

Life in the netherworld is tough--”the games, the insults, the Vanna White impressions . . . .”

In tonight’s NBC special “The Wickedest Witch” (at 8:30 on Channels 4, 36 and 39), “Golden Girl” Rue McClanahan, as witch Avarissa, bemoans the curse that dooms her to serving 300 years as bingo-caller for a bunch of delinquent gargoyles.

The curse can only be broken if Avarissa tricks a human child (Raffi Di Blasio) into committing a despicable act on Halloween.

Maybe she can get him to sell her a used car?

Based on a story by “Alf” co-creator Paul Fusco and “Alf” writers David Cohen and Roger S.H. Schulman, and directed by Steven Dubin, this innocuous production is livened up by Burgess Meredith’s expert narration and mild bits of nonsense. Avarissa’s higher authority is the disembodied Great Schtick, reachable via soft-drink dispenser. The gargoyles are reptilian, big-eyed, Alf-like puppets, given to burping and planting whoopie cushions on Avarissa’s throne.

McClanahan seems ever so slightly off-balance among her boisterous non-human co-stars, as though it was fun, but not that much fun. Which pretty much describes the show itself.