TV Reviews : Not Enough of Minnie Pearl in ‘Hats Off’ Salute

“Hats Off to Minnie: America Honors Minnie Pearl” (at 5 p.m. today on TNN) is nothing if not an accurate title: It seems a good half the country shows up in this 2 1/2-hour Nashville Network tribute to the Imelda Marcos of $1.98 straw chapeaus.

Literally, more than 60 musicians--from Chet Atkins to Faron Young--offer musical greetings, and several dozen more celebrities deliver on-camera “How-dees!” to the Tennessee comedian who was born in 1912 as Sarah Ophelia Colley.

Unfortunately, Minnie herself does not appear on the show, except via old film clips, because she is still recovering from a stroke she suffered in 1991.

Too often, this sprawling paean, hosted by Barbara Mandrell, views like a fat family photo album; a lot of the snapshots probably will mean more to Minnie than to the visiting friend. Does watching Eddie Rabbitt reprise his 1980 hit “I Love a Rainy Night” or hearing Charlie Daniels saw his way through “Devil Went Down to Georgia” for the umpteenth time tell us anything about what makes Minnie Pearl unique? Not really.

The show rises above the level of “This Is Your Life” melodrama when the singers simply sing their hearts out: Vince Gill does a spine-tingling job on his 1990 hit “Never Knew Lonely,” as does George Jones with “She’s My Rock.” And a short skit with Pee-wee Herman provides a welcome bit of comic unpredictability.

Instead of relying on so many platitude-heavy testimonials, it would have been far more illuminating to see additional archival footage of Minnie’s act, and more interviews with Minnie/Sarah herself. Near the end, for instance, she says: “People have asked me over the years, ‘Why do you suppose Minnie has lasted as long as she has?’ . . . She loves to perform, she loves to hear people laugh, and she just loves .”

More of that kind of plain-spoken truth would have made this special a lot more special.