Di-Charles Split Seen as Boost for ABC Sunday Film

Parting is such sweet sorrow--at least in most cases. But ABC is finding that parting can also be sweet bliss.

Network honchos were quietly jubilant over the timing of this week’s announcement about the separation of Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales--just four days before ABC’s Sunday movie, “Charles and Diana: Unhappily Ever After.”

On-air promos for the film were hastily re-edited to include footage of the announcement by Prime Minister John Major. And a new crawl is being incorporated at the end of the movie that will note the announcement.

Of course, no one at ABC was openly jumping up and down at the news. “After all, it’s total coincidence,” said one official. “We’re as stunned as everyone else.”

One network spokesman compared the coincidence to the opening of the 1979 film “The China Syndrome” during the same week of the nuclear power accident at Three Mile Island.