TELEVISIONThey Won’t Pair Up: It looks as...

TELEVISION

They Won’t Pair Up: It looks as if Linda Bloodworth-Thomason won’t be producing Tom Arnold’s upcoming CBS series after all. Although Bloodworth-Thomason and her director husband, Harry Thomason, haven’t completely shut the door on the blue-collar sitcom, she’s reportedly focusing on another CBS project--a sitcom about politics on Capitol Hill.

Not Briefed: President Clinton made a surprise appearance via satellite at the ABC affiliates convention at the Century Plaza Wednesday, trading quips and serious comments with “World News Tonight” anchor Peter Jennings. Clinton seemed at ease as affiliates questioned him about international affairs, his economic package and his presidential appointments, but was unprepared to answer a query about broadcasting, saying he was largely unfamiliar with the field. The response brought criticism from “PrimeTime Live” anchor Sam Donaldson, who said the fact that Clinton was unprepared to answer a question about broadcasters to a broadcasting convention was indicative of his staff’s failure to properly prepare him on relevant issues.

Gotta Talk: The Talk Channel, a new 24-hour national cable channel, will be launched in the fall of 1994, featuring all-talk shows focusing on major breaking news as well as topical discussions. Live programs will involve viewers through a national satellite hook-up. Program hosts will be announced in the future.

Getting Both Sides: “Donahue” canceled a planned show for this week featuring former “Jeopardy!” employees alleging game tampering and sexual misconduct on the long-running game show. Promos touting “The Jeopardy Scandal” aired in New York and Los Angeles on Sunday and Monday, and throughout the nation on Tuesday, but “Donahue” producer Adrian Wheeler dropped the subject because no guest could be found to defend “Jeopardy!’s” side in the allegations. The allegations are contained in the book “Inside ‘Jeopardy,’ What Really Goes On at TV’s Top Quiz Show?” written by a former “Jeopardy!” producer.

MOVIES

Winning Horrors: “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” took six trophies Tuesday night at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films’ 19th Annual Saturn Awards, including best horror film, best director (Francis Ford Coppola), best actor (Gary Oldman) and awards for writing, makeup and costume. “Aladdin” took home three awards, for best fantasy film, best supporting actor (Robin Williams) and best juvenile performance (Scott Weiner). Other winners included “Star Trek VI: Undiscovered Country,” best science-fiction film; “Candyman’s” Virginia Madsen, best actress; and “Death Becomes Her’s” Isabella Rossellini, best supporting actress. Filmmaker David Lynch received the life career award.

POP/ROCK

Found Guilty: Ronald Ray Howard, a 19-year-old Texan who says violent music by rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur influenced his actions, was found guilty Tuesday of killing a state trooper in rural east Texas last year. Defense attorneys did not dispute that Howard fatally shot Bill Davidson, 43, or call any witnesses in the initial stage of the trial. But as many as 100 witnesses, including some rap stars, are expected, during sentencing hearings next week, to support Howard’s claim that rap music made him kill. Howard whose attorneys will push for life in prison instead of the death penalty, says he was listening to a homemade copy of Shakur’s violence-riddled “2PACLYPSE NOW” album at the time of the shooting. The slain trooper’s widow, Linda Sue Davidson, has filed suit against Shakur and his record label, Los Angeles-based Interscope Records, as well as Interscope’s parent company Time Warner.

STAGE

Blame It on ‘Annie’: San Diego Civic Light Opera, a professional theater with a $4-million annual budget, announced Tuesday that it will be forced to cancel its 48th summer season if $250,000 is not raised by the end of June. The company, known as Starlight Musical Theatre, is struggling with an accumulated debt of more than $1 million that began with several years of declining ticket sales and was compounded with high losses from the “Annie” sequel “Annie Warbucks,” which the company co-produced with four other West Coast companies in 1992.

QUICK TAKES

Legendary country singer Johnny Cash has teamed with superstar rockers U2 for a track on the Irish band’s upcoming album, “Zooropa.” He sings lead on “The Wanderer,” a song that U2 lead singer Bono says was written specifically for him. Says Bono: “It’s one of the best things we’ve ever recorded, and I’m not even on it.” . . . Ted Danson’s wife, Cassandra (Casey) Danson, has made it official, filing for divorce and citing irreconcilable differences as the reason to end their 15-year marriage. The couple, who separated last October, will have joint custody of daughters Katherine, 13, and Alexis, 8.