TV REVIEWS : ‘Sex, Shock’: Full of Wit, Lacking Malice

“Sex, Shock and Censorship in the ‘90’s” (at 10:30 tonight on Showtime) is a ripe, satirical feast--a stinging cable network parody of a prime-time TV newsmagazine show investigating sex and violence in Hollywood.

Shelley Long is wonderful as a no-nonsense reporter for the fictitious magazine show “That Time of the Month.” As she burns a probing trail through the slime, sleaze and icons of TV and movie land, it’s soon apparent that you’re in the midst of a TV comedy classic.

In puncturing and deflating media myths and targets as varied as hot black filmmakers, moral watchdog coalitions, movie critics, rap lyrics, Saturday-morning cartoons and liberal agendas woven into a politically correct sitcom created by a famous husband-and-wife producing team, the show leaves hardly any stone unturned.

It’s breathtakingly topical, albeit too satirically wicked and politically/sexually provocative for any of the four major networks. Enhanced by bright production values, the program is notable for its flossy budget and glossy look.

Of course, Hollywood is an easy and frequent source of parody, but “Sex, Shock and Censorship,” with wit rather than malice, says more about our basic values and the left and right in show biz than any number of congressional hearings and sonorous briefs.

The production never misses a beat or stumbles for a second. Perhaps most credit goes to the writing team of Michael Barrie and Jim Mulholland (who for many years helped write Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” monologues). David Jablin is the director and executive producer.