TELEVISION - Nov. 4, 1993

Battle of the ‘Politically Incorrects’: Cable network Comedy Central has filed an injunction in New York’s Federal District Court seeking to stop comedian Jackie Mason from using the name “Politically Incorrect” for the title of his current one-man show, alleging that it is “ripping off” the network’s own series of the same name. Mason told The Times Wednesday that he would fight the injunction and is thinking of filing a countersuit accusing the cable show of stealing his act. “I can’t imagine somebody would have the nerve to pretend not to know that I’ve been identified as the politically incorrect man for years now,” said Mason. “The media made up (that title for me), and it’s something I’ve been known for all my life. . . . They steal my idea, put it on TV and then they sue me. I’m amazed.” His show, “The Broadway Review of Jackie Mason’s Politically Incorrect,” is scheduled to play the Bob Hope Cultural Center’s McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert Nov. 20. Comedy Central’s “Politically Incorrect,” now in its second season, features host Bill Maher instigating satirical topical debate among celebrity guest panelists.

Guiliani on ‘Seinfeld’: Only a day after his victory at the polls, New York Mayor-elect Rudolph Guiliani took time out of his post-election schedule Wednesday to tape scenes to be added to tonight’s “Seinfeld” (the rest of the episode was shot in Studio City Oct. 26) on NBC. In the episode, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) become involved in a yogurt scandal that influences the outcome of New York’s mayoral election.

Enquiring TV Sets: “Enquiring minds” will no longer have to visit their supermarket newsstands to know. “Inside the Secret Files of the National Enquirer,” a TV version of the tabloid magazine, is in the works, scheduled to premiere as a one-hour prime-time special in January and then turn into a weekly series next fall. The program will air in Los Angeles on KCOP-TV Channel 13.

Not Copyrighted: A Los Angeles judge has ruled against a suit charging that the July, 1992, post-riot KCBS-TV special “Listen Up: Young Voices for Change” had copied a similar public-access cable series, “Listen Up!,” which was produced by the South-Central L.A. group Young People for Young People. In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Lourdes G. Baird found that format similarities such as the use of guests, moderators, themes, closing statements and even the use of a title, short phrase or slogan, are not protected under copyright law. The suit had accused KCBS-TV, parent network CBS, anchorwoman Bree Walker and her production company, Forward Television Inc., of copyright infringement.

MOVIES

First UA Project: “Martine,” a contemporary love triangle story from Academy Award-winning screenwriter Ron Bass, is the first new film to be acquired by the revived United Artists. Interestingly, Bass’ film “Rain Man” was the last title released by United Artists before it was temporarily dissolved in 1988. “Martine” has not yet been cast.

ART

Getty Schedule in Limbo: The stately J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu survived the fire without damage, but its hours of operation are uncertain. The museum was closed on Wednesday and may remain dark for the next few days. Visitors planning to visit the museum this week are advised to call the Getty reservation office, (310) 458-2003, for updated information on public hours.

Art Market Looks Steady: The art market appeared to be holding its own when two weeks of fall auctions kicked off at Christie’s in New York Tuesday night. In all, bidders paid$51.3 million for 45 Impressionist paintings, including more than $7 million for Edgar Degas’ “Danseuses se baissant (Les Ballerines),” which had been expected to fetch $3.5 million to$4.5 million. The sale total came in slightly below its pre-sale estimate of $59.9 million to $79.6 million. But while 15 works went unsold, including a Renoir painting that was estimated at $10 million, 18 of the 60 lots offered sold for more than $1 million each, including works by such celebrated artists as Camille Pissarro, Piet Mondrian, Wassily Kandinsky, Mary Cassatt and Claude Monet.

POP/ROCK

Pearl Jam Still No. 1: Pearl Jam’s “Vs.” sold an estimated 391,000 copies last week and will keep the No. 1 position on Billboard’s pop album sales chart when the trade magazine hits the newsstands Saturday. Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell” album, which sold about 131,000 copies, will rank No. 2 and “Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles” collection, which sold about 107,000 units, will move up to No. 3.

QUICK TAKES

La La La Human Steps, the acclaimed Montreal-based contemporary dance company that had canceled its Oct. 28 and 29 dates at the Wiltern Theatre because of an injury to principal dancer Louise Lecavalier, has rescheduled for Jan. 14 and 15. Previously issued tickets will be honored on the new dates, which mark the company’s first Los Angeles appearance in six years. . . . On Saturday in Los Angeles only, ABC will air “The Commish” one hour early--at 9 p.m.--followed by Tuesday night’s episode of “NYPD Blue,” which was preempted by fire coverage. This means “The Paula Poundstone Show,” which debuted to poor ratings last week, won’t be seen this week in L.A. . . . UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, has announced plans to mint a medal honoring the late Federico Fellini in a series commemorating artists including Mozart and Picasso. The acclaimed Italian film director died Sunday at age 73.