TV REVIEWS : ‘Celebration’ an Enjoyable ‘70s Ride

So let’s make sure we have this straight: Tonight’s two-hour trip down bell-bottom lane, “A ‘70s Celebration: The Beat Is Back,” features a reunion of sitcom characters Lenny and Squiggy, who in the ‘70s were celebrating the ‘50s. In other words, we now have nostalgia for nostalgia, which instead of being the province of perverse science fiction is probably America’s destiny.

The reminiscing is much more linear during the rest of the special (at 8 p.m. on NBC, Channels 4, 36 and 39), which enjoyably reassembles a generous cross-section of the decade’s musical chartbusters, survivors and slough-offs.

There’s Meat Loaf again, who gets to sing his current No. 1 single, an amazing, fateful coincidence that other honorees from Sister Sledge to Randy Meisner aren’t in much danger of repeating. The Bee Gees also certainly count in the “I Will Survive” category, though without a hit single from their new album, they’re a part of the revivalist camp in opening the show with “Jive Talkin’,” which actually sounds pretty wonderful even de-disco-fied for the ‘90s.

RuPaul fans everywhere will be experiencing paroxysms of joy watching the parade of vintage disco divas here. Donna Summer does two of her most popular--but not best--numbers, while Vicki Sue Robinson (trying too hard), Thelma Houston (still spectacular) and Gloria Gaynor quickly revive individual signature songs before teaming up for a historic trio. The perpetually touring K.C. & the Sunshine Band also turn the beat around booty-wise, with an irresistible medley of greatest hips.

The photography in this Ken Ehrlich-produced special shines, affording fine views of the Wiltern Theater as well as the performers; the sound mix is also terrific, and the editing of familiar tunes for time is artfully accomplished.

The only place the show goes all wrong is in its witless writing, which feeds lousy gag lines to hosts such as Martin Mull, Olivia Newton-John and Sonny Bono. Most egregiously, it wastes a reunion of five game “Brady Bunch” cast members in a painful mock-talk-show skit.

Then again, you’d hardly be satisfied with a ‘70s tribute that didn’t include its share of embarrassment, would you?