Advertisement

TV & VIDEONew Yorkers Watch Leno: New...

Share
<i> Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press</i>

TV & VIDEO

New Yorkers Watch Leno: New York viewers extended their welcome to Jay Leno Monday night, as ratings for the start of his five-day New York stand rose 69% above average in the Big Apple and topped rival David Letterman on his home turf. Letterman dropped 18% locally on his first night back home but still won the major market competition overall. Leno’s “Tonight Show” drew 441,698 New York viewing homes, while Letterman’s “Late Show” attracted 374,774 homes. In the nation’s top 31 markets, overnight ratings showed Leno up 13% and closing the gap on Letterman. Leno drew an estimated 13% of available viewers in those markets while Letterman drew about 18%.

*

PBS to Show Tenors: Lucky ticket holders won’t be the only ones able to see “Encore! The Three Tenors,” the much touted July 16 Dodger Stadium concert reuniting star tenors Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. The concert--the trio’s first appearance together in the United States--will be broadcast live on PBS at 8 p.m. The show takes place on the eve of the World Cup Final Soccer Championship and is expected to run about two hours.

*

Lost & Found: Dobie Gillis, Maynard G. Krebs and Zelda Gilroy reuniting? Actually, it’s Dwayne Hickman, Bob Denver and Sheila Kuehel, who will be joined by a few other celebs Thursday night in the Hollywood Hills. The party, with $100 tickets available through Events Unlimited, is a fund-raiser for Kuehel, who is running for Tom Hayden’s old seat in the state Assembly. Not expected: series alum Warren Beatty (Milton Armitage), who is reportedly “in denial about his ‘Dobie Gillis’ phase.”

Advertisement

*

‘Texas’ on Video: Maria Conchita Alonso, Benjamin Bratt, Patrick Duffy, Chelsea Field, Anthony Michael Hall, Stacey Keach, David Keith, John Schneider, Rick Schroeder, Grant Show and Randy Travis will star in a TV/video version of James Michener’s 1985 best-seller, “Texas.” Produced by Dallas native Aaron Spelling, “Texas” will be released first on home video this fall, then will air on ABC in 1995 as a four-hour miniseries. “Texas,” which is currently being filmed on location in San Antonio, tells the story of the founding of Texas and the historic battle at the Alamo.

MOVIES

Coming to the Screen: Castle Rock Entertainment announced its upcoming film slate on Tuesday, with projects including “An American President,” starring Robert Redford and directed by Rob Reiner; and “Forget Paris,” a romantic comedy starring, directed and produced by Billy Crystal. Both are scheduled to begin production this fall. Also announced: “Before Sunrise,” starring Ethan Hawke and directed by Richard Linklater, and “Stranger Things,” which will mark the directing debut of “Seinfeld” co-star Jason Alexander.

THE ARTS

County Arts Cuts: The proposed Los Angeles County Budget for next year includes a 36% cut to the already struggling Music & Performing Arts Commission, which would be forced to eliminate one of its grants programs and severely cut back another if Monday’s proposed budget is approved by the Board of Supervisors. “It’s terrible,” said Laura Zucker, the commission’s executive director. “This comes on top of a 7% cut this year and a 13% cut last year. The fat’s already been trimmed, so this will cut into bone.” As proposed, the agency’s 1994-95 budget would dwindle to $481,000, down from $754,000. The Board of Supervisors will address the commission’s budget at a 9:30 a.m. hearing June 2.

LEGAL FILE

Rapper Arrested at Home: 2 Live Crew rapper Luther Campbell was arrested in Miami early Tuesday and charged with aggravated assault for allegedly aiming a gun at a woman in his Miami Lakes home and threatening to kill her. Police identified the woman, Tina Barnett, 22, as Campbell’s wife, but a record company spokeswoman said the woman was a former live-in girlfriend. Campbell was released on $7,500 bond.

QUICK TAKES

Country singer Naomi Judd makes her TV series acting debut on Saturday’s cliffhanger season finale of NBC’s “Sisters.” The appearance marks the first time that Judd, who rose to fame singing with daughter Wynonna Judd, will appear with her youngest daughter, Ashley Judd, an actress who has a recurring role on “Sisters.” . . . CBS is expected to announce soon a new newsmagazine featuring Deborah Norville, the former “Today” show anchor. The newsmagazine will begin in the summer. It did not get a berth on CBS’ fall schedule, however, where the network already has three newsmagazines. . . . Whitney Houston will star in a CBS TV movie version of “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” scheduled to air late next season. Two earlier versions of the TV musical starred Julie Andrews (1957) and Lesley Anne Warren (1965).

Advertisement