TV & RADIOTaylor Film OKd: Los Angeles...

TV & RADIO

Taylor Film OKd: Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Diane Wayne on Thursday cleared the way for NBC to make a miniseries based on the life of Elizabeth Taylor, who had filed an invasion-of-privacy lawsuit against the network in an attempt to block the production. Wayne upheld her preliminary ruling, saying that blocking the miniseries or the book on which it will be based would violate the network’s right to free speech. The miniseries is scheduled to air in May.

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Letterman’s Reign Continues: Although early ratings from the nation’s biggest markets showed Jay Leno gaining his first late-night victory last week against “Late Show With David Letterman,” the final national ratings, released Thursday, proved that Letterman is still the undisputed ratings king. In the end, Letterman edged Leno, drawing an average of 5.1 million viewing homes per night last week, compared to 4.7 million for Leno’s “Tonight Show.”

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Olympic Rematch: Olympic gold medalist Oksana Baiul and silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan will square off once again on CBS Sports’ “Ice Wars: The U.S.A. vs. the World,” a two-night prime-time figure skating special airing Nov. 9 and 12. Kerrigan will be joined on the U.S. team by former Olympic gold medalists Brian Boitano and Kristi Yamaguchi and silver medalist Paul Wylie; the world team includes Baiul, who is from Ukraine, two-time Olympic gold medalist Katarina Witt of Germany, former gold medalist Viktor Petrenko of Ukraine and four-time world champion Kurt Browning of Canada.

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Radio Briefs: Rick Dees’ on-air partner, Ellen K, on Thursday got her own morning show on KIIS-FM (102.7), where she is now the solo host of the 10 a.m.-to-noon slot. She will continue to co-host with Dees from 5 to 10 a.m. and will also host a weekly syndicated show, “Screen Test,” detailing the latest video and soundtrack releases. . . . “Car Talk,” the popular National Public Radio call-in show featuring the automotive know-how of brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi (known as “Click and Clack”), has switched from KCRW-FM (89.9) to KUSC-FM (91.5) and its affiliates. The program now airs on Saturdays from 9 to 10 a.m.

MOVIES

Indonesia Bans ‘True Lies’: The Indonesian Censorship Board on Thursday banned the Arnold Schwarzenegger/Jamie Lee Curtis movie “True Lies” from being shown in the country, effective Saturday. The ban came at the urging of an influential group of Muslim scholars who said that the film, which depicts Schwarzenegger battling an Arab extremist group, had caused unrest in the mainly Islamic country. The controversy has given the film huge publicity in Indonesia, resulting in long lines at theaters.

THE ARTS

Coming Attractions: Longtime recording artists the Pointer Sisters have announced plans to star in a new production of the Tony Award-winning Fats Waller musical “Ain’t Misbehavin,’ ” with a national tour, including a stop in Costa Mesa, scheduled to start next year. Arthur Faria, who received an Obie Award for choreographing the original 1978 production, will direct. . . . Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus producer Kenneth Feld has announced plans to mount a $10-million live ice show production of the 1939 classic MGM movie musical “The Wizard of Oz.” Feld, who also produces “Walt Disney’s World on Ice,” plans to begin a U.S. tour of the production next September, with an international tour to follow.

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O.C. Stage Revival: Garden Grove is reviving its two-theater Village Green Arts Complex as the new Grove Theatre Center, which is selling subscriptions for a 1994-95 season to be run by Kevin Cochran. “Dracula” will play the smaller Gem Theatre on Oct. 29-Nov. 13. Also slated: David Paterson’s “Finger Painting in a Murphy Bed,” opening in March; “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” opening in June at the 550-seat outdoor amphitheater, and Lanford Wilson’s “Talley’s Folly,” next summer. Last month, the City Council gave GTC $32,000 in seed money. Under agreements with two unions, a number of professionals will work in GTC shows.

QUICK TAKES

Three dancers from Madonna’s 1991 “Blonde Ambition” concert tour have settled a 1992 Los Angeles lawsuit in which they accused the singer of having invaded their privacy by including offstage footage of them discussing their personal lives in the documentary “Truth or Dare.” Terms of the settlement received by Oliver Crumes, Kevin Stea and Gabriel Trupin were not disclosed. . . . A Tennessee state review of Elvis Presley’s medical records found no evidence that the coroner lied when he said Presley died of heart disease, officials said Thursday. The new review was ordered because of continued speculation that Presley’s 1977 death at the age of 42 was caused, or at least hastened, by drug abuse. . . . CBS has set the air date for “Scarlett,” based on Alexandra Ripley’s best-selling sequel to “Gone With the Wind.” The eight-hour miniseries, starring Joanne Whalley-Kilmer and Timothy Dalton, will air Nov. 13 and 15-17.