TELEVISIONLawson to Leave PBS: Jennifer Lawson, PBS’...

TELEVISION

Lawson to Leave PBS: Jennifer Lawson, PBS’ executive vice president of national programming, and her chief deputy, John Grant, announced their resignations Friday, effective March 10. Their decision follows a major reorganization at PBS on Jan. 30 that lessened Lawson’s authority. Lawson, who came to PBS in 1989, said the reorganization “diminishes the opportunity I would have for making a real contribution” to national programming. Lawson said that Republican calls for drastic cuts in federal public broadcasting funds did not influence her decision. She added that she was particularly proud of bringing Ken Burns’ “The Civil War” to the national schedule along with new children’s programs and “Tongues Untied”--a 1991 documentary about African American gays that drew a pointed GOP attack.

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‘Lion King’ Series: CBS will add six new children’s series to its Saturday morning schedule next fall, including “The Lion King’s Timon & Pumbaa,” an animated Disney series based on the hit movie, with Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella returning as the animal characters’ voices. Other fall CBS kids series are “The Adventures of Hyperman,” based on a CD-ROM about an animated superhero; “Santo Bugito,” an cartoon about two ants who run a cantina along the Texas-Mexico border; “National Geographic’s Really Wild Animals,” featuring Dudley Moore as the voice of the show’s animated host; a new version of “Felix the Cat,” and “The Mask,” a previously announced cartoon version of the hit Jim Carrey movie. CBS also said it will premiere a Saturday morning animated version of another Carrey movie, “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” next January. That makes a hat trick of film-to-TV cartoon successes for Carrey. ABC announced earlier this week that it will premiere its version of “Dumb and Dumber” in the fall.

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Bye-Bye, ‘Blossom’: NBC has pulled the plug on its Monday night sitcom “Blossom” after four years. “We found out about it at our (script) reading Wednesday morning, and I can’t tell you how shocked we were,” Allan Katz, one of the executive producers, said Friday. Ratings have been off this season, but Katz said he had expected the network to see how the remaining episodes performed before making a decision about renewal for next season. He said that teen-age star Mayim Bialik probably will head for college now, while co-star Joey Lawrence has another series in development.

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Cruising the Information Superhighway: NBC News’ “Today” show will attempt to help folks catch up with the technological times with a four-part series on new computer technology starting Monday. The initial program explores various on-line services; Tuesday’s segment offers a guide through the Internet; Wednesday’s features Vice President Al Gore--via computer--leading viewers on a virtual tour of the White House on the World Wide Web, and Thursday’s show talks about the dangers of receiving medical advice on-line.

MOVIES

‘Hoop Dreams’ Suit Settled: A Chicago high school and its basketball coach, portrayed in the acclaimed basketball documentary “Hoop Dreams,” have settled their lawsuit against the movie makers. The Chicago lawsuit alleged that the movie makers had misrepresented their project as not-for-profit and said the film did not accurately reflect St. Joseph High School. As part of the agreement, the filmmakers--who were snubbed in this week’s Oscar nominations for documentaries--will establish an academic scholarship fund at St. Joseph. Details weren’t available.

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Artful Film: Art dealer and film director Arne Glimcher has come up with a new twist on product placement in movies: Don’t use only cars and soft drinks for maximum advertising exposure, use art too. In Glimcher’s new thriller, “Just Cause,” which opened Friday, Harvard law professor Sean Connery lives in a rambling house jam-packed with graphic art by Picasso, Jim Dine, Joel Shapiro, Chuck Close and other high-ticket artists. All are represented by Glimcher’s New York-based gallery, Pace-Wildenstein, which will launch a Beverly Hills branch in September.

POP/ROCK

Vedder Joins PETA: Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder has donated autographed T-shirts, shorts, posters and albums to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, in support of the group’s new initiative to help students avoid dissecting animals in their high school science classes. PETA has set up a toll-free number, (800) 95FROGS, through which students can receive petitions asking principals to offer “animal friendly” alternatives to dissection; the first 50 students who return completed petitions will receive an autographed item from Vedder.

QUICK TAKES

Former “Quantum Leap” stars Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell are among those scheduled to attend the fourth annual “Quantum Leap” convention, today and Sunday at the Burbank Airport Hilton. . . . The National Conference of Christians and Jews will give its National Headliner Award to talk-show host Larry King tonight in Miami. Previous winners include Walter Cronkite, Barbara Walters, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather. . . . The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will hold Los Angeles auditions on Sunday for its dance training programs. The 4 p.m. auditions take place at the Stanley Holden Dance Center, 10421 W. Pico Blvd.