TELEVISIONA Liberal Bent?: The conservative Media Research...

TELEVISION

A Liberal Bent?: The conservative Media Research Center lists the top 10 shows it says are “most guilty of pushing a liberal agenda.” At the top of the list is the NBC made-for-television movie “Serving in Silence,” starring Glenn Close in a true story about a nurse who was discharged from the Army after revealing that she was a lesbian. Rounding out the Top 10: NBC’s “Sisters,” HBO’s “Dennis Miller Live,” NBC’s “TV Nation,” ABC’s “Roseanne,” HBO’s “Cosmic Slop,” Fox’s “The X-Files,” Lifetime’s “Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story,” ABC’s “My So-Called Life” and CBS’ “The George Wendt Show.” The list appears in the June issue of “TV, etc.,” the center’s review of the politics of the entertainment industry.

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Abramson Signs Deal: Los Angeles attorney Leslie Abramson, who defended Erik Menendez and stayed in the spotlight as a commentator on the O.J. Simpson trial, has signed a deal with 20th Television. The main part of the deal would be to develop a half-hour syndicated interview show for Abramson.

POP/ROCK

Buried Gold: Garth Brooks is burying his greatest hits album--sort of. “The Hits,” announced as a limited-edition package six months ago, has sold 6 million copies, and about4 million are still in stores. That’s enough for the country singer, so, in a symbolic gesture, he plans to bury the master recording of the album Friday in front of the Capitol Records office in Los Angeles. “We want to visually make it apparent that ‘The Hits’ is over,” said Brooks, who will bury the master beneath his new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 11:30 a.m. The original tapes of the music, however, will remain in the Capitol vaults.

HONORS

Saturn Awards: “Stargate” was honored as the best science-fiction film of the year Monday night during the 21st Saturn Awards ceremony in Century City. The awards were presented by the Academy of Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films. “Forrest Gump” was honored as best fantasy film, “Interview With the Vampire” as best horror film and “Pulp Fiction” as best action-adventure thriller. Oscar-winner Martin Landau was honored as best actor for his role in “Ed Wood” and best actress honors were shared by Sandra Bullock for “Speed” and Jamie Lee Curtis for “True Lies.” James Cameron was honored as best director for “True Lies.”

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Liddygate: Former Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy received the free speech award from the National Assn. of Radio Talk Show Hosts at a ceremony marked by protest Saturday night in Houston. “Shame, shame,” yelled Gloria Allred, a board member for the group. Allred walked out of the awards ceremony in protest of Liddy’s on-air comments on how to gun down federal agents. Liddy’s conservative talk-radio show now airs on 262 stations nationwide, but is not heard in Los Angeles.

PEOPLE WATCH

Family Matters: The father of Macaulay Culkin won a small victory Monday in a custody battle with the boy’s mother when a judge withdrew an order giving her temporary custody of the young movie star and five of his siblings. New York State Supreme Court Justice David Saxe, saying he wanted a “level playing field,” restored custody to both parents, ordered a full custody hearing in September and appointed a law guardian to interview the children so a decision can be made in their best interests. Last Wednesday the children’s mother, Patricia Brentrup, filed court papers accusing their father, Christopher Culkin, of trying to destroy the movie careers of 14-year-old Macaulay and his brother, Kieran, 12.

QUICK TAKES

Vice President Al Gore will moderate a conference, “Family Re-Union IV: The Family and the Media,” on July 10 in Nashville. . . . The Steve Miller Band and the Doobie Brothers have joined forces for a summer tour that will include concerts Aug. 25 at the Greek Theatre and Aug. 26 at the Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion. . . . KCRW-FM (88.9) will present “Jewish Short Stories From Eastern Europe and Beyond,” a series of one-hour programs featuring stories from modern Jewish writers read by actors. The 13-part series, which will be hosted by Leonard Nimoy, will debut July 9 at 6 p.m.