TV & RADIO

Tracey Takes On Protest: An Asian American advocacy group has blasted one of the characters portrayed in Tracey Ullman’s new HBO series as being stereotypical and racist. The Media Action Network for Asian Americans said the Mrs. Noh Nah Ning character that Ullman plays on “Tracey Takes On . . . “ is offensive because of “the yellowing of her face” and the “tired stereotype of being a wise Chinese philosopher.” The character is a doughnut shop owner modeled after a doughnut shop owner Ullman met while writing the show. The watchdog group has asked HBO to remove the character from the series. “Tracey Ullman is a brilliant satirist and comedienne, and all of her work is in the spirit of fun and good humor,” HBO responded in a statement. Ullman could not be reached for comment.

This Time He’s Yoda: “3rd Rock From the Sun” star John Lithgow has taken on another alien role--as Yoda in a three-hour audio recording of “Return of the Jedi” that will be broadcast over National Public Radio stations in October. The recording, with Ed Asner as Jabba the Hutt, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO and Brock Peters as Darth Vader, completes the audio version of the “Star Wars” trilogy. The radio drama, in six half-hour installments, includes the original movie score and sound effects from Lucasfilm Skywalker Sound library. “Return of the Jedi” also will be released on CDs and cassettes by High Bridge recordings.