ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

TV/RADIO

Prager’s Talk Show Heads to Middle East

Dennis Prager is taking his radio talk show to trouble-plagued Jerusalem next week in what he describes as a show of support for Israel. Prager’s syndicated program airs locally on KRLA-AM (870), weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

“I feel it’s important to tell Israelis that they’re not alone, that they have support outside of Israel,” Prager said in an interview. “The country has a bunker mentality, with justification. Israelis look at the United Nations and at Europe and see either outright hostility or evenhandedness, which, when people want you dead, is pretty much the same as hostility.”

The parallels between Israel and the United States, he says, were another motivating factor. “I want to bring my listeners a sense of what it’s like for a democracy to live under siege,” he said. “Part of me worries that this is a glimpse of our future, too: people walking into supermarkets with bombs strapped to them. I pray we don’t have to prepare for that.”

The trip is sponsored by the Media Line, a group that produces programs on the politics of Israel and the Middle East--with no strings attached, Prager maintains. Arab Israelis and Christians will be part of the mix in an attempt to put “a human face on the conflict,” he said.

Prager, who broadcast for 18 years on KABC before moving to KRLA two years ago, will also shoot a video documentary examining people’s response to daily terror, aimed at cable or public television.

Programs Mark Riots’

10th Anniversary

The Beat, also known as radio station KKBT-FM (100.3), will hold a town hall meeting Sunday morning to discuss the 10th anniversary of the Los Angeles riots.

The public is invited to attend the event, which will be broadcast live on the weekly program “Street Science,” from 8 to 11 a.m. The meeting will be held at Magic Johnson’s TGI Friday’s, 6721 La Tijera Blvd., in Los Angeles.

On television, meanwhile, KCBS-TV Channel 2 will present a half-hour special on the anniversary at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. The program, “30 Minutes of Special Assignment: L.A. Riots: A Decade Later,” will be hosted by Harold Greene and Ann Martin.

And MTV will repeat its hourlong documentary about South-Central Los Angeles, “Back to the Hood,” at 7 p.m. Monday.

‘Seinfeld’ Tops List

of TV Guide Favorites

What’s the greatest television show of all time? The editors of TV Guide have selected “Seinfeld,” which edged out “I Love Lucy” on its list of the Top 50.

Jackie Gleason’s “The Honeymooners” ranked third. Rounding out the top 10 are “All in the Family,” “The Sopranos,” “60 Minutes,” David Letterman’s “Late Show,” “The Simpsons,” “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Saturday Night Live.”

TV Museum Salutes Bowie’s Music Videos

The Museum of Television & Radio in Beverly Hills will present “David Bowie: Sound + Vision,” the first retrospective devoted to the singer, from June 7 through Sept. 15.

Marking the 30th anniversary of “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars”--the album that ushered in the glam era--the exhibition will feature 50 of his music videos, interviews, documentaries and rarely seen performances.

Ripa’s Book Club Already Making Waves

Move over, Oprah.

In the wake of the announcement that Oprah Winfrey will be making only infrequent book club selections, Kelly Ripa, of the syndicated TV show “Live With Regis and Kelly,” is picking up the slack.

The “Reading with Ripa” book club, announced on Thursday’s show, is off to a flying start, the New York Post reports. Kara White’s “If Looks Could Kill” was the first of Ripa’s picks. And as soon as the selection was made public, the novel moved from No. 7,000 to No. 7 on Amazon.com.

Warner Books, the publisher, has ordered an additional 25,000 copies.

POP/ROCK

Smith Scores Big in Christian Music Awards

The Christian music industry showed renewed affection for one of its old favorites at the 33rd annual Dove Awards, giving Michael W. Smith six awards, including best artist.

Smith’s honors included best praise and worship album for “Worship,” best instrumental album for “Freedom” and best inspirational recorded song for “Above All,” a selection on “Worship.”

Third Day, which won best artist in 2001, had another big year, winning five awards, including best group and rock album for “Come Together.” Mac Powell, lead singer for the band, was named best male vocalist.

The best female vocalist award went to Nicole C. Mullin, and best new artist was determined to be the female pop trio ZOEgirl. Bart Millard was named best songwriter, and his “I Can Only Imagine” won best song.

The awards show was held Thursday at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.

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QUICK TAKES

Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues” will end its 594-performance run at Beverly Hills’ Coronet Theatre on May 19. The show, which opened at the Canon Theatre in October 2000, had reopened at the Coronet after closing last December.... Danny De Vito will make his Broadway debut next January in a revival of David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Glengarry Glen Ross,” the New York Times reports.... Representatives of Bob Barker say he’s broken Johnny Carson’s record for continuous performances on the same network television show. Barker has hosted “The Price Is Right” on CBS for 29 years, seven months and 22 days as of Friday, compared to Carson’s 29-year, seven-month, 21-day streak on “The Tonight Show”....Alan Alda, Mike Farrell, Jamie Farr, Wayne Rogers and Gary Burghoff are among the cast members reuniting for a two-hour, 30th-anniversary special of “MASH,” to air May 17 on Fox....The British Academy of Film & Television Arts/Los Angeles will give director John Schlesinger (“Midnight Cowboy”) a lifetime achievement award at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre May 19.... .Cameron Crowe and Joel and Ethan Coen are among the directors lined up to create 30-second Gap commercials, Variety reports....Jewel has canceled her appearance at tonight’s Fan Nation 2 concert at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre after suffering a broken rib and collarbone in a horseback riding accident. The Band Rubyhorse has been added to the bill.... HBO is resuming production of “Sex and the City” on May 6, having halted it when Sarah Jessica Parker announced her pregnancy in early April. The number of shows is expected to be cut back from 13 to eight....Paul Rodriguez will headline an evening of comedy to benefit the Latino Theatre Company on May 11 at the Doolittle Theater in Hollywood....In what appeared to be a record price paid for a Chinese artwork, an 800-year-old silk painting of birds by Sung Hui-tsung, the last emperor of the Northern Sung dynasty, sold for $3 million in Beijing....”Sunday” and its director, Charles McDougall (“Sex and the City,” “Queer as Folk”), were voted best picture and best director at the Method Fest Film Festival, highlighting acting performances.... In the continuing trend of advertisers having title sponsorship of television programs, NBC says it’s coverage of the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” on Nov. 28 will be followed by “The National Dog Show Presented by Purina”....PBS has ordered 16 more episodes of its preschool series “Caillou,” to air in January.... Henry Winkler, the former Fonz from “Happy Days,” will take over as an executive producer of game show “Hollywood Squares” next season.