TELEVISIONCondit’s Wife SeeksRetraction From NBCNot a good...

TELEVISION

Condit’s Wife Seeks

Retraction From NBC

Not a good stretch for the Condits. Shortly before Rep. Gary Condit lost his congressional reelection bid Tuesday, a lawyer for his wife, Carolyn, sent a letter to NBC demanding an on-air retraction for a Feb. 6 episode of “Law & Order,” the New York Post reports.

“Missing,” the episode in question, had some parallels with Condit’s well-publicized affair with the missing Chandra Levy--and ended with an acknowledgement from the fictitious politico’s wife that she had killed the intern.

In the letter, attorney Brian Rishwain pointed out that the program began with the statement “inspired, in part, by a true incident” and charged that the show contained “several inaccuracies that were built upon tabloid reports and other spurious rumors.” There would be no doubt in anyone’s mind, he said, about on whom the character of the wife was based.

“We believe that there’s no basis for her claim and ... the show is fictional,” said a spokesman for USA Studios, which produces the series.

ABC Alters TV Version of James Bond Film

ABC, the network that brought you the Victoria’s Secret special and partial nudity in “NYPD Blue,” digitally altered several scenes of last Saturday’s telecast of the 1971 James Bond film “Diamonds Are Forever.”

According to E! Online, the scenes were those depicting the scantily clad character Plenty O’Toole. It said the Smoking Gun Web site was the first to note that the color of actress Lana Wood’s sheer panties had been changed from tan to black--and that, in addition to cutting some footage, a black bra had been added to her torso.

MGM, which owns the rights to the picture, declined to comment officially, as did ABC. But a network source acknowledged that ABC had asked the studio to fix the panties because they were see-through, and said the studio had then added the bra.

He said such edits were common, explaining that “a movie released theatrically as PG is not the same as a television PG.”

QUICK TAKES

“Watching Ellie,” the new NBC sitcom starring ex-”Seinfeld” co-star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, drew an estimated 12 million viewers at 8:30 Tuesday night, a 28% drop-off from its debut a week ago. In finishing second in its time slot to CBS’ “JAG,” “Ellie” did build slightly on its lead-in, a rerun of “Frasier,” and handily beat a well-promoted episode of the ABC sitcom “Spin City” with guest star Martin Sheen.... Phyllis Diller, 84, has announced that she’s retiring her stand-up act after 45 years in the business. She’ll make her final Los Angeles appearance at Cal State Northridge on April 13 and 14.... Bob Hope, 98, donated $1 million to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to help build an archive of comedy performances.... The starting date for previews of “Talking Heads” at the Tiffany Theatre has been changed. They will begin Sunday.... Roseanne has filed for divorce from her third husband, former bodyguard Ben Thomas, whom she wed on Valentine’s Day 1995. The comedian cited “irreconcilable differences” and is seeking custody of their 6-year-old son.... Leeza Gibbons, Chris Connelly and Ananda Lewis were named Wednesday to co-host the official Academy Awards arrival show on ABC on March 24.... Columbia Pictures has picked up the rights to the 70-year-old “The Lone Ranger,” a one-time radio show that made it big on the small screen. A movie version will be produced by Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher of “Gladiator” fame.