A Modest Wish List For TV ‘96
Some things I’d like to see in 1996 but don’t really expect:
A no-holds-barred O.J. interview.
A moratorium on everything else involving O.J.
Dennis Miller on HBO every week year-round. Ditto, “The Larry Sanders Show.”
A second season of “Murder One.”
The producers of “Live With Regis and Kathie Lee” standing up to her “Gelman or me” ultimatum.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
A curtailment of Rupert Murdoch-owned TV Guide being used as a publicity arm of Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox. On consecutive weeks, TV Guide cheered Fox for extending “Cops” and “America’s Most Wanted” to an hour; used its cover to drum up an audience for “Party of Five”; and tweaked “Saturday Night Live,” which Fox is challenging with “Mad TV.”
A resurgence of “Saturday Night Live.”
The unedited version of Howard Stern’s recent visit to “The Tonight Show.”
An end to local newscasts being cluttered with the latest on the Prince Charles-Princess Di-Camilla Parker Bowles triangle. Better yet, an end to the ridiculous monarchy. We fought a revolution to escape that nonsense.
David Letterman getting as much pleasure out of his act as his fans do.
Whoopi Goldberg opening the Oscar telecast with, “Oprah, Uma; Uma, Oprah.”
On “Frasier,” a one-nighter with Daphne for Niles.
A presidential candidate who declares that this nation has too many real problems for him to join the attack on the TV violence strawman.
A pre-election debate in which both sides are warned in advance that a non-partisan truth squad will analyze what they say and report lies and exaggerations immediately afterward.
A larger audience for Fox’s “Partners” and “Ned and Stacey”; not great shows but guilty pleasures.
A “Soap” reunion.
An awards show without ribbons. You have to wonder if any of these people wear their politics on their clothes when there are no cameras around.
Better “Naked Truth” scripts for the irresistible Tea Leoni.
NBC deciding that “The Single Guy,” like other shows launched on fail-safe Thursday, is strong enough to be moved to a new time slot on another night - one on which I already watch something else. If they do the same with “Caroline in the City,” that would be OK, too.
A new show for Paul Reubens, preferably one with at least a partial renaissance of Pee-wee Herman.
A long overdue Emmy for Andre Braugher of “Homicide: Life on the Street.” But not for Susan Lucci; she’s a better story not winning.
David E. Kelley writing for “Picket Fences” again.
A year in which the only show that looks like “Friends” is “Friends.”
A second half of this TV season that’s a lot better than the first half.