‘Raymond’ Hit By The Santa Question

Fri., Dec. 20, 1996

John Martin New York Times Syndi

I was asked the other day to name TV’s best male newcomer of the year and I didn’t hesitate.

Ray Romano, star of CBS’s “Everybody Loves Raymond,” gets my vote hands down.

Romano is the most entertaining comic since Jerry Seinfeld to land a network comedy. And tonight’s Christmas episode at 8:30 is an example of why the show might also be the season’s most underrated new series.

Cleaning out closets for a clothing sale, Ray’s wife (Patricia Heaton) almost tosses out his beloved baseball. It was given to him by his dad (Peter Boyle), who had it signed by Mickey Mantle.

When Ray explains how much it means to him, his ever-jealous brother Robert (Brad Garrett) suggests it may not be authentic.

Ray confronts his dad, who confesses. It’s a fake.

The episode is about trust, and Ray pledges that he’ll never mislead his children. Whereupon his 5-year-old Ally (Madylin Sweeten) asks if there really is a Santa Claus.

What’s a father to do?

I liked the writing and, along with some funny lines, a touching story unfolds.

Romano plays it just right: Ray is a guy - a sportswriter - who in many ways is still growing up. He might appear to be inept as both husband and father, and tightly in the grip of his intrusive parents and brother.

But when the chips are down, he does the right thing. Anyone who’s had to answer the Santa question will get a kick out of tonight’s story.

Highlights

“The Sound of Music” (1965), NBC at 8: If the Julie Andrews-Christopher Plummer classic is on your list of “favorite things,” you can settle back and enjoy the film’s 19th network broadcast.

Winner of five Academy Awards, this magnificent movie grows better with time. Andrews is unforgettable as the conflicted nun Maria, whose decision to leave the convent leads to romance and a daring escape from advancing Nazis.

“Sliders,” FOX at 8: This series triumphs again with a clever episode set in a world that exists only inside a giant mall. Warning to late holiday shoppers: This one could cause a nightmare.

“Dave’s World,” CBS at 8: Earnest, the family bloodhound, gets lost, sending the Barrys on a frantic search. Mia (J.C. Wendel) has a psychic vision - not that they’ll find the dog, but that Kenny (Shadoe Stevens) will find the woman of his dreams.

“The World’s Most Dangerous Animals II,” CBS at 9: From June, a nature documentary highlights potentially lethal great white sharks, box jellyfish, crocodiles, wolves, pit bulls and pilot whales.

“Millennium,” FOX at 9: This series finds many ways to make your skin crawl. But this is a new wrinkle.

Paul Dooley, a character actor who’s almost always a cuddly good guy, is cast here as a man whose daughter (Michelle Joyner) says he sexually abused her 23 years ago.

“Clueless,” ABC at 9:30: Kathy Najimy and Marla Maples guest-star as Cher and Dionne (Rachel Blanchard, Stacey Dash) launch their own line of designer accessories. As usual, the material girl ends up in over her head.

Cable Calls

“Biography,” A&E at 5 and 9: “Evit

A: The Woman Behind the Myth” is a vivid pictorial history of Argentina’s Eva Peron. This hour, which traces her rise in show business and politics, is an excellent primer for anyone itching to see Madonna’s upcoming movie, “Evita.”

Among the hour’s more fascinating aspects is a segment on the mysterious disappearance of Peron’s corpse. Included are exclusive photographs of Evita’s embalmed body, well-preserved 40 years after her death.

“A Christmas Story” (1983), TBS at 5:05: This warmhearted tale, based on Jean Shepherd’s memoir, is a charming story of a boy (Peter Billingsley) obsessed with receiving a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. Shepherd, the great writer and radio personality, narrates the story.

This 1940s period piece is a real gem.

Talk Time

“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: Actor John Travolta, actress Laura Dern and musical group Stone Temple Pilots.

“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Actors Billy Crystal and Cuba Gooding Jr., and singer Darlene Love.

“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Neve Campbell (“Party of Five”) and musical guest Barry Manilow.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = John Martin New York Times Syndicate

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