‘Stranger’ Falls Flat With Hitchcock Tale

Wed., Sept. 25, 1996

John Martin New York Times Syndicate

I have a little knot in my stomach. It’s as if I went to see the Mona Lisa and found out it had been painted over by the guy who does “Where’s Waldo?”

That’s the feeling left after suffering through CBS’ “Once You Meet a Stranger” at 9, a tortuous remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 classic thriller, “Strangers on a Train.”

Jacqueline Bisset and Theresa Russell star as two passengers who meet on a train.

Sheila Gaines (Bisset) is a former child star on her way to settle a divorce with her malevolent, estranged husband. In the club car, she meets Margo Anthony (Russell), an adoring fan.

As in Hitchcock’s masterpiece, the conversation turns to murder. Margo talks of the temptation to simply kill someone whom you despise.

Soon, murder becomes more than theory as the two characters engage in a deadly game.

Russell is haplessly over the top, playing the sociopathic Margo as an evil gadfly, a psycho seductress with the ability to pop up anywhere the script demands her threatening presence. (You’d have to have a radar to be in so many places at the right time.)

But as much as Russell is out of control, Bisset is stuck in first gear, far too cool about being under Margo’s thumb.

You don’t really expect anyone to match Hitchcock. But CBS’ effort makes this “Stranger” look like just another lame movie-of-the week concoction.

Highlights

“Wings,” NBC at 8: Wacky Chris Elliott (“Get a Life”) and Kelly Coffield (“In Living Color”) are Joe and Helen’s new neighbors, who turn out to be the neighbors from hell.

“The Nanny,” CBS at 8: The series gets some good laughs with a pair of daytime heartthrobs. The household is in an uproar when young Maggie (Nicholle Tom) starts dating a 25-year-old (Emmy-winner Brian Bloom of CBS’ “As the World Turns”).

Fran (Fran Drescher) steps in, only to hit it off with the boyfriend’s 25-year-old pal (Sean Kanan of ABC’s “General Hospital”).

A second episode follows at 8:30.

“The Wrong Trousers” (1993), KSPS at 7: Director Nick Park won an Oscar for this fascinating model-animation short about a diamond heist starring Gromit (a dog) and Wallace (his owner). The hour includes a behindthe-scenes “making-of” feature. Repeat.

“Townies,” ABC at 8:30: And I thought last week’s premiere was talky and flat. Carrie (Molly Ringwald) reluctantly agrees to interview for a job her mom (Lee Garlington) lines up at City Hall.

Between the sparse laughs is a message about Carrie coping with big-time dreams and small-town realities.

“Party of Five,” FOX at 9: There are more troubles for Charlie (Matthew Fox) when Kirsten’s (Paula Devicq) parents (Kathleen Noone, Nicholas Pryor) show up with plans to take their daughter back to Chicago.

“Men Behaving Badly,” NBC at 9:30: The series’ second outing is another side-splitter as Jamie (Rob Schneider) makes a date with two automotive calendar girls - just in time for Kevin (Ron Eldard) to get even with Sarah (Justine Bateman) for dating other men. Cable Calls “Ralph Emery: On the Record,” TNN at 5 and 9: The dean of Nashville broadcasters chats with colorful Waylon Jennings, a singer who has grown from notorious rebel to a guy who stars in videos with his grandchildren.

Talk Time

“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: Actor Dan Aykroyd, Tori Spelling (“Beverly Hills, 90210”) and singer John Cale.

“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Actor William Baldwin, singer Vince Gill and NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon.

“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Ellen DeGeneres (“Ellen”), MTV’s Daisy Fuentes and actor Paul Lukas.

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