‘Murder Live’ Falls Victim To Exploitation

Sat., March 8, 1997

Faye Zuckerman New York Times Syndicate

Everyone loves to hate television. So, when a TV production comes along and exposes an inherent evil in the medium, viewers can get long-deserved vicarious pleasure.

“Murder Live!” (NBC Sunday at 9), directed by Roger Spottiswoode (“And The Band Played On”), zeros in on daytime talk shows where hosts appear to be skilled psychologists or social workers, dispensing advice like experts. They may come off as authoritative, believable and slick, but their training is in how to gain ratings and keep advertisers happy. They have zero sympathy for guests.

Marg Helgenberger plays such a host, culling bits and pieces of her character from Geraldo Rivera’s quick wit, Jenny Jones’ charm and Sally Jessy Raphael’s ability to present psychological interpretations.

Her Pia Postman is the worst kind of daytime chat host.

The film is tense and taut, but it tends to drag on until one realizes that “Live!” is as exploitive as the talk shows it’s satirizing.

Highlights

“Scott Hamilton: Upside Down,” CBS tonight at 8: Premier figure skater Scott Hamilton does skate upside down in an elevator scene. It’s quite clever. Hamilton also pays tribute to Charlie Chaplin. Performers include Ekaterina Gordeeva, Kristi Yamaguchi and Kurt Browning.

“Boston Common,” NBC Sunday at 8:30: The fish-out-of-water half-hour returns after hiatus, and it still isn’t funny. As you may remember, “Common” is about a good, old boy (Anthony Clark) from rural Virginia who’s trying to be the big man on campus at a university.

In this episode, Clark’s character, Boyd, crosses swords with the school’s new dean, the sophisticated but cost-cutting Harrison Cross.

Roger Rees joins the cast as Cross in an effort to boost the laughs. Good luck. During most of the half-hour, the regular characters hurl insults at each other as they search for dates.

“To Dance With Olivia” (1997), CBS Sunday at 9: In this period drama, set in 1961 Missouri, Louis Gossett Jr. plays Daniel Stewart, a troubled lawyer trying to recover from the death of his young son. Soon he’s caught up in a case involving the accidental shooting of his late son’s close friend. You can’t really ask for a better TV movie.

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