‘Image Awards’ Goes Beyond Winning

Thu., March 5, 1998

John Martin New York Times Syndicate

Gregory Hines and Vanessa L. Williams co-host “The NAACP Image Awards” on FOX at 8.

The awards show, the 29th presentation, is a fine celebration of positive images of African-Americans in television, film, literature and music.

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds will be honored as Entertainer of the Year, and Nancy Wilson and The Isley Brothers will be inducted into the Image Awards Hall of Fame. Also planned is a tribute to filmmaker Stanley Kramer (“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” “The Defiant Ones”).

Scheduled to appear are Ice T, Andre Braugher, Malik Yoba, Pam Grier, Morgan Freeman, LL Cool J, Lisa Nicole Carson, Vivica A. Fox, Della Reese, Erykah Badu, Richard Roundtree, Roger Ebert, Phylicia Rashad, Diahann Carroll, Lynn Whitfield, Queen Latifah, Erika Alexander, Kathy Ireland, Tyra Banks and Jay Leno.

The event, taped last month in Los Angeles, is different than any other prime-time awards show. It’s about winning, but it’s also about pride.

Highlights

“Promised Land,” CBS at 8: The Greenes finally get a chance to settle down when Claire (Wendy Phillips) inherits a 100-acre farm in South Dakota. But when they arrive, they find the fate of the land is in center of a dangerous controversy.

Emmy winner Michael Learned plays their new neighbor.

“Prey,” ABC at 8: As the series returns to Thursdays, a bar explosion kills 15 and leads Sloan and Tom (Debra Messing, Adam Storke) to his former mentor, a specialist who trains members of the new species for terrorist missions.

“Billy Madison” (1995), ABC at 9: This tedious and unfunny comedy stars Adam Sandler as a bratty heir who must repeat grades 1-12 in six months to prove himself worthy of inheriting the family business. This one might test even Sandler fans.

“48 Hours,” CBS at 10: The hour takes up the horrifying topic of infanticide. Included is an interview with a woman who killed her newborn.

“ER,” NBC at 10: Carter (Noah Wyle) is stunned when his cousin (Jonathan Scarfe) is brought to the emergency room suffering from a heroin overdose. George Plimpton and Frances Sternhagen gueststar as Carter’s grandparents.

Meanwhile, Ross (George Clooney) battles Weaver (Laura Innes) over his research grant. This is a first-run episode.

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