
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, May 22, 1990                   TAG: 9005220323
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: PHIL ROSENTHAL LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

ULLMAN SHOW WON'T RETURN

Not long ago, Tracey Ullman joked the ratings had gotten so bad for her Emmy-winning Fox comedy anthology that the series soon would be reduced to snippets seen before and after commercials on "The Simpsons." The wildly successful cartoon family, of course, got its start in that role on her program.

Pride apparently goes before the fall, and so will "The Tracey Ullman Show." Ullman and Fox have announced that she has decided not to return for the 1990-91 season.

"I was constantly challenged and happily tortured [for four seasons] by a unique group of people," Ullman said through a spokesman.

Ullman was a largely unknown British comedian, actress, singer and dancer when Fox gave her her own comedy variety series. It was one of the network's charter programs in April 1987 and helped Fox a great deal in establishing credibility with critics and within Hollywood.

It was also the network's most honored program, earning 20 Emmy nominations and four Emmys to date.

A typical show included one or two miniplays starring Ullman as such unusual characters as Francesca (a pre-teen girl who lived with her father and his gay lover), the spinster Kay, South African golf pro Kiki Howard-Smith, yuppie Sara Downey, postal worker Tina or anthropologist Ceci Beckwith.

by CNB