ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 30, 1995 TAG: 9601030007
SECTION: SPECTATOR PAGE: S-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KINNEY LITTLEFIELD KNIGHT-RIDDER/TRIBUNE
Fictional or factual, the best TV series of 1995 had undeniable animal magnetism. They almost smelled exhilarating. Their mood and mode swept us out of our beleaguered selves and into a larger, more heroic plot. In all, they were the right shows with the right aura at just the right time. They were:
1. ``Nightline'' (News, ABC): Five nights a week of clarifying commentary on the events, the issues, the politics, the traumas - the O.J. Simpson trial - that forever changed our lives. In 1995, ``Nightline'' was our lifeline.
2. (Tie) ``Homicide'' (Drama, NBC) and ``The X-Files'' (Drama, Fox): For bravura writing and performance, and characters so human they broke your heart, ``Homicide'' couldn't be beat. And ``X'' just got better and better. It was unequaled for edge-of-the-seat storytelling, mesmerizing mood, taut, witty dialogue and superb casting of supporting roles.
4. ``Murder One'' (Drama, ABC): A single sinister killing, consistent killer scripts and performances and a telling cynicism about our judicial system made Simpson trial-spawned ``Murder One'' a totally timely view.
5. ``The Naked Truth'' (Comedy, ABC): This flashy, bash-our-national-obsession--with-celebrity-trash comedy was way, way out there in attitude and language - and way, way cool. Yet its send-up of the struggles of single life also was loving and humane.
6. ``Frasier'' (Comedy, NBC): In its third season, a witty, literate, sophisticated charmer. Fastest double entendres on sex, love and family relationships on the tube.
7. ``Chicago Hope'' (Drama, CBS): Big-league docs mesmerizingly mashed egos and clashed over ethical dilemmas on TV's biggest-hearted dramatic show.
8. ``Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' (Drama, Syndicated): Old-fashioned fast action, neato retro-monsters, ancient Greek-hippie costumes and sly '90s satire made hunky ``Herc'' a must-see hoot.
9. (Tie) ``Dennis Miller Live'' (Talk, HBO) and ``Larry King Live'' (Talk, CNN): Once a week, Miller gave us a desperately needed rage, rant and roll at the injustices of life, in his literate monologues and scathing ``who fed it and who ate it'' news updates. Miller never let us take ourselves too seriously, God bless him. And once a night, King cunningly captured our neurotic, buzzy, obsessive times, with America's biggest big-mouth celebrities for guests, and O.J. chatter up the kazoo.
Series with most unfulfilled potential:
``American Gothic'' (Drama, CBS) and ``Strange Luck'' (Drama, Fox): ``Gothic'' - returning to TV Wednesday - needs to recoup the dark menace of its premiere episode. And ``Luck'' can't coast on star D.B. Sweeney's befuddled charms alone. It needs better scripts.
TV-Coolest for 1995:
1. Cerebrally sexy Andre Braugher of ``Homicide'': The best actor on broadcast television, anywhere, anytime.
2. Dan Rather's unrivaled take-us-inside-the-struggle reports from Bosnia, before the peace accord, on the ``CBS Evening News.''
3. Perpetually startled comedian Tea Leoni as nervous butterfly paparazze Nora Wilde on ``The Naked Truth.'' The most deliciously smart-silly-sexy--slapsticky female comic to hit the tube since Lucille Ball.
4. Bobbsey Twins Do Psychobabble, a.k.a. TV Sitcom Dream Team: Prissy, snippity, snob-ity psychiatrist-sibs Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Niles (David Hyde Pierce) on ``Frasier.''
5. (tie) David Brinkley and Gen. Colin Powell. Unflappable master of irony Brinkley is on ABC news analysis show ``This Week With David Brinkley.'' Only Brinkley could slyly chide outspoken House Speaker Newt Gingrich about his media image with ``Do you think your gestures have been too broad for the small screen?''
Calm and articulate, Powell always stood above the media circus surrounding his possible run for president.
7. The Energizer Bunny, a.k.a. Jay Leno: Didn't matter whether his ratings were up or down, whether he won or lost to late-night rival David Letterman. Laid-back Leno just kept smiling, and smiling, and smiling ...
8. Kevin Sorbo's barely-there chamois shirt on ``Hercules.''
9. Tom Snyder's hearty, life-relishing laughter on CBS' ``Late Late Show With Tom Snyder.'' This guy knew some funny secret we didn't.
10. The Learning Channel and The Discovery Channel: Look out, PBS. These information heavyweights generally were more fun to view than you.
11. Kathleen Sullivan, anchor of E! cable's Simpson trial coverage, ``O.J.-E!'' One of the few news commentators to truly get the absurdity of America's obsession with the Simpson trial. And who else, after watching televised coroner's testimony on stomach contents, would come up with ``What an afternoon this has been - rigatoni, black olives and rigor mortis!''
12. (Tie) Stella the dog on Showtime's ``Red Shoe Diaries'' and Anthony Edwards on ``ER'': Stella's hair was always in place, and she got to pant and slobber over ``Red Shoe'' narrator David Duchovny (``The X-Files'') whenever she liked.
And Edwards as saintly Dr. Mark Greene on ``ER'' wasn't as pretty as Stella, but he slaved like a devoted canine to keep his patients and his marriage together. Good dog.
TV dogs for 1995:
1. (tie) The O.J. Simpson Media Circus and ``Melrose Place'': Sadly, the O.J. trial made rumor, gossip and ``unnamed sources'' the new standard for TV news.
And ``Melrose Place'' dialogue - as in ``If anyone deserves to be shackled to a steam pipe in hell, it's her,'' from Michael, of Manic Miss Multiple Personality Kimberly.
3. Corporate mergers: Pretty soon we'll all be watching generic McDisneyTV as we eat our McDisneyburgers.
4. Daytime talk shows - every single one of them.
5. Shallow, shabby, flabby local news. Most-promoted product on the local TV news: ``ER'' heartthrob George Clooney.
6. Lousy actress Lea Thompson on dull NBC sitcom ``Caroline in the City'': She had lousy comedic timing, and how did she manage to simultaneously reveal cleavage and look so prissy?
LENGTH: Long : 111 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Gillian Anderson stars as agent Dana Scully on ``Theby CNBX-Files,'' airing Friday nights on Fox. KEYWORDS: YEAR 1995