THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 18, 1994 TAG: 9406160096
SECTION: TELEVISION WEEK PAGE: 01 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY BONKO, TELEVISION COLUMNIST
DATELINE: 940618 LENGTH: Long
She chose to stay home with her husband and two children on a farm in Kentucky called Cave Hill Place instead of slaving away in a TV studio in New York City or Los Angeles.
{REST} Well, the kids are old enough to tie their shoes and get to the school bus by themselves, so George is returning to television in a series of programs for The Nashville Network, starting Wednesday night at 8 with ``A Phyllis George Special.'' Her guests include Richard and Kyle Petty, Naomi Judd and a friend from way back, President Bill Clinton.
What has George been doing since she was the sweetheart of network television, interviewing athletes on ``The NFL Today,'' playing journalist on the CBS morning show, sharing camera time with Allen Funt on ``Candid Camera'' and hosting the People Magazine TV show?
She invented perky before there was a Katie Couric.
George left television to be a full-time wife to former Kentucky governor John Y. Brown; a full-time mother to Lincoln, 14, and Pamela, 10; a businesswoman who founded Chicken By George; an author who wrote two books; and a supporter of the National Special Olympics, Save the Children, Family Crisis Centers, the America's Awards, which honor unsung heroes; and the Kentucky Art and Craft Foundation.
``I don't apologize for leaving a television career. It was my choice to be home with my children when they were young,'' George said in a telephone interview from Kentucky. She was bound and determined not to miss what she called ``the raising years.'' The former Miss America is 44. Time flies.
When TNN asked if she'd like to do a series of easy-does-it, one-on-one interview specials, George couldn't say no. ``You won't see me going for the jugular on my show. I'm not Mike Wallace. My style is to get people to tell me things they never told any other interviewer by being nice to them. That's how I get them to let their guard down. I don't ambush them.''
After George brought both male and female viewers to the set as part of ``The NFL Today'' crew, CBS decided she would do fine as co-host of the network's struggling morning news show. The brass was wrong about that.
The critics and viewers who loved George when she interviewed quarterbacks hated her when she tossed questions at politicians.
The TV press accused her of masquerading as a journalist, which was a valid criticism, she said. ``CBS tried to turn me into a hard news person, which I never wanted to be,'' she said. And she hated the hours on the morning shift.
``I took the knocks. I took the bows and arrows. Like a hard-rubber ball, I always bounce back.''
Texas-born George has bounced to the perfect home for her style of interviewing - the leisurely Nashville Network. She is happy to be back in front of the camera, but George vows never again to do a magazine show or talk show or any other kind of a program that is on the air five days a week.
``Working for TNN without stress or pressure is a wonderful way to do television,'' said George.
See Phyllis George riding in Bill Clinton's classic Mustang.
Elsewhere on television in the next six days:
MTV, the network that clicked with ``Real World,'' but bombed with ``Real World II'' - wasn't the second group a bunch of dorks? - tries again with a third ``Real World'' gang. The premise here is find seven young people who are strangers, toss them together in a loft or beach house and let the cameras roll. Witness real people doing real stupid things!
You'll meet the new group on MTV starting Thursday at 10 p.m., with two episodes back to back. In these politically correct times, one of new Real Worlders is HIV positive. The group includes Judd, Pam, Coryn, Pedro, Mohammed, Rachel and Puck. Scoop: Cory's favorite musical group is Indigo Girls.
How's this for a parlay? The excellent ``Archaeology'' series seen on The Learning Channel is produced right here in Virginia Beach. On Sunday at 9 p.m., and again at 1 a.m., ``Archaeology'' does a show from close to home - ``The Search for the Merrimac.'' See how archaeologists go about looking for the hulk of the old ironclad in Virginia waters.
With congressional committees trying to put together a bill that the president, lawmakers and the public can live with, it's close to showtime on national health care. So, the timing is perfect for Tuesday night's two-hour special that will cover the issue of health-care reform. NBC is joining up with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to air the special at 9 p.m.
Starting tonight at 8, E! Entertainment Television puts the Howard Stern radio show on television. On ``Howard Stern,'' six robotic E! cameras roll as Stern does his hot and controversial radio show at WXRK-FM in Manhattan. The show repeats at 11 p.m.. . . The Family Channel will revive a pretty good miniseries, ``Centennial,'' starting tonight at 8 and continuing through July 2. It's a 26-hour saga about the history of Centennial, Colo., which is also the story of the pioneers who settled the American West. Robert Conrad, in his best TV role ever, stars as a French-Canadian trader in Part 1. . . . Crank up your VCRs for ``Judy, Frank & Dean: Once in a Lifetime,'' which A&E will carry on Thursday at 9 p.m. Yes, once upon a time, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Judy Garland did one grand show together. Also on A&E, catch the Monday night program in the ``Biography'' series. It's the story of Harry Houdini, who was the David Copperfield of his time.
PBS should be hearing a salvo from the Far Right any day now. On Wednesday at 9 p.m., PBS and WHRO presents the third major chunk of programming about homosexuality in the last year when ``Before Stonewall'' airs. It's a documentary about gay and lesbian life in America before rioting at a bar in New York City (The Stonewall Inn) gave birth to the gay rights movement. Most interesting is the contributions of the gays in uniform in World War II. Back then, there was a subtle ``don't ask, don't tell'' policy. . . . How about six nights with the best actor in the English-speaking world? The Disney Channel showcases the work of Anthony Hopkins on six nights starting with the ``Great Expectations'' miniseries on Tuesday at 10 p.m.. . . The Discovery Channel takes a crack at explaining dreams Sunday night at 8 on ``The Power of Dreams'' . . . . Phyllis George isn't the only big name making a comeback on TV these days. Former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro plays it for laughs tonight at 10 on Lifetime's ``Girls Night Out.''
by CNB