THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, January 23, 1995 TAG: 9501210024
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
DATELINE: PASADENA, CALIF. LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
THE INVITATION to the Fox party said, ``Dress festive.'' Fox re-created the Mardi Gras in Pasadena to show off the stars of its new series and re-aquaint TV writers with people from its established shows.
I wore my bright yellow tie. That's as festive as my wardrobe gets.
The first person I noticed at the party was Jason Priestley, who plays Brandon Walsh on ``Beverly Hills 90210.'' He smoked cigarettes and drank beer from a long-necked bottle.
There goes his squeaky clean image. Priestley stayed at the party a long time. Others, such as Gillian Anderson of ``The X-Files,'' came and went as quickly as the shadowy figures on her series.
She was dressed all in white. Anderson gives the impression that she doesn't like doing interviews, which puts her in a class with a handful of other TV stars, including Candice Bergen and Roseanne.
However, most actors who work in prime time seem to relish their party-time chats with reporters - it gives them another chance to talk about themselves. Tim Allen of ``Home Improvement'' will tell you practically anything, including what vidoes he likes to rent.
He says he's trying to give up smoking.
After two or three days of formal interviews on the press tours, the networks set up a party or other event.
Maybe it's the casual setting, or maybe it's because of the liquid refreshments, but the stars generally open up like azaleas in April at these functions. Priestly said he'll finish up his contract with ``Beverly Hills 90210'' next year and quit.
``We've had a real good run, and I'm really surprised how hot the show is again,'' he said. Hot or not, Priestley says he's leaving TV to work in movies.
The show's producer, Charles Rossin, said he is also leaving soon to develop another series. Since ``Beverly Hills 90210'' has been reborn in the ratings in 1995, Rossin expects that development to extend the life of the series.
Also attending the party from ``Beverly Hills 90210'' was Tori Spelling. A few months ago, her pet parrot nipped at her nose. No scar visible. ``It was just a little cut. That's about it,'' she said.
I don't know what Marilu Henner was doing at the Fox party. She doesn't have a sitcom on Fox. Henner is a talk-show host now.
``It was a job I was born to do,'' she said. ``It's hard work doing six, seven or eight shows a week and doing research, but I love it.''
Henner is free with tips on losing weight because she's such a health nut. Watch the dairy products, she said.
The networks use these press tour social events to sell shows that are not doing well in the ratings, such as ``Party of Five'' on Fox. It's a great show about orphaned kids that can't find an audience.
However, a goodly number of girls in their teens have discovered one of the stars of that show and anointed him hunk of the year. Scot Wolf is 26 but gets away with playing a high school kid because he looks 17.
He also resembles Tom Cruise. ``Hear that all the time,'' he said. ``I'd be happy to have one-tenth the success he's had.''
At this Fox party, there were many actors you never heard of - such as Jensen Daggett and Vincent Ventresca - but will get to know fairly soon. They will appear in series not yet given a time period, including two promising sci-fi shows, ``Sliders'' and ``VR-5,'' and the hospital drama ``Medicine Ball,'' in which Daggett and Ventresca appear.
Courtney Thorne-Smith, who plays Alison on ``Melrose Place'' and who has complained about all the misery visited on her character by the show's writers, said things are looking up for ol' Alison.
Thorne-Smith didn't stay long at the Fox party. It was a hello and a handshake or two, and then she was gone. On the other hand, Priestly is a party animal.
He stayed forever. by CNB