THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 7, 1996 TAG: 9610050044
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: 79 lines
TODAY'S LOCAL TV buzz:
Nobody's talking - The breakup of Fox sitcom star Martin Lawrence's two-year marriage hits home because his wife is the former Pat Southall, whose family lives in Chesapeake. The Chesapeake Southalls will say nothing of the breakup.
Has Pat returned home from Southern California with her baby?
``No comment,'' said her father.
Has she discussed the separation?
``I can't say anything about it.''
Did the breakup so early in their marriage surprise you?
``I'm not talking.''
Coached by Lawrence's public relations folks in Los Angeles, the Southalls in Chesapeake do a fine job of holding off the press.
October tease - What's with the ``work in progress'' stuff WVEC has been hinting about lately? Is the slightly stodgy ABC affiliate threatening to re-invent itself before the November sweeps? Channel 13 lets us in on the secret Oct. 14.
No stretch here - The Diana Morgan star watch continues this week on ABC. Morgan, once a highly paid anchorwoman at WAVY, and later at in Miami, chucked her TV career to go Hollywood.
Novice actress Morgan so far has landed only small parts, including one on Thursday night's revival of ``Murder One'' at 9. She plays a TV anchorwoman reporting a governor's murder.
``Murder One'' is back on ABC's schedule with Anthony LaPaglia replacing Daniel Benzali in the lead role. The transition is awkward.
With LaPaglia aboard, ``Murder One'' is still good - one of TV's best dramas - but different. It's not as unique or compelling as a year ago. The blue-collar LaPaglia character is out of place taking over Hoffman's trendy law firm. End of mini-review.
When you're hot, you're hot - Not long after a CBS crew visited Norfolk to tape a segment at the Chrysler Museum, another CBS gang dropped in on Virginia Beach to work on a Lillian Vernon story for the network's morning show.
Nice timing. The queen of mail order, who often visits her distribution center in Virginia Beach, has an autobiography (``An Eye for Winners'') on the way. No date yet for when CBS will air the museum or Vernon stories.
He's the man they go to - Who do you call when you want an expert on the Middle East and national security? Local stations and networks bring in Steve Yetiv, associate director of the graduate program in international studies at Old Dominion University and author of ``America in the Persian Gulf.''
With the press focusing on the Israeli-Palestine crisis, Yetiv has been sharing his insight on C-SPAN and C-SPAN 2. Catch him today on C-SPAN at 5 p.m.
And a happy anniversary it is - As ``The 700 Club'' observes its 35th anniversary this month, the Virginia Beach-based news, information and occasional entertainment broadcast adds about 50 million more viewers.
Superstation WWOR now carries ``The 700 Club'' weekday mornings at 8. As the show enters its 36th year, executive producer Andy Freeman is promising more contact with viewers by phone, fax, mail and the Internet.
Lost children of the Oceanfront - ``Virginia Currents,'' a TV magazine produced in Richmond for the state's public broadcasting stations, starts a new season this month on WHRO at 9 p.m. Fridays. Upcoming are stories about young runaways drawn to Virginia Beach and about a magicians' convention in Norfolk.
Local boy makes good. Again. - Evan Bonifant, the youngster from Pungo who has appeared in TV soap operas and sitcoms, this month joins the cast in rehearsals for the touring Christmas extravaganza presented by Radio City Music Hall in Branson, Mo. Before that, he'll appear in an episode of ``Law & Order'' filmed there. He sings. He dances. He acts. And he's not yet in high school. MEMO: Your comments and questions about local TV are welcome. Call
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