DATE: Thursday, September 11, 1997          TAG: 9709100131

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: Larry Bonko, Television Columnists

LENGTH: 26 lines

TONIGHT'S TV PREMIERE: ``413 HOPE ST.''"

``413 Hope St.''"

Network, time - Fox, 9 p.m. Thursdays.

Cast - Richard Roundtree, Shari Headley, Kelly Coffield, Jesse L. Martin, Karim Prince, Stephen Berra, Vincent Laresca and Dawn Stern.

Concept - Drama revolves around a bustling, financially-strapped Manhattan crisis center where 200 troubled teens bring their problems to a staff headed up by Roundtree's Mr. Thomas.

Mini-review - Creator Damon Wayans gives viewers a well-crafted, intense - way too intense - hour here. "Fun is not your job," Roundtree's character tells his staff. He's not kidding. In a typical day, they deal with 16-year-old prostitutes, gang rape, an AIDS patient in a bloody suicide attempt and a chef who puts M&Ms in the meatloaf. Watching this show wore me out. ** 1/2 (Out of a possible five). ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by FOX

[cast photo]

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