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By Charles Taylor
Paul Schrader's "Patty Hearst" tells the story Americans didn't want to hear

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New video releases for Sep. 22

You don't know Dick
By Hariette Surovell
"NewsRadio" co-star Andy Dick talks about the death of Chris Farley, Phil Hartman -- and of "NewsRadio"

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SALON'S TV PICKS FOR
TUESDAY, SEPT. 22, 1998
BY JOYCE MILLMAN

N E W    S H O W S

The sitcom Encore! Encore! (8:30 p.m., NBC) is the latest from the producers of "Frasier," and it follows a familiar path: Prodigal son (an opera singer played by Nathan Lane) goes home to live with resentful sibling and salty parent. The setting is a winery in Napa Valley; Joan Plowright and Glenne Headly co-star. Chris Rock is the executive producer of The Hughleys (8:30 p.m., ABC), a sitcom about a successful black businessman (comedian D.L. Hughley) who moves his family to the suburbs and immediately begins fretting that he's sold out his roots. It's the most Afrocentric network sitcom since "The Cosby Show." Pretty funny, too. Ron Howard's company produced the comedy Sports Night (9:30 p.m., ABC). Actually, it's not much of a comedy, not if you define "comedy" as a show containing humorous dialogue and situations. It's supposed to take apart TV sports the way "Larry Sanders" dismantled talk shows. But all similarities to "Sanders" -- or ESPN's entertaining "SportsCenter," on which the series is clearly based -- and this earnest, dull, talky dud are purely wishful thinking.

S P E C I A L S

The ridiculously titled Sex with Cindy Crawford (10 p.m., ABC) is supposed to be a "serious" report about Americans' sexual attitudes. Whatever.

S E R I E S

Mad About You (8 p.m., NBC) opens its new season with Paul on Viagra and Jamie locked out of the health club wearing only a towel. JAG (8 p.m., CBS) and Home Improvement (8 p.m., ABC) also have their season openers. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (8 p.m., WB) airs its last rerun before next week's opener. Say goodnight, Angel. Sarah Michelle Gellar airs opposite herself when she provides the voice of Bobby's latest crush on King of the Hill (8 p.m., Fox). On the season premiere of Just Shoot Me (9 p.m., NBC), Finch dallies with Jack's daughter's nanny (guest Ana Gasteyer of "Saturday Night Live"). Spin City (9 p.m., ABC), the show that mysteriously places in the Top 20 every week, despite the fact that nobody you know watches it, returns for another season.

S P O R T S

Baseball:
Braves at Marlins (7 p.m., TBS)

T A L K

Rosie O'Donnell (syndicated) Michael J. Fox, Natalie Merchant
David Letterman (CBS) Jennifer Lopez, Lyle Lovett
Jay Leno (NBC) Jenna Elfman, John Waters
Charlie Rose (PBS) TBA
Politically Incorrect (ABC) Thomas Gibson, Waylon Jennings
Conan O'Brien (NBC) Pamela Anderson Lee, Ken Olin, Bonnie Raitt
SALON | Sept. 22, 1998

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Blue Glow for < href="http://www.salonmagazine.com/ent/glow/1998/09/21glow.html">Monday, Sept. 21, 1998