Molinari plays dodge-the-question Meanwhile, Newhart makes jokes, Aiello pleads for understanding

PASADENA, Calif.- Overheard at the TV networks' semiannual press
tour here in southern California, where the nights are cool and Susan
Molinari's a little warm under the collar:
CBS beamed the soon-to-be-former-Congresswoman Molinari into a
press conference from Washington to promote her appointment as
co-anchor
of the network's "Saturday Morning" news program, which will
debut in September. She'll be sharing the duty with current CBS
weekend news anchor Russ Mitchell.
All Molinari wanted to talk about was the "wonderful
opportunity" she had to work on a TV show after 12 years in New York
City and national politics. All the journalists wanted to talk about
was the wonderful opportunity she had to explain her views on this
week's failed coup attempt against House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Not surprisingly, the perky Molinari avoided the one opportunity
to talk about the other. At great length. And at great speed. (CBS
materials helpfully pointed out that "Saturday Morning" will be
conducted "at a fast pace. ")
Molinari continued to dodge questions with this same upbeat,
uptempo refrain until a journalist at the end finally asked, "Susan,
if you were interviewing a politician on the show, and they were as
good a tap-dancer and cheerleader as you are, what would you do?"
Molinari evaded the question, but she did say she took the remark
about tap dancing as a compliment. (And yes, she was a cheerleader in
high school.)

Aiello asks for a chance
Danny Aiello has menaced many a deserving (and undeserving)
person in his 25-year stage and film career. But in promoting his new
CBS show "Dellaventura," Aiello was a study in supplication, not
intimidation.
He charmed, he groveled, he pleaded with TV critics to give his
action series - described by a CBS executive as "Walker, Texas
Ranger" taking Manhattan - a fighting chance.
After one critic complained that a long foot-chase sequence ended
with Aiello's character sweat-free and not out of breath, Aiello
apologized immediately.
"I've been a motion picture method actor," he said. "When I
run in pictures, I sweat, I look ugly. " So why not in television?
"I said to myself, 'I'm not going to huff and puff and sweat. I'm
going to chase the guy and look as if I was in good shape. Mistake."
Aiello continued to confess his sins throughout the press
conference, when he wasn't telling delightful tales on himself. Like
why his brother had to hold his hand on the airplane flight from New
York.
"When I'm on a plane, you know what I think of? 'Did I have an
argument with Sandy" - Aiello's wife - "before I came on this
plane? Did I say something that, if I were to die in a crash, she
would remember me for forever?"
Someone asked, "Don't you feel this when you get in a car on the
freeway?"
That got a big laugh, but then Aiello, a lifetime New Yorker,
said, "Yes - if I was in L.A.!"
Bigger laugh.
Mad Bob
It's not hard for Bob Newhart to get a roomful of TV critics
eating out of his hand. One critic here admits to bursting into
hysterics as soon as Newhart begins to stammer - which is to say,
whenever he opens his mouth.
Newhart, here to promote "George and Leo," the new sitcom that
pairs him with Judd Hirsch of "Taxi" fame, was asked if he has
Walter Mitty fantasies of pounding the tar out of people when he's
mad.
No, said Bob, but when he does get mad, "it's not a pretty
sight."
For example? On the old "Bob Newhart Show," the star had
instructed his writers that Bob and Emily Hartley were to be
childless.
"I didn't want it to be 'Father Knows Best' - dumb daddy, 'how
do we get him out of this fix he's gotten himself into? ' " said
Newhart.
One day the show's writers gave him a script in which Emily got
pregnant.
Newhart said, "I called up the producer" - for what's a good
Newhart punchline without the phone? - "and I said, 'It's a funny
script. ' "
"Oh, good," said the producer.
" 'Yeah, it's very funny,' I said. 'Wh-wh-who are you going to
get to play Bob? ' "