A life of 'Legalese' Things weren't always easy for co-star of new TNT movie

Anyone who doubts that Kansas City native Edward Kerr has learned what is required of a young male lead need only see his entrance in the new made-for-TNT movie "Legalese. " In it he is run over by a car driven by James Garner. Garner's high-profile, big-talking lawyer - similar to the high-profile, big-talking corporate honcho he played in "Barbarians at the Gate" - bursts from the car, litigating. But Kerr's freshly barred attorney does not entirely give in to these flourishes. He's flustered but stands his ground, informing Mr. Bigshot that the security camera over his shoulder "made my case five minutes ago." The star lawyer likes this kid. And so do we. "Legalese," which runs three times Sunday beginning at 7 on TNT, is a smartly written satire on today's celebrity-driven scandals. It asks us to consider whether, in an age of mass communications, the court of public opinion has supplanted the court of law. Garner and his aggressive secretary (Mary-Louise Parker) prop up Kerr as the ostensible defender of a B-movie starlet (Gina Gershon) accused of murder, while they pull his strings. A suspicious TV reporter (Kathleen Turner) is soon onto their ruse, but she may not be enough to stop Kerr, who enjoys playing the junior Matlock role and soon is basking in as much fame as his famous client. The cringe factor Aided by an intelligent screenplay from newcomer Billy Ray (in his first solo effort), Kerr gives a notable performance in his biggest movie role to date. But the 31-year-old actor didn't stick around a screening last week in Los Angeles long enough to see it. The next morning, in a telephone interview, he cited the "high-cringe factor" of watching himself act. "I had to leave it because I realized I still have a long way to go," Kerr said. "There's a lot to learn in this profession. When I started, I was so young and so uninformed, I think my ignorance helped me. Because if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have packed up my car and $ 325 and come out here, which was really stupid." Kerr attended Rockhurst High School his freshman and junior years before his parents, Day and Whitney Kerr, sent him to a private school in Virginia. At Vanderbilt University, Kerr majored in history. So what made him head for Hollywood Hills? "I loved movies. It was something I wanted to explore, and I decided that if I didn't try to do it at an early age, I'd regret it." He adopted the Hollywood lifestyle - "took acting classes, took a waiter job, the whole deal" - and two years to the day after his arrival, got his break: a development deal with NBC. "I went in and read for the head of casting. She liked me, and she organized a network meeting. And I went ahead and read for a group of executives. They signed me to a holding deal." Soon Kerr was making forgettable nighttime soaps ("The Secrets of Lake Success" for NBC) and commercials ("I was the Old Spice guy for a couple of years"), just like scores of other promising actors. He also was a co-star in "Above Suspicion," a movie that has since gained some notoriety because it features a pre-riding accident Christopher Reeve as a murderer who fakes paralysis to beat the rap. Although "Legalese" may be his coming-out for Middle America, Kerr has already debuted to the art-house crowd as the title character in "Confessions of a Sexist Pig," the new indie film from writer-director Sandy Tung ("Across the Tracks"). It played to raves at the Santa Barbara and Minneapolis film festivals, and Paramount's TV group has optioned the movie for development as a one-hour "dramedy" that would star Kerr. So the gamble the young college graduate took when he pointed his car west paid off. But even today, Kerr realizes how lucky he was. "Every day there are thousands of people who arrive in this town with big dreams," he said. "I mean, it was only eight years ago, but when you're young, you think the world is your oyster. In fact, if it weren't for a fraternity brother who was living out here at the time, I'd have been living out of my car."

Readers tell Channel 9: Give us 'Nightline' at the right time

KMBC's policy of delaying "ABC News Nightline" has been raised from time to time in these pages. Each time we get an earful from readers, and my Sept. 12 column was no exception. "I have written and called over the years to no avail about this continuing problem," wrote Barbara Chiles of Parkville in an e-mail. "Working people cannot stay up until midnight when they have to arise at 5 a.m. every day." "It strikes me as funny that KMBC, Channel 9, calls itself the station 'Where the News Comes First' when they don't even have a noon broadcast of the news and they delay 'Nightline' until the early morning hours just so they can show repeats of lame sitcoms," said Bill Strausbaugh of Kansas City, Kan. "CNN is great, but Ted Koppel sparks interest and prompts viewers to think of things they might otherwise fail to consider," wrote e-mailer Amy Schaff. "Does Mr. Dinovitz believe the people in the Kansas City area too uneducated to prefer 'Nightline' over 'Roseanne' reruns?" Barbara Glauz of Kansas City doesn't think so. She wrote KMBC general manager Paul Dinovitz a letter and sent TVKC a copy. "Several times over the years I've been tempted to write to you after we have traveled and realized that most other cities are able to see that show right after their local news," she wrote. "Though you are our favorite channel, at 10:35 p.m. our TV is either off or switched to a different channel." But Channel 9 is not No. 1 in late nights for nothing, as TVKC was reminded by some viewers who like things just the way they are. Almost to a person, the sitcom fans who phoned in found little difference between the news at 10 and "Nightline." "Ted Koppel, what is he? He's just a news program," said Elizabeth Hampton. "He's just being egotistical and he needs to grow up!" "There's enough of that news mess on TV," said Caroline Garner of Kansas City. "It's not even news, it's their personal opinions. When I'm trying to get to bed at night I'd much rather watch sitcoms than that news mess and get upset about nothing." Kansas City, the 33rd-largest market in the country according to the new Nielsen rankings, is now the second largest in which "Nightline" is delayed, after Milwaukee (No. 31). KCPT's election coverage KCPT, Channel 19, kicks off its fall election coverage with a full night of debates and analysis Sunday night. At 7 p.m., KCPT airs a live debate between the two U.S. Senate candidates from Missouri in St. Louis. That's followed at 8 by a live PBS election special from Washington. At 9, KCPT plays host to the Kansas gubernatorial debate involving Gov. Bill Graves and three challengers. The Star's Steve Kraske will be among the panelists. KCTV's Tracy Townsend moderates. At 10 p.m., the four U.S. Senate candidates from Kansas hold their live debate. Kurtis visits Topeka Independence native Bill Kurtis, a nightly fixture on A&E, will speak at 7:30 tonight at the Kansas History Center in Topeka. He'll also sign copies of his book The New Explorers, based on his A&E series of the same name. Admission is free. Kurtis, a Washburn University graduate whose career began at WIBW-TV in Topeka, is joining the Kansas State Historical Society board of directors. Jones Intercable has begun carrying CNN/SI on Channel 44 in Missouri and Channel 68 in Kansas (in upgraded zones) when Metro Sports is not on the air. StarTouch: 889-7827 and enter 8852 (TVKC). E-mail: writeme@tvbarn.com

Remote patrol

The second season of the moody PBS performance series, "Sessions at West 54th," premieres with new host David Byrne (above) at 11:30 tonight on Channel 19. Appearing tonight are Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams and fun-loving honky tonkers The Mavericks. Each act gets a full 30 minutes on camera, performing and being interviewing by Byrne, the world-music buff and former Talking Heads lead man.

Remote patrol

In case you haven't been channel surfing lately, local independents KCWE ("KC 29"), KMCI ("38 Family Greats") and KSMO ("WB 62") rolled out new syndicated fare this month. On Channel 29, repeats of "NewsRadio" air at 6 and 10 p.m., with an I-can't-believe-they-syndicated-this "The Nanny" repeat at 6:30. Two new dating shows air on Channel 38: a revival of "Love Connection" with Pat Bullard at 10:30 p.m. and "Change of Heart," in which people dump their dates on the air at 11 p.m. And Channel 62, with daily "Mad About You"-"Frasier" tandems at 6 and 10 p.m., adds a new action-archaeology drama, "Air America," starring "Renegade" pretty/macho tough guy Lorenzo Lamas, at 9 tonight.

Remote patrol

If you're one of those guys who likes movies, then ABC's new Thursday film feature is for you. "Futuresport" airs at 8 tonight on Channel 9. With Wesley Snipes and Vanessa L. Williams (left) starring and Ernest Dickerson directing this thriller about a deadly game played in the year 2025, it has all the signs of being the black "Rollerball. " If you're a whodunit lover, a new five-part "Mystery! " cycle, "Touching Evil," begins at 8 tonight on Channel 19. Inspector Dave Creegan (Robson Green) plays by his own rules because, after all, he's on TV. He pursues a kidnapper whose psychic powers allow him to see the killings he's going to commit.

Remote patrol

Time for another trend-setting musical number on "The Drew Carey Show" (8 tonight on Channel 9). This one will bend your mind - be sure you're there at 8 sharp or you'll miss it. In the actual episode, Drew (right) and the boys are a hit when they perform an impromptu number at the local Ramada Inn lounge. So they hold auditions for a guitar player and everyone from Roy Clark to Jonny Lang shows up (including Joe Walsh in a repeat appearance). Also tonight, "Bravo Profiles" (7 p.m.) goes behind the scenes of 1997's controversial "puppy episode" of the Ellen DeGeneres sitcom.

Remote patrol

"Any Day Now" is becoming one of my favorites of this new TV season - and what's amazing is that it's not on a broadcast network but cable's Lifetime. Tonight at 8, Rene (Lorraine Toussaint) and Mary Elizabeth (Annie Potts) fight over Rene's decision to defend a black politician accused of taking bribes. Meanwhile, in the flashback story line from 1963, young Rene (played by the breakout star of this series, the captivating Shari Dyon Perry) wants to march, and thus go to jail, with all the other Birmingham youth. If you miss this exceptional episode, "Any Day Now" repeats at 9 p.m. every Sunday. Also tonight, Jonathan Taylor Thomas leaves "Home Improvement" at 7 on Channel 9.

The wide, wide world of Discovery The four channels under its watch have a 'natural' advantage

BETHESDA, Md. - Standing outside the 11-story office building known as Bethesda Place, across the street from a car dealership, you would be hard-pressed to identify this as the home of the Discovery channel, let alone the headquarters of a global TV colossus. Inside, there isn't even a TV studio - just floors and floors overflowing with employees of Discovery Communications Inc. As they like to say around here, the whole world is their studio. And so is their audience. After CNN, the biggest beneficiary of the cable and satellite era has been the networks owned by Discovery Communications, now seen in nearly 130 million homes in 144 countries. Besides the namesake, these are the Learning Channel, Animal Planet and the Travel Channel. This is a place where "version" is used as a verb, as when Michael Quattrone, general manager of the Discovery channel, says, "We took a Japanese documentary and versioned it for the U.S." This week, the Discovery networks are rolling out their most ambitious programming slates ever: more than 1,800 total hours of original programming and more blockbusters like last season's "Titanic Live." Discovery, for instance, will supply coverage of Sen. John Glenn's return to space (Oct. 26), and TLC presents "Vietnam: The Soldiers' Story," a new first-person documentary miniseries featuring Sen. John McCain and others who fought in Vietnam (Oct. 11-13). Discovery If you've had cable a long time, you may recall when the Discovery channel was little more than a hodgepodge of other people's programs. Discovery's founder, John S. Hendricks, spent three years assembling investors willing to take a chance on a documentary network. Discovery launched in 1985 with titles acquired from film libraries around the world. It was cheap and made money, but it was unfocused. "We were like the MTV of documentaries - all docs all the time," says Clark Bunting, a 13-year veteran of Discovery who now manages Animal Planet. "Was there programming flow? No, but we had lots of documentaries." As Discovery stopped living hand-to-mouth, it began making its own programs, and here is where it enjoyed an unusual advantage. State-run broadcasters in other countries - like the BBC, and Japan's NHK - spend good money on documentaries. Discovery formed partnerships to make high-quality programs. Foreign partners helped them stay on a cable-sized budget: An hour on the Discovery channel takes $ 250,000 to $ 1 million to produce, compared with $ 800,000 to $ 2 million for an hour of broadcast TV. "Some countries like the show to be hosted; other countries use different music," Quattrone says. "So much of this is working with people who have similar goals to you, so that the major differences aren't editorial but creative." The kind of programs Discovery offers has also evolved, with fewer "hardware shows" on technology and more that tell stories. "The FBI Files," which premieres at 9 tonight, builds an hour around a single criminal case. Among the specials: a special on humpback whales (Oct. 12); and a report on an archaeological dig last year that uncovered ancient Peruvian mummies (Oct. 19). TLC When it was purchased by Discovery in 1991, TLC's schedule was a mess. Today, TLC's schedule is still a mixed bag. Its acclaimed commercial-free block of children's programming, "Ready, Set, Learn," airs weekday mornings from 5 to 11. The afternoon is filled with shows like "A Wedding Story," "A Baby Story," "Reunion" - what TLC manager John Ford calls "lifestyle documentaries. " But the formula seems to work. TLC is one of the most popular cable networks among young adults. Animal Planet Americans own 64 million cats and 63 million dogs. Based on these numbers, it may not be hard to see why Animal Planet is making its way into tens of millions of homes. Easily the most buzzed-about cable channel this year, Animal Planet has a charm embodied in such shows as "The Pet Shop" (comedian Andy Kindler interviews celebrities and their pets) and "Emergency Vets" ("ER" for critters). Travel Channel Having acquired the Travel Channel in December, Discovery rolls out a new lineup this week that better reflects the company's emphasis on storytelling and introduces the first nightly newscast - well, news-related program, at least - on any Discovery network. "Travel Daily," which debuted at 8 p.m. Monday, teams South African Michelle Garforth and "Today" show travel editor Peter Greenberg in a show Travel Channel manager Jay Feldman says will be "like the 'Today' show, only it's all about travel. " The hourlong "Travel Daily" will feature news on new travel destinations and money-saving tips. The rest of Travel Channel's nightly prime-time lineup include new episodes of "Lonely Planet" (7 p.m.), the English un-travel show that will visit Iran and Indonesia, among other locales, this fall; and "Amazing Destinations" (9 p.m.), an exotic anthology series.

Weatherman Lezak shifting to different TV front Popular Channel 4 forecaster sees future with Channel 41.

Here's the long-range forecast at KSHB, Channel 41: Increasing goofiness with a chance of climbing ratings - but less Windy. Gary Lezak, the affable weatherman on Kansas City's top-rated morning television news program and his shepherd collie mix, Windy, are bolting WDAF, Channel 4, for crosstown rival KSHB. Lezak will move when his contract expires at the end of the year. Lezak, who has been at WDAF since 1992, will become the new chief forecaster at Channel 41, replacing Lori Miller. It's a position that probably would not have been available to him had he stayed at WDAF. Channel 4's chief forecaster is Mike Thompson, who defected from KCTV, Channel 5, to Channel 4 four years ago, in a move similar to Lezak's. "I've been doing mornings for 13 years," said Lezak, who held a similar on-air position in Oklahoma City from 1986 to 1992. "After 13 years I thought it was time to take on some new challenges, and this opportunity is exactly what I'm looking forward to at this point in my career." Because of a noncompete clause in his contract, Lezak will not be allowed to appear on Channel 41 for six months after his WDAF deal expires Dec. 31. WDAF General Manager Stan Knott said Lezak would remain on the air through the end of his contract unless a replacement is found sooner. "We gave him some terribly attractive offers," Knott said. "We'd be happy if he changed his mind because he's a good part of this team." That might be understating things. Lezak, one of Kansas City's most distinctive TV personalities, has been with WDAF's 7 to 9 a.m. all-local newscast since the station became a Fox affiliate in 1994. Channel 4 has had a third-place rating in most other parts of the day, but it has been No. 1 or No. 2 in mornings in recent years. The move to KSHB ended months of speculation within the Kansas City television news community that Lezak would seek greener pastures when his contract at WDAF expired. "We saw him as one of most well-known and popular personalities in the market," KSHB General Manager James Swinehart said Monday. "It made a lot of sense to bring people like Gary onto our team that had substantial recognition in the market. We're very excited about having him." Miller, who has been in the Kansas City market for 18 months, is being offered the option of staying on at Channel 41 in a diminished on-air role. She did not return phone calls Monday seeking comment. Whether Lezak's departure translates into higher ratings for fourth-place KSHB, sources interviewed Monday said, depends on how much support he gets from media giant E.W. Scripps Co. of Cincinnati, which owns the station. Scripps recently ordered layoffs at its nine television stations, and one of the casualties was the producer of KSHB's award-winning investigative unit. KSHB recently hired its third news director in five years. One thing is certain: By moving to the more conventional 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts, Lezak will banter less with his co-anchors and won't have much on-air time for his dog. But he promised Monday that he and Windy would continue touring the elementary-school circuit while at KSHB.

Remote patrol

The British documentary in which JonBenet Ramsey's parents (above) broke a 14-month silence this summer comes to U.S. television on "Investigative Reports" at 8 tonight on A&E. This completely sympathetic treatment, which includes some new material, could've been engineered by the Ramseys' PR agency. Still, given the lopsided coverage of this story - saturation treatment by Geraldo Rivera and others that presume the Ramseys' guilt - there's surely room for this 2-hour rebuttal. In it, the parents explain that entering beauty pageants was JonBenet's idea, not theirs, and they speculate as to who the real killer might be.