Chanute woman hangs on in 'Bachelor' race

Extremely observant readers may have noticed that when it comes to reality TV shows, not all local contestants get the red-carpet treatment from the local newspaper critic. A couple of years back, I devoted no fewer than three stories to the exploits of Mission Hills builder B.B. Andersen. You remember B.B. as the tough old cuss who stayed for a cup of coffee (and a notorious pot of soup) on the first-ever "Survivor." Yet in the past month I have all but ignored Amanda Marsh, area sweetheart, who was one of 25 women chosen to fling themselves at Alex Michel, better known to millions of viewers as "The Bachelor." No offense meant to Amanda, who hails from Chanute, Kan. It was her fate, however, to qualify for a program that merges the worst elements of a beauty pageant and a late-night dating game with the Ivy League's answer to Rick Rockwell. How was I to know they'd both be survivors? "The Bachelor" is a ratings success, and the contestant from the great state of Kansas is one of three potential mates still standing. On tonight's episode, airing at 8 on ABC (Channel 9), she and Alex hop a jet to New York City for a date. Before the hour is up, Alex will have taken Trista, the Miami Heat dancer, to Hawaii and Shannon, a Dallas "operations assistant," skiing in Tahoe. After recovering from his jetlag, he'll narrow the field to two before Thursday's two-hour finale (7-9 p.m.). Other highlights: Enticing as that all sounds (not), may I call your attention to another program airing tonight on A&E. At first I was skeptical when the preview tape of "Biography Close-Up: Saturday Night Live" arrived. Why should I watch a video history of "SNL" when, thanks to the E! channel, I can watch classic "SNL" repeats from the 1970s and see history as it was being made weeknights at 6. To my surprise, "Biography Close-Up" (8 tonight on A&E) is a worthy addition to the growing body of documents about one of television's unique institutions. It's really two programs woven into one: a history of the 27-year run of "SNL" and a documentary of the making of a recent "SNL" episode (from last November, with guest host Gwyneth Paltrow). From the desperation of the Tuesday night writing session to the Wednesday read-through to the endless dress rehearsals, watching "SNL" get made is interesting in a not-interesting kind of way. It's kind of like how veterans describe serving in combat: long stretches of inertia in between prodigious bursts of energy. Yet in the course of this two-hour special, it becomes clear that "SNL" is in a class all its own: a logistically daunting live 90-minute variety show, something not attempted since "Your Show of Shows" in the 1950s. And it has had six more lives than "Your Show," which signed off after just four seasons. That is due a lot to Lorne Michaels, a Canadian comedy writer who pitched "SNL" to NBC in 1975 and has presided over the show for 22 of the 27 seasons since. He is the principal talking head here. There aren't many interviews with cast members other than Chevy Chase, Joe Piscopo and those current cast members caught on camera during A&E's visit in November. But Michaels is better qualified than anyone to tell the story of a TV show that has become synonymous with American satire. Perhaps watching an R-rated film on HBO isn't the ideal way for parents and kids to celebrate the end of TV-Turnoff Week. But "Small Town Ecstasy," this week's edition of the "American Undercover" documentary series (9 p.m. Sunday, HBO), is a different kind of family program. It's the true story of a well-heeled, Bible-believing family that fell apart when Dad hit 40 and embarked on a second teenhood. Scott started frequenting raves and parties; worse, he encouraged his teen-age kids to take Ecstasy with him. It is fascinating to hear Scott rationalize his behavior, particularly when his 18-year-old, Craig, objects to his younger siblings taking drugs. But this film is more than just the story of a screwed-up father. It offers unusually vivid insight into the emotional torment faced by teens when their parents split up. And producers Arnold Shapiro (of "Scared Straight!" fame) and Allison Grodner make sure we know how dangerous Ecstasy use can be. I'll write more about "Small Town Ecstasy" in an upcoming profile of HBO in the Sunday Arts section. You can reach Aaron Barnhart through the TV Barn Web site at www.tvbarn.com. RECOMMENDED SHOWS TODAY: "Biography Close-Up," 8 p.m., A&E WEEKDAYS: "Saturday Night Live" repeats, 6 p.m., E! SUNDAY: "Small Town Ecstasy," 9 p.m., HBO