On 'Donahue,' Phil doesn't know the drill

You may have noticed, if you are among the roughly 1 percent of Americans who actually watch MSNBC, that the show horse in cable's news derby has started calling itself "America's NewsChannel." This, I'm guessing, is because NBC executives could not summon the nerve to call it "America's Talking," which is what that channel used to be called before Microsoft and its multimillions showed up. Yet that is all anyone does anymore on MSNBC - talk, talk, talk. Unless someone in Los Angeles steals a tamale truck and gets chased by the news choppers, very little seems to get in the way of MSNBC's nonstop gabfest. Moreover, it's a peculiarly oppressive sort of gab, as Phil Donahue found out mere minutes into the premiere of his new MSNBC talk show last week. The show, airing at 7 p.m. weeknights, is appropriately titled "Donahue," but the first couple of nights might have been more appropriately titled "Hardball: Liberal Intent." It was unpleasant, and even a little sad, to see this silver-haired legend struggle with the Chris Matthews format. Here's Phil haplessly butting into the shouting matches of his guests; there's Phil, announcing the number of minutes or seconds remaining until the break. He seems more like timekeeper than moderator. Even when he does have the floor, he has a tendency to raise his voice, as if trying to talk over someone yelling in his earpiece. Hopefully, because I still find Donahue interesting after all these years, this is all just first-week jitters. What worries me watching "Donahue" is seeing the guy who reinvented daytime talk working without the interactive gimmicks that made him famous. No studio audience, no roving microphone, no phone calls - and too often, no room to get a word in edgewise. "Our America" is a feature film based on the real-life story of a white public radio producer who helped two African-American boys make a documentary about their lives in the projects of Chicago. Showtime, though not known for producing movies of distinction, felt strongly enough about "Our America" to present it at the Sundance Film Festival. Its confidence was well-placed: "Our America," premiering at 10 p.m. Sunday on Showtime, is a grimly effective snapshot of ghetto life. It's also an honest portrayal of first-time storytellers and their struggle to tell the truth, the whole truth, factually and emotionally. Brandon Hammond and Roderick Pannell are Lloyd and LeAlan, two boys who dream of radio stardom like their hero, black talk show host Graham Ellis (Mykelti Williamson). But producer David Isay ("Sports Night's" Josh Charles) has unusual plans for them. He wants them to carry tape recorders around, making audio diaries that capture their lives as accurately as possible. The boys succeed beyond all expectations. The outside world applauds their documentary, with its cold-blooded tales of chaotic schools, violent neighborhoods and dysfunctional families. But inside the black community, opinion is split. No less than their idol Graham chides them on the air for not telling "positive stories" about their community. The young documentarians are torn by self-doubt - until a terrible event compels them to dust off their recorders and head out in pursuit of another story. The film is beautifully and evocatively shot in color and black and white under the direction of Ernest Dickerson. Be warned: Showtime is promoting this as a "picture for all ages" and giving it a TV-PG rating. But there is strong language throughout "Our America" and situations sometimes turn violent. A Showtime spokesperson said an advisory will urge parents "to watch with their children and discuss." - To reach Aaron Barnhart, phone (816) 234-4790 or visit the TV Barn Web site at www.tvbarn.com