Structured entries
- AIDS: AND THE BAND PLAYED ON
3/28/94
This 1993 made-for-cable movie, based on the late Randy Shilts' bestseller about the beginnings of the AIDS crisis, is a wrenching medical detective story made up of heroes, villains and victims. Among the pivotal figures Dr. Don Francis (Matthew Modine, pictured), a U.S. researcher who, in 1981, is part of a team investigating a mysterious ailment that seems to strike only gay men; Dr. Robert Gallo (Alan Alda), of the National Institutes of Health, who competes with French researchers to identify the virus that causes the illness; gay activist Bill Kraus (Ian McKellen); crusading San Francisco health official Selma Ortiz (Lily Tomlin); and a choreographer (Richard Gere) who's a composite of several show-business personalities. (2:00)
- A PLACE FOR ANNIE
5/1/94
w/ Dorothy Joan Plowright; David Jack Noseworthy Alice S. Epatha Merkerson
An emotional, fact-based drama revolving around an infant named Annie who tests positive at birth for HIV. Sissy Spacek portrays a pediatric nurse and divorcee whose compassion for the apparently abandoned child leads her to become Annie's foster mother. Mary-Louise Parker plays Annie's hardened birth mother, a destitute AIDS victim who resurfaces and wants her daughter back. Ultimately the two women reach a compromise and move in together to share Annie's parenting. A 1994 Hall of Fame TV-movie (2:00)
- ROOMMATES
5/30/94
w/ Elizabeth Peña; Charles Durning
Roommates (Mon., NBC) -Randy Quaid as a straight, tough, crude ex-con with AIDS ends up rooming with Eric Stoltz as a cultured gay man with the disease. Sadly, you know where it's going long before it gets there. These very different men start with mistrust and intolerance but end up caring for and about each other. Stoltz plays his part as low-key as he can, while Quaid plays his with his acting amplifiers on high, and the contrast is uncomfortable.
- A TIME OF AIDS
11/20/94
(DSC) A two-part series chronicling the disease's history.
- A MOTHER'S PRAYER
8/6/95
w/ Linda Hamilton; Bruce Dern; Kate Nelligan & Noah Fleiss
- THE CURE
(1995)
w/ Brad Renfro & Joseph Mazzello
- BREAKING THE SURFACE: THE GREG LOUGANIS STORY
3/19/97
w/ Mario Lopez; Michael Murphy; Rosemary Dunsmore
Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story (Wed., USA) The Olympic diving champion has lived a lot of TV-movies, and they're all here: adoption, dyslexia, homosexuality and HIV, not to mention four gold medals and that nasty, bloody bump on the head in Seoul. Louganis narrates, with Mario Lopez in the title role. Michael Murphy is outstanding as Louganis's irascible father, and Rosemary Dunsmore, despite a disconcerting resemblance to Dustin Hoffman in "Tootsie," is fine as his doting mother.
- LAW & ORDER
4/1/98
A compelling Law & Order looks at issues surrounding AIDS, right to privacy and an HIV-positive man using the virus to infect as many women as possible. -9 PM
- LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
(1978)
w/ Ugo Tognazzi & Michel Serrault
- ELLEN: SHE'S OUT
4/30/97
w/ Laura Dern
Ellen (Wed., ABC) Considering all the things it could have been—coy, cloying, self-congratulatory or just plain silly—Ellen's coming-out episode is a triumph. It's hilarious, cathartic and celebratory all at once. Sensing a yen for a new acquaintance (played by guest star Laura Dern), beleaguered Ellen Morgan overcompensates, single-mindedly pursuing "manwoman sex." Later, she gamely visits a gay coffeehouse. "Ellen!" a pal yelps. "Eight o'clock! There's a lesbian staring at you!" The episode takes gay humor, which can often have an exclusionary, inside feel, and makes it everybody's humor. My score: 9
- PRIMETIME LIVE: Ellen
4/30/98
- ELLEN: After Gay
5/14/97
- MIDNIGHT IN SAVANNAH
11/30/97
(A&E) docu.
- LABOR OF LOVE
5/4/98
w/ Marcia Gay Harden & David Marshall Grant
- PRIMETIME LIVE
5/6/98
w/ Diane Sawyer w/Ellen DeGeneres
Transcription (raw)
## HEADING: HEALTH - AIDS
## LEFT COLUMN
6709. A I D S :
AND THE BAND PLAYED ON. 3/28/94
AND THE BAND
PLAYED ON
This 1993 made-for-cable movie, based on the
late Randy Shilts' bestseller about the beginnings
of the AIDS crisis, is a wrenching medical detec-
tive story made up of heroes, villains and victims.
Among the pivotal figures Dr. Don Francis (Mat-
thew Modine, pictured), a U.S. researcher who,
in 1981, is part of a team investigating a mysteri-
ous ailment that seems to strike only gay men;
Dr. Robert Gallo (Alan Alda), of the National In-
stitutes of Health, who competes with French
researchers to identify the virus that causes the
illness; gay activist Bill Kraus (Ian McKellen);
crusading San Francisco health official Selma
Ortiz (Lily Tomlin); and a choreographer (Richard
Gere) who's a composite of several show-busi-
ness personalities. (2:00)
A PLACE FOR ANNIE
An emotional, fact-based drama revolving around
an infant named Annie who tests positive at birth
for HIV.
Sissy Spacek portrays a pediatric nurse and
divorcee whose compassion for the apparently
abandoned child leads her to become Annie's
foster mother. Mary-Louise Parker plays Annie's
hardened birth mother, a destitute AIDS victim
who resurfaces and wants her daughter back. Ul-
timately the two women reach a compromise and
move in together to share Annie's parenting.
A 1994 Hall of Fame TV-movie Dorothy
Joan Plowright, David Jack Noseworthy Alice
S. Epatha Merkerson (2:00)
5/1/94
Kathy Anderson and
Sissy Spacek
ROOMMATES.
Roommates (Mon., NBC)
-Randy Quaid as a straight,
tough, crude ex-con with
AIDS ends up rooming
with Eric Stoltz as a cultured
gay man with the disease.
Sadly, you know where
it's going long before it gets
there. These very different
men start with mistrust
and intolerance but end up
caring for and about each
other. Stoltz plays his part
as low-key as he can, while
Quaid plays his with his
acting amplifiers on high,
and the contrast is uncom-
fortable. Elizabeth Peña
and Charles Durning costar.
5/30/94
"Roommates" Randy Quaid
throws himself into the part.
A TIME OF AIDS: 11/20/94
(DSC) A two-part series chronicling
the disease's history.
## RIGHT COLUMN
6710. A MOTHER'S PRAYER. 8/6/95
w/Linda Hamilton, Bruce Dern, Kate
Nelligan & Noah Fleiss.
THE CURE. (1995)
w/Brad Renfro & Joseph Mazzello.
BREAKING THE SURFACE: THE GREG
LOUGANIS STORY. 3/19/97
BREAKING THE SURFACE: THE GREG
LOUGANIS STORY (Wed., USA) The
Olympic diving champion has lived a lot
of TV-movies, and they're all here: adop-
tion, dyslexia, homosexuality and HIV,
not to mention four gold medals
and that nasty, bloody bump on the head in
Seoul. Louganis narrates, with Mario
Lopez in the title role. Michael Murphy
is outstanding as Louganis's irascible fa-
ther, and Rosemary Dunsmore, despite
a disconcerting resemblance to Dustin
Hoffman in "Tootsie," is fine as his dot-
ing mother.
LAW & ORDER 4/1/98
A compelling Law & Order looks at
issues surrounding AIDS, right to pri-
vacy and an HIV-positive man using the
virus to infect as many women as possi-
ble. -9 PM
6711. LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. (1978)
w/Ugo Tognazzi & Michel Serrault.
ELLEN: SHE'S OUT. 4/30/97
ELLEN (Wed., ABC) Considering all
the things it could have been—coy,
cloying, self-congratulatory or just
plain silly—Ellen's coming-out
episode is a triumph. It's hilarious,
cathartic and celebratory all at once.
Sensing a yen for a new acquaintance
(played by guest star Laura Dern), be-
leaguered Ellen Morgan overcompen-
sates, single-mindedly pursuing "man-
woman sex." Later, she gamely visits a
gay coffeehouse. "Ellen!" a pal yelps.
"Eight o'clock! There's a lesbian staring
at you!" The episode takes gay humor,
which can often have an exclusionary,
inside feel, and makes it everybody's
humor. My score: 9
Destined
to become
one of TVs
memorable
moments:
"I'm Gay"
w/Oprah
Winfrey,
Demi Moore
& Laura Dern.
PRIMETIME LIVE: Ellen. 4/30/98
ELLEN: After Gay. 5/14/97
MIDNIGHT IN SAVANNAH. (A&E) docu. 11/30/97
LABOR OF LOVE. 5/4/98
w/Marcia Gay Harden & David
Marshall Grant.
PRIMETIME LIVE: 5/6/98
Diane Sawyer w/Ellen DeGeneres.
