Week of May 22, 1990
Communist radical Boris N. Yeltsin is elected president of Russia. He promised
to meet with all sides before picking a government.
New York - The DA says four competing crime families worked together since
1978 to illegally monopolize the installation of windows in New York’s hosing
projects - and 15 people are indicted this week. They include the reputed bosses
of the Genovese and Lucchese crime families.
Mikhail S. Gorbachev assures Lithuania representatives that their homeland
could become independent in two or three years with his blessing, if it bows to
demands now.
Their human rights record be damned, President Bush says he will keep China’s
favored nation trade status without conditions.
Underestimated - The Bush Administration says it needs $60 billion more for the
S&L bailout.
Back home - President Mikhail S.
Gorbachev goes on national TV to calm
those frightened by sharp price increases as
the country moves toward a free market.
Shoppers have been on a buying spree for
three days.
The death toll grows to 22 in gun battles in
the Armenian capital of Yerevan as Russian
troops battle militants.
Mikhail S. Gorbachev arrives in Washington
and says he will offer new proposals for
dealing with the unification of Germany and
expects the U.S. to be flexible on the matter.
Gorbachev warned the West that if a united
Germany is allowed to join the NATO military
alliance, the Kremlin would refuse to pull out is troops. Earlier, President Bush
said, despite Gorbachev’s domestic problems - he’s still pretty strong.
Week of May 22, 1990
A huge group of House Democrats has asked President Bush to play a more
active role in addressing the worsening savings and loan crisis by requesting
additional funds from Congress to investigate and prosecute S&L fraud.
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was embroiled in the worst crisis of his six years
in power after his top Quebec minister resigned in a dispute over French-
speaking Quebec’s future in Canada.
Drexel Burnham Lambert put its main brokerage unit and 14 other subsidiaries
into Chapter 11 BK protection.
Passing - Rocky Graziano - middleweight boxing champ. He was 71.
Frank Sinatra has a new line - sauce! It’s a spaghetti sauce called Artanis
(Sinatra spelled backwards).
Marry - Actor Robert Wagner
and actress Jill St. John . He’s 60
and she’s 49.
Barbie has a rock n roll collection
with “Barbie and the Beat.” Mattel
has a touring (real people) group
that plays - well - rock! . It’s
Barbie, Christie and Midge. WOW!
Get all three dolls and look for the
tour!
Arie Luyendyk wins the Indy 500!
Music news -
Provocative content - Madonna behind bars! Just before she did her third concert
at Toronto’s Skydome - she was arrested because of alleged obscenity.
Authorities warned her after the first show, but after the second - she was
arrested. The third show went on with no arrests.
Bye Bye Love - Axl Rose files for divorce form his wife of less than a month.
She’s Erin Everly, daughter of one of the Everlly Brothers.
Looks like Billy Joel’s marriage to Christine Brinkley may be in trouble. Joel was
spotted with another woman, but he told People Magazine his marriage was
solid.
Week of May 22, 1990
Acoustic is in - It’s new - “MTV Unplugged” seen Sunday nights. MTV is
capitalizing on acoustic material from such artists as Tracy Chapman, Suzanne
Vega and Michele Shocked. MTV says they were influenced after Jon Bon Jovi
and Richie Sambora performed an acoustic version of “Living on a Prayer” during
the MTV Video Awards show last September.
MTV will broadcast the Knebworth 1990 benefit concert in July. It includes a jam
session with Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopflier, Elton John, Pink
Floyd and appearances by Tears for Fears, George Michael and Genesis.
Dionne Warwick’s “That’s What Friends Are For” Aids Benefit Concert. One-time
only concert at Universal City Hollywood. See ad.
Television news -
Debuts this week - The reviews on comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s new sitcom on
NBC seem to be good. NBC has ordered four episodes and hopefully, ratings will
follow. The show airs Thursday nights at 9:30p eastern and western. The first
episode deals with Jerry telling a friend - that he’s a bore and that they shouldn’t
be seeing each other again.
“Cheers” star Kelsey Grammer begins his 30-
day jail sentence for violating probation by failing
to attend an alcohol-abuse program.
NBC Entertainment President Brandon Tartikoff
said this season was a disappointment, but he’s
optimistic because he has high hopes for a new
comedy called “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” starring
rapper Wil Smith
HA! - Viacom’s comedy channel now, launched April 1 - has 6 million
subscribers. Rival the Comedy Channel, which launched last November, hasn’t
added subscribers and both channels are struggling.
“A revealing look at 3 of the sexiest people in America” - Robin Williams,
Kathleen Turner and Billy Crystal. On another Barbara Walters special this week
on ABC-TV
Thom Hayne - a Christian Broadcasting Network engineer pleads innocent to
charges of using CBN equipment to hijack the Playboy Channel and broadcast
religious messages over the channel.
Week of May 22, 1990
Passing - Actor Vic Tayback - best known as
Mel in “Alice.” He was 60 and died of a heart
attack.
“Candid Camera” is being resurrected as a prime
time series.
Top TV last week -
Newhart - 18.7
Cheers - 18.3
Murphy Brown - 17.7
Designing Woman - 17.2
Roseanne - 16.1
A Different World - 16.8
Movie-A Killing in a Small Town - 16.8
The Cosby Show 15.7
Unsolved Mysteries - 15.5
Movie-Voices Within Part 2
-
15.5
The Golden Girls - 15.0
Wings - 15.0
Empty Nest - 14.9
Cheers (wed.) - 14.4
60 Minutes - 14.2
More television news -
This week - the shocking season finale of “Twin Peaks.” On ABC-TV. Later,
some fans complained the episode failed to provide a definitive answer to the
question of who killed Laura Palmer.
At the movies -
Back to the Future III
Bird on a Wire
Pretty Woman
Cadillac Man
Fire Birds
Torn Apart
Miami Blue
The Gods Must Be Crazy
My Left Foot
Strapless
O & A
Happy Together
Week of May 22, 1990