King delivers health-care scares

HOLLYWOOD -- After he was hit by a van and critically injured in 1999, Stephen King had a nightmarish hospital stay. Not a particularly inspiring experience -- unless, of course, you are the king of horror, and networks such as ABC are hungry for anything bearing your brand name.

Actually, ABC's 13-episode series "Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital" began its life simply as "Kingdom," a Danish TV miniseries by Lars von Trier, the director of "Breaking the Waves." But now the best-selling author has King-ified the story, layering his own medical mishaps onto von Trier's creepy setting.

According to producer Mark Carliner, who met with TV critics here Thursday evening, King "took something that was in its essence so Danish and yet he made it so American." (In Florida recuperating from pneumonia, King was unable to talk about the miniseries.)

Carliner said that King's version, which premieres on March 3, is "without question" a comment on the American health care system: "Steve believes hospitals are very dangerous places."

The producer also said the miniseries begins with a vivid re-creation of King's 1999 accident. "In the opening 10 minutes, you will see exactly what happened to Steve that afternoon when he was walking down the road and out near his lake house in Maine."

By way of gothic detail, Carliner also revealed that the van that hit King has not been laid to rest in some rural junkyard. The writer has it stored in his garage in Bangor.

`Family Guy' may live on

HOLLYWOOD -- Gail Berman, president of entertainment for the Fox network, told TV critics yesterday that the story of "Family Guy" is "one of the most interesting things I've seen in the business.

After a few seasons and 50 episodes on Fox, the series was canceled. But repeats became popular on the Cartoon Network, and DVD sales of the series have been extraordinary. The result: As Berman said, "There is a likelihood that additional episodes of `Family Guy' will be made."

Berman also explained her theories about one of the fall season's famous mysteries -- the failure of "Skin," the heavily promoted Fox show that was canceled after a handful of episodes. She said that the lead-in series for "Skin" -- "The Next Joe Millionaire" -- never "manifested itself" (which translates loosely as "it bombed"). She also said she felt that audiences simply rejected the pornography-industry setting of "Skin."

"The American public said, `You know what? We don't want to go there.' "

Where do we want to go? Fox is introducing "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance" on Monday night.

MATTHEW GILBERT

CBS nixes two Super Bowl ads

LOS ANGELES -- CBS has rejected two Super Bowl advertisements touting vegetarianism and bashing President Bush because they violate its advocacy rules, the network said yesterday.

The ad, prepared by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, asserts that meat-eating causes impotence, using two attractive women and an unlucky pizza delivery man to make its point.

Meanwhile, the liberal online advocacy website MoveOn.org tried to place an ad that uses images of children working at adult jobs to criticize the federal budget deficit. The Super Bowl is traditionally the most-watched TV event of the year.

"We do not accept advertising on one side or the other of controversial public issues, partly because we don't think the debate ought to be controlled by people with deep pockets," said Martin Franks, CBS executive vice president.

CBS also covers these issues in a balanced way with its news department, Franks added.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Talk of the dial

10 a.m. WBIX-AM (1060) -- "Stu Taylor on Business." Guests: Stephan Thieringer, CEO, GTF Systems; Dr. Richard Geist, author, "Investor Therapy."

Noon WBNW-AM (1120) -- "The Brass Ring" with Gina Ghioldi. Guests: James E. White, inventor and author, "Will It Sell?"; Alan R. Tripp, inventor and author, "Millions From the Mind."

Other radio highlights

7 a.m. WGBH-FM (89.7) -- "Classical Weekend." R. Strauss's "Salome: Dance of the Seven Veils"; Bach's Concerto in D After A. Marcello, (BWV 974); Schumann's Konzertstuck in F for Four Horns (Op. 86); Holst's "The Hymn of Jesus" (Op. 37); Brahms's Sextet No. 2 in G (Op. 36); Stravinsky's "The Firebird."

9 a.m. WCRB-FM (102.5) -- Kids Classical Hour: "Magic of Disney."

8 p.m. WCRB-FM (102.5) -- "Boston Symphony Orchestra Live." James Levine conducts Mozart, Dvorak, and Carter (world premiere).

9 p.m. WGBH-FM (89.7) -- "Blues on WGBH." Guests: Paul Rishell and Annie Raines, live.