Twenty-two years
ago tonight, NBC aired “Fatal
Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery,” a two-hour TV movie that doubled as
a pilot for the 1989-91 “Father Dowling Mysteries” series.
“Fatal
Confession” starred Tom Bosley as Father Frank Dowling, a Chicago priest and fan
of detective novels who suspects one of his parishioners – a man whose death
police ruled a suicide – was actually murdered.
Helping Dowling prove
his theory: Sister Steve (Tracy Nelson), a streetwise nun who’s also an ace
pool hustler and card shark.
Their
investigation brings them into contact with all manner of unsavory characters,
including the deceased’s scheming business partner (Peter Scolari), a pompous
senator (Leslie Nielsen), the senator’s devious daughter (Susan Blakely) and a mob family’s
intimidating matriarch (Sada Thompson).
“Fatal
Confession” was one of the sound-alike titles the networks slapped onto TV
movies in the months after the success of the 1987 Glenn Close/Michael Douglas
theatrical flick “Fatal Attraction.” (See also CBS’s “Fatal Judgment” and NBC’s
“Dangerous Affection”).
Father Dowling’s
first adventure didn’t wow critics – “Do we really need a priest fighting crime
along with everyone else in prime time?” Ray Richmond asked in the Orange
County Register – and “Fatal Confession” finished third in its time slot behind
a Los Angeles Raiders/Seattle Seahawks game on ABC’s “Monday Night Football”
and “The Secret Garden,” a “Hallmark Hall of Fame” movie on CBS.
Nevertheless,
NBC ordered a “Father Dowling Mysteries” series, airing seven hour-long
episodes in the winter of 1989 and then dropping the show. In January 1990, “Father
Dowling Mysteries” returned with new episodes, but this time on ABC, where it
aired for another season and a half.
From
the Pages of TV Guide
Also airing Nov.
30, 1987:
8 PM NBC ALF (CC)
ALF gets a crash
course in civics from Kate (Anne Schedeen), who has a dream that ALF crashes
the political scene as a Presidential candidate. Political interviewer John
McLaughlin appears as himself. Sen. Hossenfeffer: Louis Felder. Rep. Pearl:
John O’Connell.
8:30 CBS KATE & ALLIE (CC)
From last
season: In a toast to “I Love Lucy” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” Allie
(Jane Curtin) receives a letter for Charles and her desire to read it is acted
bout in her dreams: first as Lucy with Kate (Susan Saint James) as her cohort
Ethel, then as Rhoda to Kate’s Mary. Mr. Harris: Paul Austin. (Repeat)
[Beginning next
week, “Kate & Allie” airs a half hour earlier.]
11 PM FOX WILTON NORTH REPORT – Comedy;
60 min.
Debut: Straight news with a comedy approach anchors this weeknight
offering. Producer Barry Sand plans an offbeat look at the day’s events with
hosts Phil Cowan and Paul Robins; a talk with a newsmaker; and a follow-up
discussion with interviewers Nancy Collins and Greg Jackson.
11:30 NBC TONIGHT; 60 min.
Guest host Jay
Leno and actor Vincent Price. Doc Severinesen and the Tommy Newsom orchestra.
12:30 NBC LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID
LETTERMAN; 60 min.
Scheduled: Tom
Brokaw. (Repeat)
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