A distraught man takes over a daytime talk show, holding the host, crew, and audience hostage, and threatens to blow up the joint in MURDER LIVE! (NBC, March 9, 9-11 p.m.), a remarkably effective anti-TV TV movie. It stars St. Elsewhere's David Morse, but the key to Murder Live!'s drama is Marg Helgenberger's bravely unsympathetic performance as Pia Postman, host of the daily talker The Pia Postman Show. Helgenberger (China Beach, ER) plays her as a jaded variation on Sally Jessy Raphael and Oprah Winfrey, all unctuous sincerity. You want to cheer when Pia says, "I feel your pain," and Morse's character yells, "You are my pain!" Shot in real time by director Roger Spottiswoode, with clever segment breaks that jibe with the real commercials that will run with Murder Live!, the movie would be a small classic were it not for a dull, unnecessary subplot about a hostage negotiator played by thirtysomething's Peter Horton, who also cowrote the story and executive-produced the movie. --KT
CHOICE RERUNS
Kellie Martin emotes like an old pro in NBC's new Crisis Center, a technique she honed as sensitive teenager Becca Thacher in LIFE GOES ON (fX, daily, 2-3 p.m.). The 1989-93 ABC drama prefigured Party of Five with its realistic depiction of familial angst--and with its small but intensely loyal following. The Thachers also included Corky (Christopher Burke), Becca's Down syndrome-affected brother; Drew (Bill Smitrovich), the restaurateur dad; and Libby (Patti LuPone), the ex-chanteuse mother. Beginning its rerun cycle again with the pilot on March 3, Life managed to be sentimental without being mushy, except for one spot: the opening theme, a cloying version of "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da" sung by LuPone and the cast. Have your finger poised on the mute button.
