Celebrities offer views on TV issues from talk shows to Ellen

Monday, Oct. 20, 1997 | 10:43 a.m.

Her husband, comedian Marty Ingels, says it's time for Congress to step in and take control of television.

Actor Elliott Gould says he finds the lesbian character portrayed by Ellen DeGeneres "very wholesome."

Those were just some of the comments in a wide-ranging show featuring four celebrities that was taped in Las Vegas Sunday. The show, the Di Palma Forum, was sponsored by UNLV and will be aired locally Nov. 27.

Jones, Ingels and Gould were joined by actor John Dye in an assessment of the television industry today.

Jones, who played the matriarch of "The Partridge Family," said she's had it with today's TV talk shows.

"I'm so tired of these daytime shows where everyone goes out and vomits," she said. "Why can't we have more family shows where I could bring the whole family and sit down and watch?"

Jones cited the CBS show "Touched By An Angel," which stars Dye, as proof that family programming works. The show emphasizes strong values and faith to solve problems.

Ingels called for government intervention in the industry.

"It is time, not only for the V-chip," he said, referring to a device that can filter out violent television programs, "but it's time for Congress to come in, because the industry will not clean up itself."

"That's fascism," Dye said. "I don't agree with that."

The conversation later turned to DeGeneres and her ABC sitcom "Ellen," in which her character came out as a lesbian last season.

Gould said he found the Ellen character "very wholesome. I think there's so much ... envy and jealousy (in the industry). I think she was successful enough to get this on (network television). It was good to see who she is" on the show.