Fox sets cast for O.J. telepic

GOOD MORNING: O.J. Simpson's mother, Eunice, is played by Marianne Aalda in Fox-TV's speedy MOW. Aalda played O.J.'s wife in the HBO series "First & 10." She insists the current script "is not sleazy -- if it were I wouldn't be doing it." Sleazy or not, Fox, of course is rushing it out to air Sept. 13. And I'm told all those working on the set like to think they're "Perry Mason." Bobby Hosea, who plays O.J., also played Aalda's husband for five years in the Dutch Boy paint commercials. Aalda tells me "It was fortuitous O.J. and I spent time talking on the ('First & 10') set with conversations about his mother. I portray her as a noble woman he adored. She's the one who put him on the straight and narrow. This movie is not about the crime," she says, "It's about the man." Yes, the murders come into the story but the telepic does not take sides, she says. "It ends with him being accused." Back on "First & 10," Aalda recalls, O.J. played a retired football coach -- who was having an affair with his secretary while married to Aalda's character. In real lifeat that time, Aalda was going through an emotional relationship breakup -- and she says O.J., off camera, was most sympathetic about relationship problems. "Maybe he didn't get the help HE should have had when he listened to those 911 calls by Nicole." Stay tuned to your nightly news -- or the Fox film ... Sept. 19, the first day of the trial, is also the debut night of "Murphy Brown" which is skedded to air a story involving celebrity news coverage -- not O.J. ... Despite the baseball strike, the first Seinfeld show, taped Wednesday, contains a seg with "George," Jason Alexander, and the Yankees' Buck Showalter and Danny Tartabull -- supposedly taking place pre-strike. The seg also has Jerry dating a "Miss Rhode Island" contestant in the "Miss America" contest (played by Marguerite MacIntyre) -- with "Kramer," Michael Richards, as chaperone on Jerry's "date." Better to stay tuned for this.

RIGHTS TO LON CHANEY'S life story have been secured by Ron Samuels, who tells me Chaney's grandson will be involved with the production -- he has all the makeup secrets of the great thesp "of a thousand faces." Several top stars have already asked to portray Chaney -- who died at 47 ... Pretty showbiz scribe Heather Hartt is the new E! Entertainment Gossip Show's host ... Sally Jessy Raphael plays an anchorperson who hosts a benefit celeb auction on CBS' "Dave's World" taping tonight. It's her first character role. She's also working on non-talk show specials ... Congrats to KABC radio's Michael Jackson, so well received in his substitute stands for Larry King, he's set for four more weeks hosting between Oct. and year's end -- and they've agreed to do 'em from L.A. so he won't have to commute ... Jack Jones, George Shearing and Margaret Whiting tribute Johnny Mercer on Larry King's weekend show Aug. 27. Jones says "I owe most of my career to Johnny, George Gershwin and Michel Legrand. This will be pure pleasure"... Emmy-nominated (fifth time) John Glover will miss the awards again this year -- he'll be in rehearsals for Terence McNally's play, "Love, Valor and Compassion" at the Manhattan Theater Club ... Six-year-old Courtney Chase, Marlo Thomas' daughter in "Reunion" (CBS), is a regular on "Blossom," whose producers include -- Tony Thomas ... Mel Harris, en route to Budapest for CBS' "Broken Lullaby" also has a comedy pilot in development at the web with husband Cotter Smith ... Meredith Salenger co-stars with Kirstie Alley and Christopher Reeve in John Carpenter/Universal's "Village of the Damned."

KING ARTHUR IS EFREM ZIMBALIST JR., Guinevere is Olivia D'Abo and Julian Sands voices Lancelot in the two-part "Biker Knights of the Round Table"... ASCAP president Marilyn Bergman and husband-tune partner Alan B. hosted ASCAPs' new CEO Dan Gold at their home with award-winning tunesmiths on hand ... It was turnaway time at Tatou Wednesday for Mel Torme's guestint with son Steve March. Music lovers included Sharon Stone, the Milton Berles, Ed Ames, Brian Keith, Desi Arnaz Jr. ... Universal Pictures president Casey Silver and wife, director Tia Brelis, welcomed their third child, daughter Sophia, Monday ... Col TriStar TV's Justin Pierce and wife Pam welcomed their second child, Sheridan Rachel, Thursday at Cedars-Sinai. They have a son, Brett ... Sandra Reeves, rave-reviewed (here) for her one-woman "Late Great Ladies of Blues and Jazz" at the Richard Pryor Theater, wings to Nashville to cameo-duet with Ann-Margret in "Sing Me the Blues, Lena"... Jerry Kupcinet (Irv's son) directs the new syndie'd strip "Jones & Jury," whose creator is fellow Chicagoan Howard Schultz -- they worked together 18 years ago at WLS-TV Chi. And they're working with the head of Group W, Dirk Zimmerman.