'20,000' not in league of its own

GOOD MORNING: Half a league, half a league, half a league onward -- how about 60,000 leagues onward -- under the sea? Robert Halmi's not alone prepping Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" with Michael Anderson to direct, as noted here. Add David Vogel, who is readying a new bigscreen version of the Disney 1954 classic which starred Kirk Douglas and was directed by Richard Fleischer. And Fred Pierce, who has the go-ahead from ABC for a four-hour "20,000 Leagues" TVersion, tells me he has put Halmi "under legal notice." Howcum? Pierce said he discussed doing "Leagues" with Halmi last November. And now Halmi's doing his own for CBS. The Pierce-Village Roadshow Pictures (Australia) mini is script-completed by Brian Lenson with Rod Hardy set to direct. "We're ready to start shooting this summer," says Pierce. "I don't know Fred Pierce and never met him in my life," says Halmi. "He might have spoken to someone in my organization and they turned it down. It's public domain. I am happy and honored to be able to compete with Disney, who invented this genre and who has unlimited funds and all I have is -- heart." Jules Verne must be smiling -- no matter how many leagues away he is ... With the bigscreen destruction of the White House upcoming in "Independence Day," now comes a vidpic, 'It Can Happen Here" about an attempted takeover of the White House by right-wing extremist militiamen. The president is given one hour to vacate, government agencies are taken over, etc. ... It's being readied by Zev Braun Prods. with Braun and Mel Shavelson (who scripted) to produce. They hope to get it aired to coincide with the November elections -- the takeover takes place on Election Night. Shavelson says they'd like to cast top newscasters. They're looking for a cable deal. "Not constrained like the networks," said Braun.

VENICE IN ROME? Jacqueline Bisset, starring in "The Honest Courtesan," tells me they're building the famed Venice canals on the backlot of Rome's Cinecitta studios for the 1560-set New Regency-WB pic directed by Marshall Herskovitz. Why don't they just head north to Venice? 'It's too difficult to shoot there in the height of the tourist season," she reports. Meanwhile, all the colorful Renaissance settings, costumes, etc. are being reproduced by the Italian artisans in Rome. Bisset, as mother of Catherine McCormack, says she tries to teach her "my old trade. I guess you could call me an old hooker," laughed the beautiful Bisset. Before heading to Italy, Bisset wound "Don't Talk to Strangers" which she describes as a "kind of 'Strangers on a Train.' "... Renee Taylor is working in all three mediums these days: on the bigscreen in "A Mother's Wish" which stars Olympia Dukakis, and in "Love Is All There Is," which she and Joe Bologna co-wrote, co-directed as an indie for Goldwyn; on TV in "The Nanny," for which she's paged to sign a four-year deal; and, of course, onstage, "Bermuda Ave. Triangle" at the Canon -- which could go "forever," she says. The play, by Taylor and Bologna, has pitches from three studios for pic/TV rights. "It's been the best year of our lives," she adds. Bologna, meanwhile, has been turning down series offers. "He's had two bad experiences," reminds Renee. Their son Gabe and his wife Athena (Stensland) also completed "The Elevator," a feature financed by Hit Entertainment and starring Gabe and Athena, Martin Landau, Gretchen Becker, Richard Lewis and Ari Gross ... Ernie Borgnine, who re-signed with manager Lynda Bensky, co-stars in Jersey Films' "Eighth Day," filming in Northern California, then he heads to Mexico for the feature "McHale's Navy," before returning here for the next season of Castle Rock TV's "The Single Guy." "At 79," says Ernie, "you should keep moving." His wife, Tova B. is a finalist in the Perennial Success category of the Fragrance Foundation's FiFi Awards June 4 at Lincoln Center. She's sold over 1 million bottles of her perfume since bowing on QVC in 1990. On May 2, in less than one hour, she sold 28,000 bottles ... Eddie Fisher's reunited with William Morris, which repped him in the '60s. He's got a new, self-financed CD, "Love's Been Good to Me."

SIGN OF THE TIMES: Buena Vista TV's new gameshow "Debt," bowing June 3 on Lifetime, has a gimmick reflecting one of the today's ills: winners get to erase their debts -- credit cards, etc. Limit $10,000. Wink Martindale, who hosts, says the questions also reflect the times -- no Phi Beta Kappa requirements. Instead, there are "pop culture" questions, and sure showbiz knowledge helps. "Debt" is Martindale's 19th gameshow -- second only to the late Bill Cullen with two more. "Either everyone wants me -- or I can't hold a job," he laughs. He taped the first five shows Thursday and says losers don't go away too broken-hearted. "They're given a $1,500 savings bond"..."The Battle of the Batons" at the 59th anni Concert Gala of the Jr. Philharmonic Orch., to be held June 5 at the Wilshire Ebell, will include these guest "conductors": Gene Barry, Victoria Rowell, Ed Asner and yours truly. Terry Murphy femcees. The JPO is under the real baton of founder Dr. Ernst Katz. It's goal is to give youth a chance to be heard. Norma Foster is concert co-producer.