Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures

 ((Sun. (28), 7-7:30 p.m., Fox))

By CAROLE KUCHAREWICZ

Filmed in Vancouver, B.C., by Innuendo Prods. in association with Nelson 1991 Inc. and Lorimar Television. Exec producer, Clifton Campbell; co-exec producers, Joel Surnow, Janice Cooke-Leonard; producer, Steve Hollander; line producer, Steve Beers; director, Christopher T. Welch; writer, Campbell.
 
Cast: Danny Breen, Evan Richards, Christopher Kennedy, Ron Lake, Rick Overton , Lisa Wilcox, Matthew Walker, Duncan Fraser, Anthony Holland, John (Bear) Curtis, Bobby Stuart, Raimund Stamm, Dave (Squatch) Ward.
 

Taking two-dimensional teen time travelers and making a movie was a good idea and it made lots of money. Taking one-dimensional teen time travelers and making a weekly series is not a good idea and it's not a compelling enough reason for parents to let their youngsters take over the TV from "60 Minutes" reruns.

First there was "Bill & Ted" the movie, with quirky, slyly knowing perfs from Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, as well as a put-upon and funny George Carlin.

Then came the Saturday-morning cartoon. Now this half-hour offering, which makes "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" look like Strindberg.

Evan Richards and Christopher Kennedy were obviously cast because of their resemblance to Reeves and Winter, but the similarity ends there, as the characters of Bill and Ted become tiresome almost immediately.

Plot has B&T's boss, Danny Breen (who turns in a good performance), transported to the Dark Ages, where he stumbles upon Excalibur and is hailed as the savior king. Rufus (B&T's time-travel guide) appears and instructs the duo to travel back and rescue their boss and put the rightful king, Arthur, on the throne.

Clifton Campbell's slapdash writing produces a few funny moments, but the problem lies in Richards' and Kennedy's charmless acting. They have none of the wit needed, and their dumbness is not endearing, only grating. Rick Overton as Rufus fails to be cool.

Special effects are very well done and production values are "excellent!"

In this "Wayne's" world, will kids remember who Bill and Ted are?

Camera, Ron Orieux; editor, Augie Hess; music, Nathan Wand; production design, Brent Thomas; special effects, EFX Systems.