EXCLUSIVE

US, 1992, 90 minutes, Colour.
Suzanne Somers, Michael Nouri, Ed Begley Jr.
Directed by Alan Metzger.

Exclusive is a formulaic telemovie, focusing on a news anchor at a television station, a former investigative reporter who had succumbed to alcoholism and her adrenalin drive. Having dried out and got her act together, she is working in more conventional situations in the television station - where, of course, the ambition is for top ratings. She has also married a professor and the prospect of a happy life is ahead of her. In the meantime there is her ex-husband as well as her photographer collaborator at the television station. A massacre happens at a nightclub and she is drawn into the investigation, suspecting her husband, being confronted by the real villain. If the husband is not the villain, then it is quite easy to spot who the villain is. In fact, the film presupposes all the conventions of this kind of thriller genre.

Suzanne Somers, who co-produced the telemovie, is the anchorwoman. Michael Nouri is the husband and Ed Begley Jnr is the photographer. This is one of those potboiling thrillers that is easy television watching as a time-passer. The emphasis, as with so many telemovies written and produced by women in the '90s, is a chance to put a woman's perspective on succeeding in a male-dominated world like that of television.

1. Entertaining formulaic telemovie? Central character? Marriage? Dangers, massacre, unrequited love, violence?

2. The American city atmosphere, the streets, television studios, homes? The musical score?

3. The title, Marcie and her investigative skills? Her being an anchorwoman? Her being offered the possibility of an exclusive? The effect of her work in the past and her addiction? The adrenalin going again - and her being caught in the middle of her exclusive?

4. The television world: the news, the anchors, working together, clashes, producers, the head of the network, the pressure for ratings, investigative journalism, on-the-spot reporting, sensation? How credible the world of the television network?

5. Marcie, her skills, the alcoholism, her rehabilitation? Her past career and its consuming her? Her marriage to Reed, the security, the professor? At work, her putting her busy-ness behind her? The phone call, her going to the club, the massacre? Her reporting on the spot? Her becoming involved, the investigation? Her past marriage and Olive? His heading the investigation? Clashes, friendship, discussions about the investigation? Reed and his support? His warning about her becoming involved? The pressures by the head of the network for her to become involved? Her wanting to bow out, the contract? The pressure from the network? Her working with Alan, his friendship, photographs, as a team? The mounting evidence - her going to interview the relations of the victims? In the house, the man hiding and rushing out - his later arrest? The tape-recording, the information about the Vietnam group and their medallion? Their cruelty? Her finding the medallion under the bed? Growing suspicions? The research, Reed and the group in court? Her believing him to be the murderer? The confrontation, the gun, shooting him? The irony of the murder being Alan, his obsession with her, his room and the photos? The confrontation, her rejection of him? His killing himself? Her getting Reed to the hospital - and the possibility of a happy future? Her being in the car accident - her pregnancy?

6. Reed, the middle-aged professor, his support of Marcie? The creeping up the stairs - and visual suspicions of him? The support, persuading her to give up the job, warning her about the investigation? His not revealing his affair, her suspicions, the information about Vietnam? His trying to persuade her that he was trying to forget it? Innocent? Her shooting him? The possibility of recovery?

7. Oliver, suspiciously stalking her? The marriage, the break-up? His work on the investigation, her interviews with him, getting information?

8. Alan, photography, at the office, photographing her? Working as a team? Giving advice about the tape? The gradual revelation that he was behind the massacre, the set-up, wanting an exclusive with her at the centre of it? Profession of love and obsession, her rejection of him, his killing himself?

9. The network manager and the meetings, pressure on Marcie? The caricature of the ratings-obsessed manager? The other people in the station, the co-anchor and her response to him? Her secretary? Her successor - and looking around the house, uncovering evidence?

10. Popular potboiling ingredients? Action thriller? Mystery and twists? Women's issues - especially in the workplace?