Wreath Classes

3 Foiled In Prison Escape Try 
Todd Tarselli, Serving Life For Killing A Friend 
At A Hazleton Restaurant, Was Among Trio, 
Authorities Said 
Staff And Wire Reports  - 
Three Murderers, Including A Local Man, Tried To Escape From Rockview State 
Prison On Sunday But Were Caught Inside The Chapel After A 4-hour Manhunt.

Wednesday, November 26, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1C 





`Prime Time' a good time for its host &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A little more than a year after becoming the host of The Nashville
Network's &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ``Prime Time Country,'' singer-song writer Gary Chapman is having the time
of his life"The show is doing very good," Chapman said in an interview with
The Times Leader. "The learning curve is a little sharp, but I like a good
climb, so I've enjoyed the process. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The most surprising thing is that I'm having so much fun," Chapman said.
"I feel like the show is just a big ol' toy they let me play with every day.
Until they fire me, I guess I'm there." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 One reason he enjoys hosting "Prime Time Country" is that he's always been
blessed with the "gift of gab," said the 40-year-old Chapman. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I'm pretty easy to talk to," Chapman added. "I can generally get something
going, even if a guest doesn't have much to say." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Even so, Chapman admits he's had a few bad guests, especially among country
music artists. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I won't name any names, but there have been a few guests that may have had
a little outside influence in their systems, and that made things a little
difficult," Chapman said. "But by and large, they're really good people. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Nashville's a small town and you can't really be successful if you're a
jerk," he added. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Chapman said "Prime Time Country" has afforded him the opportunity to sing
and play guitar with some artists he never dreamed of performing with. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Glen Campbell, Collin Raye and I sat down one night and just did an
impromptu thing," Chapman said. "We started singing some of Glen's hits. It
was magic. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "But that's just a no-no on television," Chapman added. "They (the
producers) hate it when you improvise. I happen to love it because there was
electricity in the air that you don't get when you rehearse." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Many of country music's biggest stars have appeared on "Prime Time
Country," but one special show stands out in Chapman's mind. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Eddy Arnold and LeAnn Rimes were on that night," Chapman said. "To me,
that was the ideal dream lineup having a legend of his status and charm and
also having a legend in the making (Rimes). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It was great seeing how they interacted with each other," Chapman added.
"You could see them looking at each other with a spark in their eyes." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Chapman, who is married to pop singer Amy Grant, is an outstanding musician
in his own right. His latest album, a Christmas record titled "The Gift," was
released in September. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 He plans to perform some of the songs from the album on "Prime Time
Country" during the Christmas season. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I've shied away from singing on the show because I didn't want people to
think I took the job just to give myself a platform to exploit my singing
career," Chapman said. "The few times I have sung on the show, I've gotten a
really great response. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I probably will start doing it more," he added. "The Christmas season
would be a great time to do that." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Prime Time Country," which airs at 9 p.m. on weeknights, is holding is own
in the ratings, according to Chapman. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "To me, it's an indication there's still a market for a television show you
can sit down with your family and watch," Chapman said. "You don't have to
worry about the content. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "You're entertained on an adult level, but there's not going to be anything
that you have to explain to your kids," he added. "Over the past decade, I
think prime time TV has leaned away from that." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Chapman said "Prime Time Country" is one of the few formats where
traditional country music is treated equally with the new country sound that
has become prevalent in the 1990s. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I think our show bridges the gap between the older people, who could be
put off by some of the newer things, and the younger crowd that's into the new
country sound." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And, he said, "there will be another wave of traditionalism. It's going to
sneak up on us." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Sometimes, Chapman feels "Prime Time Country" is caught on a musical
tightrope. But he views that as a good thing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We treat country music with respect," he said. "We honor its history and
we're looking forward to its future." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * * * &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Country Music Television will present the best country music videos of the
year on a Thanksgiving holiday special titled "CMT 1997 Countdown," which
premieres Thursday from 8 to 10 p.m. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The show will salute Male Video Artist of the Year, Female Video Artist of
the Year, Video Group/Duo of the Year, Male Rising Video Star of the Year,
Female Rising Video Star of the Year, Group Rising Video Star of the Year and
Video Director of the Year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The special will be repeated on Friday (10 p.m.), Saturday (11 a.m.),
Sunday (2 p.m.) and throughout December. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 CMT is a 24-hour country music video cable channel. It can be seen on
Service Electric in Wilkes-Barre (Channel 39), Service Electric in Hazleton
(Channel 38), Blue Ridge (Channel 37) and Cable TV (Channel 38). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * * * &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Baltimore Orioles' pitcher Mike Mussina is tonight's guest on
"Conversations," a one-hour interview show on WVIA-TV Channel 44, hosted by
Mark Thomas. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Thomas, who is WVIA's program director, conducted the interview last Friday
at Mussina's home in Montoursville. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The show airs at 8 p.m. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Van Rose is a Times Leader staff writer. His television column is published
every Wednesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

`prime Time' A Good Time For Its Host 
A Little More Than A Year After Becoming The Host Of The Nashville Network's 
``prime Time Country,'' Singer-song Writer Gary Chapman Is Having The Time Of 
His Life.

`prime Time' A Good Time For Its Host A Little More Than A Year After Becoming The Host Of The Nashville Network's ``prime Time Country,'' Singer-song Writer Gary Chapman Is Having The Time Of His Life.