ABC (Fri., June 3, 9 p.m. ET)
B+
I would call David Bowie a showman, but that could be a fightin' word. "Showman" brings to mind Engelbert Humperdinck and his greased hips, Mary Hart and her insured thighs. Bowie does have all the symptoms of showman's syndrome: He wears lots of outrageous costumes, starting with gold, winged boots. He has an elaborate stage designed to look like a huge, electric spider from which he descends at the start of the show. He even has backup dancers—a rock concert with choreography! But Bowie has more: plenty of energy, imagination, ego and good music—Fame, Let's Dance, Heroes. As a service to viewers who aren't sure what to label him, Bowie provides us with an authorized description from Johnny Carson: "David's an innovator." True. He's also a money-maker. The week after his show is on ABC, a longer version of the concert will be released on video (for $29.95).
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