`Seven Days In Bensonhurst' Is More Than Black And White

Credit PBS' ``Frontline'' for finding a sensitive and fresh way of examining racial conflicts, the proof of which is on view in ``Seven Days in Bensonhurst,'' at 8 tonight on KCTS-TV.

Bensonhurst is the Italian-American area of Brooklyn where 16-year-old Yusuf Hawkins was killed last August when he and three friends came into the predominantly white area to search for a used car they had seen advertised.

In little more than 24 hours, Hawkins death had been turned into a racial conflict that grabbed not only New Yorkers' attention - partly because New York was in the middle of a mayoral campaign and all candidates tried to gain points by decrying the situation - but the rest of the nation as well. It was another incident in the vein of the Bernard Goetz, Eleanor Bumpers and Howard Beach incidents - and it escalated fast with emotions and anger running deep on both sides.

But ``Seven Days in Bensonhurst'' has been co-written and anchored by Shelby Steele, prominent commentator on issues of race, here making his debut on ``Frontline'' (with filmmaker Thomas Lennon). It's a report that offers new evaluations of the subject of racial relations, that puts the issue of race into a contemporary perspective, rather than replaying familiar opinions.

His recent essay in Harper's Magazine, ``I'm Black, You're White, Who's Innocent?'', drew heavy praise and he's soon to have his first book published, ``The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race in America.'' Based on the essay, and his work in this ``Frontline'' documentary, Steele is an important new voice, one who sees things clearly and rationally, in a troubled area.

``Seven Days in Bensonhurst'' is a compelling look at not only racial conflict, but how the media exploits it as well - an important and engrossing documentary that deserves the widest possible audience.

No dice: The appearance of controversial Andrew Dice Clay as host of NBC's ``Saturday Night Live'' last Saturday night proved anti-climactic after all the media coverage, earlier in the week, of the withdrawal from the show of regular Nora Dunn and musical guest Sinead O'Connor as a protest against signing Clay. Despite attempts to play to both the controversy and to Clay's controversial comic persona as the ultimate male chauvinist pig, the writing remained steadfastly lackluster. About the only clever bit Saturday night was a ``Twin Peaks'' spoof.

Having given up on ``Saturday Night Live'' long ago, this return to see it again just reaffirmed an earlier opinion: It's a comedy show that has outlived its usefulness. Fox's ``In Living Color'' is three times funnier - and only one-third as long.

``Twin Peaks'' trivia: On a hunch, John Weeks of Sky Forest, Calif., a ``Twin Peaks'' freak, made up a batch of T-shirts that say ``I Killed Laura Palmer'' (in two colors - Cherry Pie Red and Huckleberry Pie Blue) and they sold like hotcakes. He's doing more shirts - ``Entertainment Weekly'' plans a feature on him - and you, too, can have one by sending $14 to P.O. Box 7, Sky Forest, Calif. 92385.

But Stan Barr, of Mendocino, Calif., hates ``Twin Peaks'' for the fact that he wrote a play in 1985 called ``Twin Peaks'' which won several awards in San Francisco (where the play was produced). He feels that the TV series has ruined any future interest in his play, especially since it deals with single parenthood and is set in San Francisco, not the Pacific Northwest.

Another caller says he just tuned in to ``Twin Peaks'' last week and decided it was California's revenge for all that California-bashing that has gone on around here. He feels if we give them some of our water they may stop doing the show.

Video notes: Cable's HBO repeats the notable ``Chimps,'' with Jane Goodall, at 6:30 tonight. . . . KTPS-TV telecasts the next three hours of ``Shoah'' at 8 tonight. . . . The second episode of the fascinating PBS series, ``Skyscraper,'' airs at 9 tonight on KCTS-TV with one of the best segments showing how the building's exterior is treated to stress tests. . . . ABC's ``thirtysomething'' begins a two-part season finale tonight at 10 on KOMO-TV. . . . Lifetime's ``Attitudes'' show on cable is doing interviews with women in Washington, D.C., all this week, at 3 p.m. . . . Cable's Discovery Channel began airing the first part of a three-part look at ``Arabia: Sand, Sea and Sky,'' at 5 p.m. today, to be repeated at 7 a m. Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday. . . . Dan Rather interviews Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze in a CBS News special, ``Setting the Summit,'' at 12:35 tonight on KIRO-TV. . . . CBS' ``Evening News'' will be telecast from Moscow tonight and tomorrow night at 6 on KIRO-TV.