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man by Joey Sauo CONFIDENTIAL REPORT: Multi-talented Rick Spring­ field is just one step away from becoming the new John Travolta. The Australian-born star is riding high in the pop music charts with his best selling single, "Jesse's Girl." And as Dr. Noah Drake on the leading daytime soap opera "General Hospital," he is one of the top heart­ throbs on TV. But he still longs for the big breakthrough that will rocket him to the top, just as "Saturday Night Fever" did for Travolta. "When I hear people call me an overnight success, I have to laugh," Springfield, 31, told me. "I mean, this 'overnight' has taken me more than nine years." The handsome young actor-singer first came to America in 1972, after a brief fling with pop stardom in Australia. He made two unsuccessful attempts to hit the music big-time in the U.S. before turning his attention to acting. "I made the decision to succeed as an actor," he says. "I took acting classes and worked on losing my Australian accent. I knew I had the determination and self-discipline to succeed." After numerous guest spots on shows like "The Rockford Files," "Wonder Woman" and "The Six Million Dollar Man," Springfield landed the role in "General Hospital." "To be honest, I was never really a fan of the soaps," he admits. "But now I concede that there is more to them than I originally credited them with." TV BACKSTAGE: Erik Estrada returned to work on the NBC series "CHiPs" after missing three episodes because of a contract dispute with MGM Television, said Bill Barron, speaking for the studio. As Estrada walked onto the soundstage, all eyes turned toward him and he said, "Remember me?" Barron said Estrada was greeted warmly by fellow cast members Larry Wilcox, Bruce Jenner, Robert Pine and Brodie Greer and the crew. Representatives of Estrada and MGM settled their dif­ ferences and their lawsuits against each other were dismissed. The actor said: "I'm glad to be back. I'm ex­ cited about it." Barron said Jenner, who was hired after Estrada refused to report for work, is expected to remain. TV CLOSEUP: You can win an official Cosmic Cow Fan Club button ... if you send in a fun pun to keep our "Too Close For Comfort" star smiling. Here are a few examples of the kind of one-liners we're looking for: "When Cosmic Cow placed a really big order for Chinese food for the cast it weighed won ton." "When Cosmic Cow said he could draw with a pencil, Ted Knight thought it was pointless." The first 100 fans to send in an amoozing one-liner will receive an official and colorful Cosmic Cow Fan Club but­ ton. Please send your gag to Cosmic Cow Fan Club, P.O. Box 215, Pearl River, New York 10965. And, of course, join the fun on "Too Close For Comfort" with stars Ted Knight, Nancy Dussault, Deborah Van Valkenburgh and Lydia Cornell on your ABC-TV station . . . "Dynasty" star Linda Evans will probably marry Beverly Hills restaurant owner George Santo Pietro before Christmas . .. British actress Joan Collins has joined "Dynasty" as John Forsythe's ex-wife. She's getting half the $1 million Sophia Loren demanded when offered the Pa ft. TV COMPULOC SERVICES, INC. TUESDAY. NOV. 3 government witness is Killed. (60 m[ns) iwt Odyssey 'Little Injustices: Laura Nader Looks at the Law' Where do people go when a product fails and no one will take responsibility? Anthropologist Laura Nader compares the way legal systems in Mexico and the U.S.aettledisputesandconsumer complaints (Closed-Captioned; U.S.A.) (60 mine.) ID John Callaway Interviews 'Leontyne Price' tells Callaway how her upbringing in Laurel, Mississippi, gave her the strength to be what she calls the 'token1 black star ol grand opera. (60 minaj S® Iris Chacon (St American Catholic M.A.S.H. 9:30 © Movie -(Adventure) ** "Rough Cut" 1980 Burt Reynolds. David Niven. A master jewel thief comesoutolretirement toplanaspectacularheistofuncut diamonds. (Rated PG) (2 hrs.) 69 ® Independent Network News €D ®t Living Stones ID Barney Miller 9:50 €D TBS Evening News 9:56 09 ® Newscene 10:00 OOOOBOffiffiO News Barney Miller 8 M.A.S.H. Vldeoweat MacNeil-Lehrer Report 8 Entertainment Tonight Informaclon 26 700 Club'Principles of Time Management' CD Movie -(Drama) * "China­ town Kid" 1979 No Other Information Available. (2 hrs.) 10:15 (9) ID Saturday Night Quests: Dick Cavett, Ry Cooder. 10:20 6D ® Movie -(Weatern) ** "Long Riders" 1980 David Carradine, Keith Carradine. (Paid Subscription Television) Story of the James-Younger outlaw band, one of the most feared, notorious and admired gangs of the Old West (2 hrs ) 10:30 O CBS Late Movie Alice: 'Goodnight, Sweet Vera' Vera is having problems with her boyfriend and decides to end it all, but shedoesn'tcounton Aliceand Flo interfering with her plan. (Repeat) McCloud: The Million Dollar Roundup' A trail of murders frofn Rome to New York leads McCloud to a $2 million statuette of a horse and the unsavory characters trying to acquire it. (Repeat) Q«B Maude O ffl The Tonight Show Guest Bill Cosby. (60 mina.) S Entertainment Tonight ABC News Nlghtline Anchored by Ted Koppel. All In The Family Saturday Night ® Benny Hill Show €D U.S. Chronicle II 'The Politica of Punishment' describes the ways in which politicians use the crime issue as an election tool. {Nightly Business Report M.A S H Starsky And Hutch Movie -(Drama) •• "Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy" 1977 Peter Strauss. Barbara Parkins The story of Joseph Kennedy, Jr., fhe eldest otthefour Kennedy brothers who was the first to meet a premature and violent death. (2 hrs.) CD ® Movie -(Adventure) * "Greet Cell Of The Wild" One man'acruaade to preserve a large natural wildernessin the American Northwest (2 hrs.) S® La Colorlna Englieh Channel 'Einstein: The Man Behind the Geniua' 2) 'Continuum: The SpecialTheory of Relativity' 10:50 CD Movie -(Oreme) •** "Satan Never Sleeps" 1962 William Holden, Clifton Webb Anti Communist fHm concerning life in a miasion taken over by the Chinese Communist Army. (2hrs., 30 mins.) 11:00 O The Tonight Show Guest: Bill Cosby. (60 mins.) SJeffereone Fentasy Island Two women desire to return to prehistoric times when women were totally dominated by primitive men; and, Mr. Roarkegivesablind detective his eyesight so that he can locate the missing woman who la the love of hia life. (Repeat; 70 mina.) Q® CBSLate Movie Alice: 'The Laat Review' Alice inviteathefood editor of the local newspaper to aample the fare at Mel'a Diner in the hopea of attracting more buainess (Repeat) McCloud: 'TheBarefootStewardeasCaper' Attractive airline stewardeaaes double as cat burglars in an international. jewel theft ring. ^Repeat) All In The Family Masterpiece Theatre 'Duchess of Duke Street: The Reluctant Warrior' Danger brings out the best and the worst in the inhabitants of the Bentinck, as a bombing raid raid takesLondonby surprise. (60 mins.) ID Masterpiece Theatre: Duchess Ot Duke Street Q Odd Couple ID Midwest Video Showcase IE) SportsCenter SBf Racing From Yonkers Raceway 11:16 (3)«DcBSLateMovleAlice: Big Daddy Dawaon's Coming' Flo hashigh hopes fora reconciliation with her flamboyant ex-husband when he arrives in town. (Repeat) McCloud: 'The Cowboy In Paradise' Don Ho guest stars as a nightclub singer who is involved in a scheme to frame Chief Clifford in a murder(Repeat) 11:30 O 19 Tomorrow Coast- To-Coast Guests: rock group Devo. (90 mins.) SBob Newhart Show Movie-(Comedy1**Vt "Bachelor Party" 1957 DonMurray.CarolynJones. After a night's carousing at bachelor party, a bookkeeper, who has just learned he is about to become a father, returns home with deeper respect for his wife. (2 hrsj £D 22 Comedy Classics IS ID ABC News Nlghtline Anchored by Ted Koppel. CD Mo vie-(Comedy)** to "Baby Blue Marine" 1976 Glynnis O'Connor, Jan-Michael Vincent. A boot camp dropout during WW II is mistskenforaherobyresidentsof a smsll town in Colorado. (Rated PG) (90 mina.) IS) NFL Game Of The Week (R) €D® JlmBakker ID Movie-(Drama)** "Man on a String" 1971 Christopher George. Joel Grey. Government undercover agent maneuvers two rival mafia families into a confrontation. (90 mins.) 12:00 0 Tomorrow Coast- To-Coeat Guests: rock group Devo (90 mins.) O Movie -(Comedy-Western) **to "The Rounders" 1965 Glenn Ford, Henry Fonda. Two itinerant bronc busters sign up with a skinflint to break a string of horses. (95 mins.) S<32> Nlte Owl Dick Cavett Show Fantaay Island A woman doctor, who diatruats all men, ia in