Chicago Tribune

March 31, 1987 Tuesday, SPORTS FINAL EDITION

SECTION: TEMPO; Pg. 8; ZONE: C

LENGTH: 432 words

HEADLINE: 'MOONLIGHTING' BABIES ARE TV'S BIG MYSTERY

BYLINE: By Alan Carter. New York Daily News.

BODY:

The hottest whodunit on the tube these days surprisingly isn't on mystery shows like "Murder, She Wrote," or "Matlock." No, indeedy. The biggest question on TV these days is: Who will be the father of Maddie's twins on ABC's "Moonlighting"?

Our favorite detectives at the Blue Moon detective agency, Dave (Bruce Willis) and Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) have not, as yet "gotten horizontal." But we have seen Sam (Mark Harmon) and Maddie share a few minutes between the sheets. Hmmm. Maybe Sam is the daddy? The final episode that Harmon was set to guest star in airs at 8 p.m. Tuesday on ABC-Ch. 7. There is no word yet if Harmon's role will be continued.

A People magazine article reported that "Dave and Maddie are headed for the bedroom and as a result of this prime-time romp, Addison will be the proud papa of twins." This is news to the folks at "Moonlighting." They insist that the decision about who will be the papa "has not been decided yet." Well, whatever the script writers come up with, here are some scenarios to be added to the realm of possibility:

David is the man: Imagine this guy being in charge of young children. After all, Maddie has already taken him to task on several episodes for his childish behavior. Does he really make good dad material? Besides, can you imagine how bratty his kids would be? Singing Motown songs at the drop of a hat. Leering at members of the opposite sex. Speaking in sexual double entendres.

Sam is the man: He's an astronaut. A dangerous line of work, to be sure. He probably earns more than David. But Sam sometimes goes away--make that far, far away--on holidays and birthdays. These poor kids could grow up saying, "Where's poppa?" Sam and David are sort of even in the charisma and charm department. But imagine what Sam and Maddie's kids will look like. Models, surely.

A new twist: For years they've kept audiences guessing about will they or won't they? Now "Moonlighting" has a gold mine they can drag out over another few seasons. Namely: Who is the father? Imagine if Sam and David both have the same blood type. And what if Maddie's hospital botches up the results --over and over again. The confusion could be endless.

They're both the father: Yes. Stranger things have happened. Doctors say that it is not possible (well, maybe in The Inquirer it is), for two men to father twins. But TV is not real life. So why not? Boy, this scenario could be fun. Imagine, David and Maddie fighting while David and Maddie's son fights with Maddie and Sam's daughter. Gee, this way, the series could go on forever.