Kovacsland: A Biography of Ernie Kovacs

In this biography, one of the seminal forces in early television comes across as pallid and flat. The author, a freelance journalist, straightforwardly details Kovacs's life (1919-1962) and personality--the trauma of his children's kidnapping by his first wife, his compulsive gambling and abundant generosity. Rico falters, however, in her attempt to describe what it was about Kovacs's weekly shows that so delighted viewers in the mid-'50s. The book may create nostalgia in those who remember such Kovacs creations as Percy Dovetonsils and the Nairobi Trio, but will leave the uninitiated wondering what the posthumous praise is about. Photos not seen by PW. (Apr.)