Well, It Seemed a Good Idea at the Time

Eddie Murphy’s new movie, “Metro,” opens Friday, but it probably isn’t the project he would have chosen to follow “The Nutty Professor.” Then again, how was he to know when he committed to “Metro” that “Professor,” which grossed more than $125 million, would be such a shot in his arm? After such blockbusters as “Beverly Hills Cop,” “48HRS.” and “Trading Places,” Murphy’s career appeared to flounder; audiences were rather less enthusiastic about “Boomerang,” “The Distinguished Gentleman,” “Vampire in Brooklyn” and “Beverly Hills Cop III.” So, “Metro”--in which Murphy plays a wise-cracking San Francisco police hostage negotiator--probably looked like a pretty good offer, even though it looks from the trailers to be twice-as-loud and half-as-funny as “48HRS.” or the original BH “Cop.” Oh well, that’s the price you pay for a revived career.

Just as Long as They Don’t Remake ‘YMCA’

Initial radio reaction to U2’s new single, “Discotheque,” will be revealed today when reports from Broadcast Data Systems show how many outlets are playing the song, which finds the group incorporating hard-edged electronic dance grooves into its sound. “Discotheque” is the first single from the band’s upcoming album, “Pop,” which is due in stores March 4 and whose progress will be watched closely to see if the Irish super group can avoid the surprising sales slowdown that was encountered last fall by R.E.M. and Pearl Jam. A strong radio response to “Discotheque” would show that programmers haven’t lost faith in the band’s appeal. MTV reaction is already glowing for the lighthearted video, which at one point finds the quartet dressed in Village People garb. “It’s terrific,” says Patti Galluzzi, senior vice president of music programming for the cable channel, which is playing the clip in heavy rotation. “I love that the band is having a lot of fun and not taking itself too seriously. . . . It’s one of my favorite new things. It makes me really excited for the new album.” Bob Bell, new-release buyer for the Wherehouse Records chain, expects big things from the album. “The U2 name and fan base is strong enough to carry it out of the box,” he says, “and an interesting single and the band’s new direction could benefit from very good timing. A lot of [British techno dance] acts such as Prodigy and Orbital and the Chemical Brothers are really starting to happen commercially for the first time.”

It’s All in the Energy and Vibrancy

When Esa-Pekka Salonen took over the podium at the L.A. Philharmonic in 1992, he talked a lot about increasing the orchestra’s commitment to contemporary music, eclecticism and risk-taking. This week he tackles all three goals himself, as he unveils his first composition created especially for the players of the Phil--”LA Variations.” It contains “probably the most joyful music I’ve ever written,” says the conductor-composer, all the better to show off the “virtuosity and power of my orchestra.” There’s a synthesizer to “punch up” the bass line, a homage to fellow Finn Jean Sibelius and a “mantra rhythm.” But where’s L.A.? “You can’t depict Los Angeles in 20 minutes,” Salonen says. “It’s too diverse. But I couldn’t have written the piece without having lived here.” The proof? Listen for L.A.’s “tempo, energy and the vibrancy of its popular music scene” at the world premiere Thursday night.

A TV Schedule Made on Bourbon St.

The TV season is only half over, but thousands of television executives descend on New Orleans this week to look at new talk shows, game shows and children’s fare for next season. It’s the annual convention of the National Assn. of Television Program Executives, a three-day bazaar for the hawking of syndicated shows such as “Live With Regis & Kathie Lee,” “Wheel of Fortune,” “Hard Copy” and “Hercules.” Among the rookie candidates competing for air time on local stations across the country come fall are a talk show with Naomi Judd, a daily version of the now-weekly “Martha Stewart Living,” a revival of “The People’s Court,” a series adapted from the movie “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” and a “Pictionary” game show. Oh, and “LadyLaw,” a reality series hosted by Marcia Clark about women working in law enforcement--sort of a modern-day version of “Xena: Warrior Princess.”

Compiled by Times Staff Writers and Contributors