TV & VIDEO - Jan. 8, 1990

Nuell to Return to ‘Entertainment Tonight’: David Nuell, who was negotiating with NBC to take over the troubled “Today” show, will instead return to “Entertainment Tonight” as co-executive producer along with Jim Van Messel. Nuell will focus primarily on long-range planning and development of future stories for the daily show and the one-hour weekly, “Entertainment This Week,” while Van Messel will oversee the day-to-day production of the two shows, Paramount executives announced Friday. Nuell had been a candidate for producer of the “Today” show and was scheduled to have taken over the helm today until NBC withdrew its offer last month. Nuell, 47, is a 20-year broadcast news veteran who guided “Entertainment Tonight” into syndication.