Although [Richard Shapiro] shared the spotlight at the 31st annual Genii awards luncheon with actress Lindsay Wagner (late of "Jessie" and still best known for her title role in "The Bionic Woman"), the producer clearly had top billing during the interminable longer-than-the-Oscars ceremony.

Off stage, Shapiro said she is concentrating on airing a miniseries on the life of Madame Mao Tse-tung, who had been the actress Jiang Qing. It would be based on "White Bone Demon," Ross Terrill's biography of her. Shapiro confirmed that Faye Dunaway is interested in the title role. "If ABC isn't interested, I'll take it to NBC," Shapiro said matter-of-factly.

Wagner, currently "developing" three series whose themes she would not discuss, was honored for her television work on the issue of child abuse and on behalf of holistic medicine, as well as her entire TV career. There was no mention of the dropped series, "Jessie." Wagner also was accorded a film biography that seemed to show substantial sections of virtually everything she has ever done, and a retinue of those who sang her praises.