News In Brief

WITH THIS, I THEE WED

It's just about the worst-case scenario for a bride or groom: not being able to find the ring on the big day. Take Mark Meltz, for example. The morning of his wedding earlier this week, the Massachusetts resident racked his brains over what could have happened to the gold band. Finally, he remembered his dog, Liza, had developed an unusual cough. Conclusion: She must have swallowed the ring. A veterinarian's X-ray confirmed it. Because there wasn't time to replace the ring, Meltz presentied his bride with - yes - the X-ray.

FORGET THE BRIDAL REGISTRY

Then there's what happened to Tore and Hanne Sandberg on their wedding day in Fauske, a town in northern Norway. As they exchanged vows, Tore's colleagues at a construction company were hard at work on their gift: a new road from the highway to the couple's house. The old one was an often impassable dirt track that the Sandbergs lacked the funds to improve. The new passage already is called Bridal Way.

'Fawlty Towers' voted No. 1 among Britain's TV classics

In Britain, "telly" is as fundamental as tea and cakes. And with only four channels available, many programs become national institutions, rivaling queen and country in popularity. The 1975 sitcom "Fawlty Towers," in which comedian John Cleese played panicky hotel manager Basil Fawlty, has been chosen the best British series of all time, despite lasting only 12 episodes. "Dr. Who," the science fiction favorite that was among many British exports also enjoying long runs on public television in the US, came in third. The top 10 shows, as selected by 1,600 TV-industry voters and released by the British Film Institute:

1. Fawlty Towers

2. Cathy Come Home

3. Doctor Who

4. The Naked Civil Servant

5. Monty Python's Flying Circus

6. Blue Peter

7. Boys from the Blackstuff

8. Parkinson

9. Yes, Prime Minister

10. Brideshead Revisited

- Associated Press

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