Dear John

Thank you, Rams. You saved money by letting Greg Bell go after back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Pete Holohan is gone after always being able to catch the ball. When a first down is needed, Irv Pankey, one of the best blockers, is gone. Gaston Green, who was never given a chance by the coach, is gone. And you have saved me money because next year I will take my money to the bank instead of buying season tickets again after 30 years of loyal support. RICHARD L. MAGGOTS, Huntington Beach

John Wesley Harding stands widely accused of being a lesser version of Elvis Costello. Thursday night at the Coach House, he blithely pleaded guilty. The young British rocker launched his encore segment with Costello's "Miracle Man," lending new meaning to the song's pointed refrain, "Why do you have to say that there's always someone who can do it better than I can?" The delivery was raw, but it lacked the bitterness and gumption of a sarcastic self-defense. Harding seemed to be saying that the criticism doesn't bother him, that it hardly matters.

He's a country music die-hard, owning thousands of albums and a record company in Van Nuys. He fills in as disc jockey at KCSN and tours local clubs as Herman Schmerdley, a '50s rockabilly singer. But Tom Willett is earning his reputation--and more money than he ever imagined--by saying absolutely nothing. He is Tom of the One-to-One Club, a support group for the divorced on the NBC sitcom "Dear John" starring Judd Hirsch, which airs Wednesday nights.

Dear Dianne: Hooray! Hooray! Someone finally noticed this idiotic complaint. . . . My vanity plate, which is WHOPPOP, was given to me as a birthday gift from my daughter, who, by the way, is married to an Italian. . . . Why would we try to ridicule or insult our own heritage? I am as proud of my Italian heritage as I am to be an American. . . . I have no quarrel with those whose opinions or beliefs differ from mine but I also have my rights to that same freedom of expression. . . .

To begin with, I am a loyal fan of NBC and I watch it faithfully. My favorite days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. However, the network recently moved "Dear John" from Thursdays to Wednesdays to make room for the new comedy, "Grand." Why they call it "Grand" is beyond me. After two viewings, I was hoping for a grand finale. George Torok, Lynwood

NBC, you're losing it. Case in point: How could you move "Dear John" to Wednesday nights? You've lost me. Bunny Katz, Sherman Oaks

"Grand" isn't. Not yet, anyway. Premiering at 9:30 tonight on NBC (Channels 4, 36 and 39), this is one of those new comedies that demands several viewings before judgment. As for now, mark it down as . . . interesting. "Grand" succeeds "Dear John" in the coveted time slot following "Cheers," with "Dear John" moving to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays in place of "My Two Dads," which is moving to Sundays at 8 p.m. in place of "Ann Jillian," which NBC says is on hiatus until March.

Atty. Gen. John Van de Kamp apparently knows that Dana Point City Councilman Mike Eggers is a magnetic figure in South Orange County politics. In a recent "Dear Mike" letter to Eggers, Van de Kamp sought to enlist him in his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor. "You and I have worked together for years within the Democratic Party to advance our common agenda. . . . " Van de Kamp wrote. Oops! Eggers, a lifelong Republican, is also the full-time district aide of Republican U.S. Rep.

NBC's "Cheers" and ABC's "Roseanne" tied for first place as NBC won--for the 54th straight week--the Nielsen television ratings for the week ended July 2. The two comedies were closely followed by another CBS comedy, "Dear John," which placed third. Altogether, NBC won seven slots in the Top 10 with ABC having three shows at the top. CBS was squeezed out. NBC won the ratings with an average of 11.9, ABC had 8.5 and CBS had 8.3.

The dog days of summer are here for the networks. Ratings released Tuesday by the A.C. Nielsen Co. showed that ABC, CBS and NBC combined to attract only 60% of the viewing audience during prime time last week. That means four of every 10 TV sets in use were tuned to something other than the Big Three, whose schedules were dominated by reruns. CBS and ABC suffered the most, with each drawing only 18% of the audience, compared to 24% for NBC.