TV & VIDEO - Dec. 30, 1988

The creators of the ABC show “thirtysomething” continue their quest to fulfill their characters’ dreams. After allowing star Ken Olin’s character, Michael, to step into a 1960s-era sitcom to resolve conflict in a recent episode, producers are now sending him onto the basketball floor to recoup his self-esteem by slamming home the winning dunk in a fantasy sequence. The basketball sequence, filmed at the Forum on Wednesday, also features series co-star Timothy Busfield and several members of the Philadelphia 76ers: Charles Barkley, Maurice Cheeks and Mike Gminski. (The series is set in Philadelphia; the 76ers were in Los Angeles to play the Lakers.) But reality intruded in the filming: The 6-foot-something Olin needed a 7-foot-something ramp to successfully execute the “winning” dunk. The episode will be broadcast Jan. 24, said 76ers spokesman Dave Coskey.