VARIETY MAY BE SPICE OF STATLERS' CAREER.(PREVIEW)

Byline: SCOTT WILLIAMS Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) As almost everybody in prime-time television will tell you, variety is dead.

Fortunately, they couldn't convince the Statler Brothers. If you tune in The Nashville Network on any Saturday night, you'll see a sure-enough, straight-ahead, unabashed hour of ``musical variety.''

``When we went to do a television show for the network, everybody said the variety format was dead,'' said Don Reid, lead singer of the quartet, none of whom is named Statler. ``So we did it, and we're fortunate to have it so well received.''

Well received, indeed. ``The Statler Bros. Show,'' airing at 9 p.m. …