Aging sidekicks turn old to gold By Charles WKbeck HOLLYWOOD Sneered at by NBC for its over-45 audience, CBS plays to the geriatric set tonight, with Milton Berle, Sid Caesar and Danny Thomas swapping leers and gags in "Side by Side," (8 on Ch. 3). Playing three old fogies forced to retire, the trio fights back, going into business making clothes for senior citizens. Morey Amsterdam, who lives down the hill from Danny Thomas in Beverly Hills, runs Moe's Deli where the men gather to gripe. And Marjorie Lord, Danny's wife on "Make Room for Daddy," returns as Sid Caesar's wife, Lillian.

Originally, Danny Kaye was involved, but his health failed. The idea comes from Rosemary Edelman, who grew up on "Make Room for Daddy" stages when her father, Lou Edelman, helped run the show. Mapping out time when all three semi-retired comics were available became a problem. Danny Thomas is always flying off to some benefit or doing a commercial. At 75, cigar in hand with a touch of gray around the temples, Danny Thomas looks fit.

He laughed over the show's schedule because it was all shot on I . .- f' '1 ' Milton Berle, Danny Thomas and Sid Caesar location, meaning the men had to get up early and be carted off. But filming it was a breeze for all there. If they needed a joke, Morey Amsterdam had a garage full. At this stage, Danny Thomas doesn't make a fuss over preparation.

"I'm one of the great procrastina-tors. I wait until the last minute." Neither does he bother with many takes. On his commercials, he always warns his director, 'Two takes and I'm gone. Thar s it." If s very simple. "My adrenalin is running that first take," says Thomas.

"I don't improve with more exposure. Sid, Milton and I understand each other. We know what s required." TV Week's index is on Page 4..