|
|
'Blue' streak at risk
St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press - October 18, 1999
LYNETTE RICE
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
In a risky scheduling move that could spell trouble for "NYPD Blue," ABC is considering whether to leave "Once and Again" at 9 p.m. Tuesday and give the Emmy-winning cop
drama another home on the network's prime-time lineup.
Stu Bloomberg, ABC Entertainment Television Group co-chairman, told "Blue" creator and executive producer Steven Bochco hat the drama may not return to the time slot it has held for the
past six years. Last May, ABC execs said "Blue" would re-emerge on Tuesdays at 9 after six episodes of "Once and Again" aired in the time slot.
Bochco said ABC is concerned that it may lose momentum established by "Once and Again" if it yanks the show from Tuesdays. "Once and Again," a production of ABC's in-house
unit, Touchstone TV, has won the past four Tuesdays among adults ages 18-49 and women ages 18-49.
The network, Bochco said, also fears that the return of "NYPD Blue" will steer female viewers over to CBS' "Judging Amy," which has proven to be formidable
competition in viewers and the key demographics. "Amy," starring Amy Brenneman, has won the past three Tuesdays in total viewers, gaining 3 million since its premiere, and is No. 2 in
the slot among women ages 18-49. "Once and Again," in comparison, has lost 5 million viewers since its premiere.
Bochco said the move would represent "the most cynical consequence of vertical integration."
"It so disrespects the creative community and so disrespects the viewing public," he said. "And they wonder how they continue to lose the audience hand over fist?"
Should ABC decide to make the scheduling move, it's unclear where or when the Dennis Franz cop drama would return, though there's some speculation that it could re-emerge on Mondays after
"NFL Monday Night Football" sunsets Jan. 3. An ABC spokesman declined comment.
The same type of question surfaced in May when observers began questioning where ABC would stick "Once and Again," starring Sela Ward and Billy Campbell, after it aired six times on
Tuesdays. Unless ABC is willing to cancel one of its "20/20" editions, the net's schedule offers few alternatives for "Blue."
Saturdays have become a veritable black hole for ABC, while the network's family-friendly lineup on Friday would offer an odd lead-in to the cop drama. And "ER" on Thursdays or "Law
& Order" on Wednesdays would be brutal competition for "Blue," should ABC decide to stick it opposite those NBC dramas at 9 p.m.
An angry Bochco said "Blue" has gone from a 9 p.m. hit for six years on Tuesday to "being a cork to fill some yet-unspecified leaky hole in the schedule." Bochco said he has
already completed at least five episodes of the drama that "we believe still has great vitality and life."
At one point, he asked Bloomberg to consider canceling the show so "Blue" could be shopped to a network that cares about the veteran drama, but the ABC exec said no.
Copyright © 1999 St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press. All rights reserved.
|
