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the night to watch
Buyers and critics eyeing match-off of top shows
By Elizabeth White
Forget Thursday, which will have a ho-hum sequel to the "Friends"-"Survivor" showdown.
Forget Sunday, whose movie specials will be relegated to one lone network, CBS.
The real primetime battle in the next broadcast television season will be on Tuesday, an up-for-grabs night on which all six networks have tinkered with at least one-third of their lineups.
Out of the 20 shows scheduled for Tuesday, only five are shows returning to the same timeslot as last year.
Eight are brand-new shows. Five have switched timeslots. And two – "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" and "Roswell" – have switched networks.
Additionally, many of the critics’ and buyers’ favorite new shows landed on Tuesday, as did a couple of the predicted stinkers. That makes the night perhaps the most representative evening of what the new fall schedule has to offer.
"Tuesday at 9 p.m. is the best hour in TV for the week because there’s a lot of good things to choose from," says Shari Anne Brill, director of programming services at Carat.
During that hour, "Frasier" will square off against ABC’s much-hyped sitcom "Bob Patterson," starring Jason Alexander, CBS’s drama "The Guardian," Fox’s real-time thriller "24," UPN’s "Roswell" and the WB’s teen Superman drama "Smallville," all of which have received plenty of pre-season buzz.
Only one of those shows, "Bob Patterson," has been picked by the critics as an early failure. The rest have been listed among the most promising of the rookie class (except for "Roswell," which is a rookie only on its network).
The networks are loading Tuesday with some of their best shows because, unlike Monday or Thursday, the night currently lacks a dominant show or network.
The strongest program on Tuesday is the aging "Frasier," but NBC failed in many attempts last season to build a stable of sitcoms around the program, a strategy NBC is again pursuing this year.
"Tuesday is up for grabs because of the competitive fight with ‘Frasier,’" says Susan Hajny, broadcast research manager for GSD&M. "It’s getting to the age where it’s vulnerable, and NBC’s leading the night with ‘Emeril.’ Our pick is that ‘Emeril’ will be one of the first to go."
Poor "Emeril."
The one thing critics and buyers agree on is that this show will be cancelled before you can say turkey with stuffing.
The show about a cooking show has been universally panned since the concept was first announced this spring. Since then, ABC’s "Bob Patterson" has joined the critical whipping post, as major cast and crew changes have taken place over the summer.
The new Stephen Bochco drama, "Philly," is also considered questionable for making it past the fall.
At the same time, several of the most buzz-worthy rookie shows will be fighting over audiences on Tuesday night. Fox’s "Undeclared" and "24," NBC’s "Scrubs" and the WB’s "Smallville," all early critical favorites, join a night now crowded with other, veteran critical favorites like Fox’s "That '70’s Show," the WB’s "Gilmore Girls," the UPN’s "Buffy" and NBC’s "Frasier."
Audiences will most likely be split in the competition, especially in the younger demographics. They’ll have to decide between the WB, the WB Redux (UPN), and a clever new schedule from Fox.
"The comedies on Fox are so much stronger than those on the other networks," says Brill.
"Fox will take adults 18-49 on Tuesday, hands-down. CBS will take first place in homes, viewers, and adults 35 and up. ABC and NBC will skew towards adults 25-54."
July 31, 2001 © 2001 Media Life
-Elizabeth White is a staff writer for Media Life.
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