25 YEARS AGO, ANDY SIPOWICZ REHABILITATED THE HIT DRAMA

Do you have more than enough tv dramas to watch these days?  That was not the case in 1993.  One-hour dramas were selling so poorly into syndication that “Law & Order” was conceived in 1990 with the expectation that it would be divided into half-hour reruns.  Sure, there was the award-winning “Picket Fences,” “Homicide” had gotten a whopping four-episode renewal hinging on Robin Williams’ guest starring, and that new “X-Files” showed promise on Friday nights.  But, there hadn’t been a hit.

Steven Bochco sounded the alarm years before.  Having taken his success following “Hill Street Blues” and “L.A. Law” to an unheard of ten-series deal at ABC, Bochco warned programmers that viewers were finding more compelling programming on cable.  (My theory is that all smart, serialized dramas owe a debt to “Hill Street.”)  Not only were there blockbuster feature films playing uncut, but there were also films more adult in nature (see “Skinemax”) drawing viewers away from broadcast television.  This is basically what has been happening with streaming television in recent years. 

Bochco used one of his struggling ABC series, “Civil Wars” (1991-1993) as a test balloon to show that cable-like content to a broadcast audience.  Mariel Hemingway had a brief nude scene and the publicity even garnered an Entertainment Weekly cover in September 1992.  The episode received an 18 audience share opposite “Law & Order” which got a 16 and the “Country Music Association Awards” which got a 32.  “Civil Wars” didn’t last but Bochco and fellow “Hill Street” alum David Milch already had a ground-breaking cop show in development.

Milch and Bochco had been negotiating with the network on content issues including nudity and language for a few years but finally got the series picked up for fall 1993.  The double-entendre titled “NYPD Blue” was protested before it even aired due to its adult language and nudity, yet the audiences tuned in to find a top-quality production.  Premiering on September 21, the pilot got a whopping 27 share with 22.8 million viewers.  It placed 11th for the week.  Like "The Cosby Show" a decade before when comedy had been pronounced dead, "NYPD" resurrected the hour-long drama.

The series had a long, complicated history having lasted twelve seasons on ABC.  Beginning with the infamous departure of star David Caruso in 1994, the cast experienced many turnovers (sometimes reinvention is the necessary element of a truly durable series).  Likewise, the production was fraught with issues as Milch’s eccentricities caused delays until he eventually left in 2000.  The series tackled not only adult content, but also race, class and real crime stories provided by former NYPD cop, producer Bill Clark.

Bochco and Milch also had a good-luck charm in actor Dennis Franz, who starred in all twelve seasons.  Franz had played 28 cops in film and television, including two different ones on “Hill Street.”  Franz embodied one of television’s iconic characters, the rough-around-the-edges Detective Andy Sipowicz.

The following season, NBC launched “ER” which became an instant hit, reaching heights not seen by a new drama since 1976’s “Charlie’s Angels.”  “ER” ran for 15 seasons and other big hits followed like “CSI” and “The West Wing.”  “Law & Order” and “JAG” picked up steam in later seasons, resulting in long runs and many spin-offs including “NCIS” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” which still air today.  “NYPD Blue” was ABC’s longest-running drama ever until recently as “Grey’s Anatomy” continues.

The appetite for quality drama carried over to cable.  HBO launched “Oz” and then “The Sopranos.”  USA began its makeover with lighter dramas beginning with “Monk.”  FX made a name for itself with “The Shield,” “Nip/Tuck” and “Rescue Me.”  AMC transformed from movies to acclaimed series with “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad.”  The evolution continued to streaming networks with Netflix’s “House of Cards” and Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

Bochco and Milch became hitmakers with “Hill Street Blues” at MTM Productions where Grant Tinker decreed “first be best, then be first.”  Long before “Field of Dreams” posited “if you build it, they will come,” MTM had this philosophy.  That philosophy continues today as consumers have more choices than ever while shows have a chance to find an audience in a myriad of locations.

The availability of these shows at your fingertips in 2018 is a miracle to those of us who saved our favorites on vhs in the 1980s and 1990s.  Not all hits have succeeded in the afterlife as comedies often surpass dramas.  “NYPD Blue” went to FX in its early days and “ER” to TNT.  Neither lasted there for many years.  “The Practice” and “Ally McBeal” tanked on FX years later, causing the network to shift to mostly feature films in primetime.  

“NYPD” staggered in home video for years after releasing the first four seasons on dvd.  (They all are available today.)  But as serialized dramas often disappointed in reruns, “Law & Order” quietly built on A&E in the 1990s showing the staying power of the procedural.  The show created to be divided into half-hours saved the day for the one-hour.  Instead of cannibalizing the original episodes on NBC, the A&E reruns-- which were purchased for bargain prices-- actually brought new viewers to NBC.  This pattern followed years later with “24” on dvd and “Breaking Bad” on Netflix.  Viewers caught up and joined the series while they were still in production.

Now, dramas are everywhere.  But the first shots were made by “NYPD Blue.”

Thanks, Andy.

SHOWS FALL WITHOUT A NET

Fox cancels Lucifer, while CBS picks up God.

Fox picks up Last Man Standing, drops Last Man on Earth.

The more things change, the more things stay the same.

This fall will be remembered for continued stability mixed with aggressive moves.  It makes sense not to change too much, thereby keeping your brand known as a convenient location for your favorite shows.  But, as networks examine their weak spots, it makes sense to shake things up.

The glacial shift we have observed for years continues as networks want to own their shows.  This has never been more transparent.  But when ownership changes, as it will with Disney acquiring Fox, we see the metamorphosis as Fox becomes "New Fox."  The first signs of change occurred with Fox's cancellation of weaker performers.  They cut loose "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," "Last Man on Earth," "The Mick" and "Lucifer" while negotiating a final 13-episode season for "Gotham."  Devoted viewers were outraged, but for a network struggling to survive, it wasn't a bad move.  The next step during these times was wondering if these shows would go elsewhere.  After all, "Last Man Standing" went to New Fox a year after ABC cancelled it.  Not only was this a sign of ownership, it also shows the shift at Fox (and other networks) to more traditional family comedies that broadcast networks for which networks are known.  Niche shows are having a harder time.  I thought this might have happened last year.

While viewers logically expected a streaming service to pick up "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," a still creatively viable comedy, it turned out that it's owner NBC Universal brought it in-house.  This way, more episodes would be produced for the after-market.   This scenario occurred to me the day before the show was saved:

It's debatable if "B99" even needs more episodes as its run on TBS in syndication has not been a ratings winner.  But, as a viewer, it's great to have more new episodes.  They didn't wind up on the fall schedule so time will tell how prominent the show's return will be on the schedule.  Many years ago, shows like "Perfect Strangers" and "In the House" were picked up for an additional season with the intention of having new episodes for syndication but were summarily "burned off."

This leads to another aspect about returning series: legacy.  Whether it be restoring an old show with the original cast as with "Roseanne" and "Murphy Brown" or keeping a familiar favorite available to its viewers, legacy is the i.p. (intellectual property) that studios crave.  Likewise, there are remakes such as "Magnum P.I." with a new cast on CBS.  Broadcast television is becoming more of a familiar night at home, while streaming originals are like "a night out."

It was no surprise that networks would play it safe but you can't guess everything right.  Not knowing that "Last Man Standing" would return on Fox when I did my "fall guess" blog, I naturally thought shows like "B99" and "The Mick" would be back and that Fox couldn't languish on Tuesdays with comedies anymore.  Once the dust settled, I thought "LMS" would launch a new comedy night on Fox and that Monday was ripe.  But, the series got its old Friday slot from its ABC days, which also may have been a preference of star Tim Allen, who liked being a big fish on a night that was not known for hits.  The series began on ABC on Tuesdays but built on Fridays after season one where it won the time slot.  Instead, Fox loaded up Mondays and Tuesdays with sophomore success stories "The Resident," "9-1-1," "The Gifted"  and a re-cast "Lethal Weapon."  It's likely they will improve these nights.

When NBC unveiled its schedule, it was expected that they would continue building night by night and using prime slots to grow new shows.  As I guessed, they used Mondays and Tuesdays at 10 for new dramas and Thursdays at 9:30 for a new comedy.  They kept Wednesdays with returning favorites but few would have expected a Dick Wolf all-Chicago night.  A smart way to brand the night as ABC did with "TGIT."  We now have Wolf Wednesday.  (Windy City Wednesday?)

ABC had leaks to plug and got creative.   I expected reality Sundays at 10 but not the first prime-time talk show in a long time with "Sundays with Alec Baldwin."   I imagined a Sunday comedy block at 8 with "Speechless" which did not happen.  They conservatively went back to Friday comedies moving "Fresh off the Boat" and "Speechless" there, but now they go up against "Last Man Standing."  They also recreated the reality hour at 9 where "Shark Tank" reigned for years with the family-friendly "Child Support." These are building blocks to restoring the TGIF brand.  Their surprise was pulling a spin-off, "Dancing with the Stars Juniors" which wisely got the Sunday slot.  

In an attempt to make a hit a bigger hit, they kept "The Good Doctor" Mondays at 10.  Predictors think new hits should always move to save other nights, but sometimes it's wiser to let a hit grow.  Then they used the post-"Roseanne" slot and "Modern Family" slots to launch new comedies and a 10 PM Wednesday drama.  The big question mark is Tuesday at 10 with "The Rookie" where this cursed slot has destroyed many shows this past decade.

CBS always surprises.  Whereas pundits wondered if they would shift many of their comedies to new slots to improve Mondays (a night CBS must have known needed saving), they moved none.  They cut "Kevin Can Wait" and "Superior Donuts" while keeping the three Chuck Lorre shows on Thursday intact.  The surprises happened when the "Murphy Brown" got the protected 9:30 slot and Monday was totally overhauled for the first time ever.  This is the first time since 1949 that its Monday night has no shows that were there the previous season. "Magnum P.I." anchors the 9:00 slot as they again cut back from four comedies to two.   The two comedies will feature diverse casts and coincidentally two "New Girl" alumni so that Schmidt and Coach are back-to-back.  I did guess the hit "Bull" would move from Tuesdays to stabilize Mondays at 10, and to open up the post "NCIS" slot for a new show.  CBS, the home of the "NCIS" and "CSI" franchises, introduces three more letters to the procedural: "FBI."  "FBI is also the first Dick Wolf drama for CBS since 1997's "Feds."

Another prime slot, Sundays at 8, was the natural place for "God Friended Me."  "Touched by an Angel" reigned there for years.  And, of course, God knows "60 Minutes" is a great lead-in.  Much of the rest of their schedule stayed intact.  It took years to have a stable Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night so they will continue to flourish.

The CW, the youngest of the networks, played it safe while using its success to restore a Sunday night of programming.  New hit "Riverdale" and long-timer "Supernatural" lead into new dramas on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  The lower-rated shows like "Dynasty" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" are kept on Friday.  "Supergirl" moves to Sundays which may be tougher than Kryptonite on this competitive night, leading into a reboot of a Sunday-night staple from The WB, "Charmed."

It looks like all five broadcast networks have strengthened their positions.  There are fewer trouble spots for each of them. 

There ought to be a board game.

1993-1994: THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

In a few weeks, the broadcast fall schedules will be announced.  We will be able to watch what we want, when we want as these new series debut.  25 years ago this fall, an amazing amount of historic television events occurred within one month.  Instead of watching online, we were setting our vcrs, especially at 11:35, where the "Late Night Wars" began. David Letterman moved from NBC to CBS, only to be replaced by a former "Simpsons" writer, Conan O'Brien on NBC.  Fox introduced its first late-night show to compete with Letterman and Leno, but "The Chevy Chase Show" turned out to be a historic blunder. 

"Frasier" was spun off from "Cheers" which ended on May 20th, becoming the 2nd most-watched television episode ever in 1993.  "Seinfeld" picked up the slack on Thursdays at 9:00 to become TV's #1 comedy.  Sophomore sitcom "Mad About You" along with "Wings" lead off the Thursday line-up that regained NBC's dominance.  The following year, Fox moved "The Simpsons" away from Thursdays back to Sundays to follow its acquisition of NFL football.  "L.A. Law" course-corrected for its final season in 1993 to provide stability as CBS had ended its long-running "Knots Landing" at 10:00.  NBC later gave "Homicide: Life on the Street" a try-out in the time-slot and it was expected that this show would be the successor to "L.A. Law."  "Homicide" did return to continue until 1999 on Fridays, since "ER" inherited the slot, giving NBC two long-running dramas.  And, of course, "Friends" debuted that year but I am getting ahead of myself.

The network drama was dying.  Steven Bochco argued that to compete with cable, there needed to be more adult content on broadcast television.  "NYPD Blue" premiered that year to much controversy.  Its ratings were hugely successful enabling a 12-year run and until recently, ABC's longest-running drama.   "Law & Order" on NBC entered season 4 and, at the network's request, added female cast members which contributed to that series' longevity.  Fox remembered Friday night sci-fi series of the past such as "Kolchak the Night Stalker" and "The Six Million Dollar Man" so they quietly launched "The X-Files" at 9:00, which grew into a phenomenon.

There were other long-running hits that year such as "The Nanny" and "Boy Meets World." or those that started out big such as "Dave's World," "Living Single" and "Grace Under Fire" which had respectable runs.  "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" premiered at a time when there were no super-hero shows on television and only The Batman in theaters every few years.  It beat out Steven Spielberg's highly-anticipated "Seaquest DSV" to run four years.

While there were hits, there was also increased competition leading to quickly-cancelled shows.  "South of Sunset" starring singer Glenn Frey was cancelled after one episode (which was pre-empted in Los Angeles for news coverage of wildfires) and comedy-reality experiment "The Paula Poundstone Show" was a casualty after two episodes.  Saturday nights were proving to be incapable of sustaining original programming on four networks.  CBS had newcomers "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" and "Walker, Texas Ranger" which became long-running hits.  "Poundstone" aired at 9:00, not even directly against these two, but instantly tanked. It was highly unusual for shows to die so quickly back then.  For CBS, the missing puzzle piece was found the following season with "Touched by an Angel" at 9:00 in 1995.

"Melrose Place" became a hit in its second season at a time where this series as well as "Beverly Hills 90210" were producing 33 or 34 hours of original episodes each year!

Smaller broadcast networks The WB and UPN were still in the planning stages in 1993, and original cable series weren't much more than HBO's "Dream On" and "The Larry Sanders Show."  With that in mind, set your vcrs for this timeline of events that we will likely never see again.

MON 8/30: LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN Premieres on CBS  (22 seasons)

(NBC reruns the first ten 1982 episodes of LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN at 12:35 beginning tonight.)

TUE 9/7: THE CHEVY CHASE SHOW Premieres on FOX (39 shows before cancellation!)

FRI 9/10: THE X-FILES Premieres on FOX (9 seasons + movies + 2 revivals)

SUN 9/12: LOIS & CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN Premieres on ABC against SEAQUEST DSV premiere on NBC  (L&C: 4 seasons, SEAQUEST: 3)

MON 9/13: LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O’BRIEN Premieres on NBC (25 years in late night on NBC and TBS)

TUE 9/14: SAVED BY THE BELL attempts a primetime run with THE COLLEGE YEARS on NBC.  (1 season)

THU 9/16: SEINFELD assumes the Thursday at 9 slot, FRASIER premieres on NBC (11 seasons)

TUE 9/21: NYPD BLUE premieres on ABC (12 seasons)

FRI 9/24: BOY MEETS WORLD premieres on ABC (7 seasons)

SAT 9/26: After a 3-week spring run, WALKER, TEXAS RANGER begins its first full season on CBS (9 seasons)

WED 9/29: GRACE UNDER FIRE premieres on ABC (4 seasons, begins as a Top 10 show).

THE PUZZLE OF THE FALL SCHEDULE

In a few weeks, the broadcast network fall schedules will be announced.  To those of us who remain interested, it is an exciting time to watch strategic moves.  Last year seemed relatively unexciting not only because it feels like the world has moved on to scheduling its own shows, but the networks also played it safe.  ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and The CW made few moves while relying on returning series.  It was the right decision.  Stability is a smart way to go at this time.  Original programs still brand a network.  It’s important to retain brand loyalty by making it easy for fans to find the premieres of their favorite shows.

Viewers still complain that there are too many interruptions with repeats and pre-emptions.  Similarly, shows can be moved without getting a proper chance.  So, with the need for stability, is there a place for big strategic moves?  Nobody asked me, but I believe that moves help.  I’ve been watching the fall “squares” move for a long time.  Often, my fall schedule predictions are wrong but sometimes I like my guesses better than what is announced.  You will see various websites guessing the fall schedule in the weeks to come, so what’s one more?

I begin with Sunday, the most-viewed night of the week, where competition here is fierce.  Yet, more viewers come to the tent on Sunday.  Broadcast networks still have an advantage with football and long-time hits like “60 Minutes” and “The Simpsons.”   ABC needs the most work, having shifted from dramas to reality programs last season.  I think “Shark Tank” and another reality/game show at 10pm is still the way to go, thereby counter-programming the many cable channels with scripted dramas.  I’ve been waiting for a long time for the other networks to bring more comedy back to Sundays like Fox has done.  “Speechless” has a loyal following while being a comfortable family follow-up to “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”  It could launch a new comedy at 8:30.

By the way, I will not be identifying which new shows should be on the fall schedule since it’s pointless having not seen them.   That said, the high-profile revival/reboots have a good chance this fall so I think CBS should take a shot with the new “Magnum, P.I.” after NFL and “60 Minutes.”  One more slight change to Sunday: I’d like to see the broad comedy “L.A. to Vegas” get a shot after “The Simpsons” at 8:30.

The CW will return to Sundays for the first time in many years.  I would move the indefatigable “Supernatural” to 8 to make some noise, with a new show at 9.

Monday is also heavily watched.  Most of the networks are fairly stable here.  The 10 PM slot has been deteriorating across the week so I think “The Good Doctor” should stay there.  Sometimes, a hit show should be left alone to flourish into a bigger hit show.

Fox needs a home for comedy outside of Sundays so I would try Mondays.  “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” could be sacrificed against the 8:00 hits but it would keep the show on the air.  “The Mick” would be a wild alternative to the 9:00 shows.  New comedies at 8:30 and 9:30.

“Legends of Tomorrow” has moved across the week too many times already so I would return it on Mondays but after “Supergirl” at 8.

CBS clearly has to make changes with its once-dominant comedy night on Mondays.  Since moving “Big Bang Theory” to the lucrative Thursday line-up years ago, comedy has never quite recovered on Mondays.  The “Murphy Brown” revival would be best found in its signature slot at 9 to launch a new show at 9:30.   I think it’s time to rip up most of the shows that haven’t worked on this night (bring back “Superior Donuts” mid-season).  The question is how to bridge the broad comedy of “Kevin Can Wait” at 8:30 leading into the topical comedy of “Murphy Brown.”  I’m reluctant to move “Mom” to 8:30, which would be a perfect fit.  Perhaps, a new comedy will work.  Likewise, “Scorpion” has struggled at 10, so shift “Bull” over from Tuesdays and bring back “Scorpion” mid-season. The night also can be jump-started with a few "BBT" originals on Mondays as in seasons past.

NBC’s “The Voice” has launched many new dramas at 10.  I would think this fall is no exception.

“Roseanne” has been a surprise hit for Tuesdays so it really needs to be used to launch a new comedy at 8:30. “Fresh off the Boat” could stabilize the weak 9:30 slot.  10:00 has been a death slot for new shows, so shift “Designated Survivor” over from Wednesdays because the other networks are competitive at that hour.  Again, using big hits to launch new shows is the way to go and moving “Bull” out would allow a new show between “NCIS” and “NCIS: New Orleans.”   “This Is Us” on NBC and “The Flash” on The CW should also lead into new series. 

Fox is the troubled net on Tuesdays.  Comedy series have crumbled here over the years so I say start fresh with an all-new night of action beginning with “The Gifted.”  “Lucifer” could be held for mid-season.  If your eyes rolled at the Monday comedy line-up, here’s where it pays off even more with a more stable Tuesday.

“The Goldbergs” is now often the most-watched comedy on Wednesdays so I would think it has earned the 8:30 slot for its spin-off.  Keep the 9:00 hour stable and launch a new drama at 10 on ABC.  Over at CBS, “Seal Team” could slide to 10 to allow a new drama to be launched after “Survivor.”  The CW could launch a new drama following “Riverdale.”  NBC and Fox should stay the course on a difficult night.  See, that was easy.

Thursday has been falling into place for the networks over the years.  CBS has juggernaut “Big Bang Theory” at 8.  There has been discussion whether to move hit “Young Sheldon” away from 8:30.   I see it as the heir apparent for 8:00 so let’s leave a night that works alone.  Again, “Mom” could go to Mondays but even if you moved “Sheldon” to 9, very little else has worked after “BBT.”  Likewise, ABC has a line-up that works, even though “Scandal” has moved on.  One thing that should be remembered: if you move around shows, you need to keep some nights intact.  

Fox had a surprise hit with “9-1-1” mid-season and should lead off Thursday where the ad dollars are in play.  With long-timer “Supernatural” moved in my Sunday scenario, “Black Lightning” is a growing hit for CW that would be the perfect lead-in for “Arrow.”

NBC has finally gotten a solid comedy night.  “Will & Grace” should launch a new show at 9:30, and I believe, a new drama at 10.  That’s a total of three new dramas for NBC if there are worthy pilots.  If not, “Chicago Fire” could stay at 10.

On Fridays, I think “Chicago Fire” (or “Chicago Med”) would be the strongest 9 PM show for NBC in years.   Fox could return “The Orville” at 9.   CBS and CW remain with the status quo but soon, those CW low-rated dramas will be gone. 

ABC has work to do on Fridays.  I would go with 2 new dramas (or if gun shy about Sunday comedies, move “Speechless” for a comedy hour at 8.)  A light drama like the “Greatest American Hero” revival at 8 might work, too.  This would give ABC a possible total of three new dramas if the pilots warrant.  I realize Friday isn’t a preferred spot for new shows but a marketing focus could bring attention, while not shaking up the rest of the week too much.  Saturdays remain not much of an issue.

For those keeping track, my moves result in:

ABC: 3 new dramas, 3 new comedies, 3 moved shows (2 on new nights)

CBS: 3 new dramas, 3 new comedies, 2 moved shows (1 on new night)

NBC: 3 new dramas, 1 new comedy, 1 moved show (1 on new night)

FOX: 2 new dramas, 2 new comedies, 4 moved shows (all on new nights)

CW: 2 new dramas, 3 moved shows (2 on new nights)

In summary, there is opportunity to benefit from big moves:
ABC Fridays/Sundays

CBS Mondays

NBC Thursdays

FOX Mondays/Tuesdays/Thursdays

CW Thursdays/Sundays

I’ll be comparing my thoughts to the schedules in May.  There will be disappointment, there will be moves that are impressive.  I'll get a lot wrong.  That’s the game of the Squares.

HARRY ANDERSON: TV'S ALL STAR PLAYER

With the passing of Harry Anderson today, we are reminded of the star power that fueled network television in the 1980s and 1990s.  Although "Night Court" and "Dave's World" are not as visible today as other comedies, both were Top 25 shows when television was a shared experience.  Transitioning from street magician to sitcom lead, Harry Anderson was lead-in to struggling sitcoms starring both Jerry Seinfeld and Ray Romano.  While many "Saturday Night Live" performers are known for their leaps to movie stardom, Anderson went from recurring performer doing his magic act in studio 8H to the top sitcoms of the 80s.

You did not miss the Thursday night line-up on NBC in 1984.  Anderson had recurred as con man "Harry the Hat" in the earliest episodes of "Cheers."  After a disastrous fall 1983 where NBC debuted nine flop shows, "Night Court" debuted in January 1984 as a Harry Anderson starring vehicle.  In fall 1984, "Night Court" moved to the post-"Cheers" slot.  "The Cosby Show" debuted and the entire night became 3 hours on one channel that dominated television.  "Night Court" ran for 9 seasons.

The line-up of "Cosby," "Family Ties," "Cheers," "Night Court" and "Hill Street Blues" didn't last forever.  "Night Court" was the most expendable of the group, not being tied to another show or a studio with a show on that night.  It moved to Wednesdays, and faltered a few times on Fridays, but eventually became the lead-in to "Seinfeld" in 1991.  On December 8, 1988, while "Court" was sequestered to Wednesday nights, it returned to Thursdays at 9:30 for a repeat and it topped the ratings as the #1 show that week.

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/12/13/Night-Court-repeat-tops-the-list/2751597992400/


"Night Court" was expected to end in 1991 after a disastrous Friday night of transplants from other nights. ("Quantum Leap," "Night Court," "Wings" and "Midnight Caller" which actually was a solid night of B-listers.  Few networks have had that on Friday nights since then.)  "Court" returned to Wednesday and built up the critically-acclaimed "Seinfeld."  It got an unexpected ninth season and, by 1992, the shows were flipped and "Seinfeld" moved to 9:00.

After the series ended, Anderson returned in 1993 as columnist Dave Barry in "Dave's World."  A freshman hit, "Dave" was part of CBS's dominant Monday comedy line-up for two seasons until, like "Night Court," it moved to Wednesdays and Fridays to boost other nights.  No longer a top show, "Dave's World" was the lead-in to "Everybody Loves Raymond" in the fall of 1996.  Fortunately, "Raymond" moved to the former "Dave" slot on Mondays at 8:30 and became a hit (after a new Cosby show, no less).  "Dave's World" faded away in 1997.

As an assistant in the programming department at CBS in those days, I attended a few tapings and after-parties.  Harry Anderson always seemed to be a friendly guy in a tough business.  I was a few booths away at an after-party from Anderson and former NBC president Brandon Tartikoff, after Tartikoff had guested in a season premiere.  They were partying, having been reunited from their glory days of "Night Court."  In 2018, sitcom revivals have become king.  Anderson was one of the few who had two comedy hits.

RARE ROSEANNE PROMO 1988

LEAPING TOO SOON AND TOO OFTEN

On this date in 1989, "Quantum Leap" debuted with a Sunday night movie premiere.  The show has always had a loyal fan-base.  What many don't recall is that it was a surprise second-season renewal.  Three airings on Wednesdays at 10 saved the show and turned out to be the only time slot that worked for this cult favorite.  This excerpt from my Kindle Single about my days as an NBC page recalls a time when not only was the renewal a surprise, but "QL" was struggling in season two against fellow quality dramas "Wiseguy" and "China Beach."  When asked my two cents, I suggested a family-friendly 8:00 slot, which was a common thought at the time.  When it was attempted in 1990 and 1992, it only proved fans liked their show where it was.  But then, I was among those surprised that the anthology format was going to last.

I arrived in California for the first time at the end of October, 1989, having lined up three or four interviews a day at NBC.  After locating the west coast page lounge, I “camped out” in sort of a mirror universe, complete with our east coast group picture on the wall.  My suit stood out like a sore thumb around the much more casual Burbank office style.   Hanging out in the NBC commissary (made infamous by bad food jokes by Johnny Carson and Bob Hope), I kept a log of my meetings in a notebook.  There was a pay phone outside to call home and internal phones to make appointments. 

Brandon Tartikoff was my first meeting that Monday.   I was greeted by his assistants whom I had previously spoken, and was escorted to an “auxiliary guest office.”  Although disappointed that I wasn’t brought into Tartikoff’s real office, I wonder if the guest office was later made infamous in 1994 when Jay Leno listened in on executive phone calls about his future on “The Tonight Show.”  Tartikoff soon entered, casually dressed in a sweater, and greeted me with familiarity from our few encounters in New York.  He had been working out some details regarding a live “Night of 100 Stars III” that would air the following May.  I told him of my background as a student of television.  He wondered if I had any relatives in the business, but I had not.  He asked if there was an area of programming in which I was most interested.  He had previously met some young people who wanted to enter development, current programming and such.  Without hesitation, I responded “scheduling.”  I had spent my life following the strategies of the then-four networks.  Besides, there weren’t many other people I had met who also followed the schedule.  Most of my page friends wanted to get into sports, news or entertainment programs. 

Tartikoff flipped over one of my resumes and scribbled the names of five of the newer NBC shows on the back: “Sister Kate,” “Mancuso, FBI,” “Hardball,” “Quantum Leap” and “Midnight Caller.”  Three of them were brand new fall shows.  The time-travel drama, “Quantum Leap” is easily the most recognizable of the quintet.  I wondered why he hadn’t written down the new Mel Brooks comedy “The Nutt House,” but later that day, I learned from a USA Today newspaper that it was the first cancellation of the season. 

That fall, “Quantum” went into its second season and was a bit of a surprise renewal.  It struggled on Friday nights early that spring as the replacement for fellow Universal drama, “Miami Vice.”  East coast execs would look at the overnights and ask “when can we get “Vice” back in there?”  With the series finale looming, “Vice” wound up replacing “Quantum” on Fridays after it had aired three times.  (Incidentally, “Vice” wrapped things up with a finale and still had four unaired episodes that didn’t broadcast until later.)  “Quantum” then ran three times on Wednesday nights at 10:00 where it did well in the 18-49 demographics.  It had only aired twice when it was announced as renewed for the fall schedule.  That fall, it didn’t set the world on fire on Wednesdays (competing with two other quality dramas, “Wiseguy” on CBS and “China Beach” on ABC).  Tartikoff asked me to write a few paragraphs about the five shows and send it to his office.  In my paper, I said to give “Quantum” which felt like an early-evening show, a couple of shots at Sundays at 8:00.  To me, the anthology format of the show to be like roulette.  If you liked the life Sam Beckett jumped into that week, fine.  If you didn’t like that life or the time period, you might not watch.  A Sunday tryout should show if there was interest and if not, pull the plug.  I was wrong, as it slowly built a loyal audience on Wednesdays and ran five seasons.  But, as I suspected, it was tested at 8:00 on Fridays and Tuesdays in the years to follow but it never did as well as in its Wednesday slot.

          That week in Burbank, I met with various executives in comedy, drama, late night, children’s programs, research and (the now extinct) movies-for-television.  Let’s cut to the chase.  I didn’t get a job.  There were two assistant positions I had applied for, as those assistants had been promoted.  Although there was no idea how to find a place to live and start working within the month, I was game.  I didn’t even have a credit card yet and had never rented a car.  I told the executives, some of whom went on to be network presidents, about my meeting with Tartikoff and my “scheduling assignment.”  Some drama executives shared their frustration about “Quantum Leap,” where they had received feedback that the handsome Scott Bakula never got the girl in the episodes.  In the far future, Bakula’s character was married but the female audience was hopeful that he would have romances (while inhabiting other people’s bodies).  

These rare promos aired the week before my 1989 visit to Burbank

and these aired after the show had moved to Fridays for the 1990/1991 season.

HOW WILL THE SHORT-LIVED SERIES BE REMEMBERED?

What is a show's legacy?  What will it take to make a show "evergreen" so viewers will find it for generations to come?  These are questions that occur to me in the era of "Peak TV."  This weekend, I binged a recent favorite, Judd Apatow's "Love" on Netflix.  It is concluding after three seasons and only 34 episodes.  I presume, as many current series do, they are wrapping the series having had an ending in mind.  Not every series has the sustenance to have a long run.  Since streaming services don't reveal its viewership figures, we don't know the viewership of "Love."  But even if the series ended on its own terms, even cancelled shows have had a history of being remembered.

Apatow, of course, is no stranger to short-run favorites having the top of the list, "Freaks and Geeks" which ran for one 18-episode season in 1999-2000 followed by "Undeclared" with 17 episodes in 2001-2002.  Even the highly-acclaimed "The Larry Sanders Show" from earlier in his career can still be elusive despite six seasons and 90 episodes.  The show won many awards, was considered one of the best comedies ever, but even on its original run on HBO, it was reported as low rated.  HBO kept it going because of its quality.  When it later aired in syndication on Bravo and IFC, the reruns didn't last long, either.

Look at even shows like "Lost," "Heroes," "Mad Men" and "Damages" which ran for multiple seasons at various success, now hardly in the zeitgeist.  How about "Dallas" and "Knots Landing" which aired for over a decade?  Some of these shows air on streaming services if you go looking for them.  What chance does a 34-episode series stand in being "found" by a new fan 20 years from now?

Streaming services have had many series of various lengths, but they proceed to emphasize original programs.  This was how earlier models of cable channels grew.  In the 90s, TV Land was a haven for forgotten gems.  In recent years, sub-channels such as Antenna TV, getTV and Decades have presented curated rarities such as variety shows, forgotten westerns or crime shows like Burt Reynolds in "Dan August."   But, as these channels progress, hits dominate.  Antenna has mostly familiar favorites like "Wings" and "Murphy Brown," getTV has "All in the Family" and "Sanford & Son" and Decades has had weekend-long marathons of shows like "Mary Tyler Moore" or even long-running oldies like "Our Miss Brooks."  They each have an oasis for some rarities, though.  I was reminded of the 1970s "The Comedy Shop" featuring stand-up comedians when I recently saw it on a Decades schedule.  The hopes are that the hits on the sub-channels will drive viewers to the exclusive shows.

Ten years ago, when I was programming the Chiller network, we aired a one-season wonder called "Profit" starring Adrian Pasdar from 1996.  During that time, the 2008 Writers' Strike was going on and original scripted programming was suspended.   By going after "Profit" fans at Entertainment Weekly, we were able to get publicity for the series as if it were a new series.  They had little else in television to report on during those days.  If 2018 is Peak TV, 2008 was Valley TV.  Chiller was on the air for only a year with little awareness, but we got an "A" rating for our program in a national magazine.  How will the word get out for "Profit" or its 2018 counterparts in the future?

It's likely that, as with cable, there may be more niche streaming services that will curate these kinds of shows.  But, years from now, there will be even more services competing!  Variety is wonderful but it will be a challenge to be "one-stop shopping" for those of us who forget even our own favorite short-lived shows.  Strategy will still be necessary to rotate and emphasize these shows.

Of course, there is also the chance the show will get revived as original programming.  Studios are currently trying to resurrect "The Greatest American Hero," "Get Christie Love!" and "Roswell" among others.  If they become new series, this would theoretically bring interest to the original series.

Have they revived "Love" yet?

THAT SHOULD HAVE WORKED!

As we approach the announcements of new fall schedules this May, we are reminded that viewers need guidance more than ever before.  There is always the temptation to spread the wealth as the volume of programming increases.  But there is a danger in damaging what is already working.

In 1982, TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT, a sitcom starring Ted Knight, was the #6 show in television, largely due to following the #4 show, THREE'S COMPANY on Tuesday nights at 9.  The bawdy comedy had over 22 million viewers!  Much like now, the network sitcom was struggling in 1982.  A number of ABC sitcoms had either ended (BARNEY MILLER) or were unexpectedly cancelled (MORK & MINDY, TAXI, BOSOM BUDDIES) leaving Thursday nights wide open.  It made a lot of sense that fall to move TOO CLOSE to Thursdays at 9 to anchor a night of new comedies.  Its competition that fall was NBC's CHEERS, which was occasionally the lowest-rated show of the week.  CHEERS was moved to 9:30 temporarily and went on for eleven seasons.  TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT was cancelled by ABC in 1983 after three seasons.  CBS's strong action series, MAGNUM, P.I. and SIMON & SIMON put an end to the ABC sitcom block very quickly.  Matter of fact, ABC didn't have a hit Thursday series after this until GREY'S ANATOMY was moved there in 2006.   TOO CLOSE did return a few years later in first-run syndication for three more years, ensuring enough episodes for syndication.  Would it have thrived on ABC had it moved back to Tuesdays as the network did with LAVERNE & SHIRLEY in 1980?  We'll never know. 

 

It wasn't enough to move a hit show to help another night.  As the CBS shows proved (and GREY'S), anticipating the successful genre of the day is more important when re-locating viewer favorites.   In 1982, action shows were on the rise.

Another case study would be KING OF THE HILL, which in 1998, was the #15 show with over 16 million viewers.  This animated comedy was launched on Sundays at 8:30 after THE SIMPSONS and was probably the most successful show ever to follow THE SIMPSONS.  In 1998, you guessed it, KOTH was moved in its third season to Tuesdays at 8 to anchor a new comedy night for Fox.  It failed against mega-hit HOME IMPROVEMENT and growing drama hit, JAG.  However, KOTH returned to Sundays where it went on for a total of thirteen seasons and 259 episodes.  Sometimes it's important to nurture a hit show instead of chasing new hits.

We are currently in an era where the 30-minute sitcom hit is a rare thing.  YOUNG SHELDON has worked out well this season, and obviously BIG BANG THEORY has grown into a mega-hit that may be a dinosaur.  Will we ever see a 12-season 24-episode-a-year comedy again?  It's still difficult to "transplant" shows to nights where a network doesn't have a stranglehold on a comedy block.  BLACK-ISH is no longer protected having moved to Tuesday nights from Wednesdays following MODERN FAMILY.  And Fox scrambles with newer shows on Tuesdays and hopes that SIMPSONS and FAMILY GUY on Sundays will still bring viewers to something new like GHOSTED and LA TO VEGAS.

Finding series is still important in today's streaming age.  Even if you are a loyal subscriber to a channel or service, there isn't always a clean map of what that programmer provides.  As helpful as "if you like this, you may like this" suggestions are, there really isn't a master-list of everything a streaming provider offers.

And now, like on linear television, you may not have time to find a show in time to help its survival.

At least one streaming comedy series has had producers ask that fans make sure they binge a number of episodes as soon as possible so that the show gets another season.  Those shows are in danger. It's looking like streaming isn't as ratings-proof as we had thought, which is a shame when it appeared like there was a haven for quality shows while they find their footing.   Shows like the critically-praised ONE DAY AT A TIME need viewer support.

Counter-programming isn't enough when a programmer thinks a comedy might be the way to fight off a hit drama.  At times, it may doom a show.  Viewers don't always follow a favorite show (whether it be linear scheduling or in the streaming wilderness).  The show needs to be in familiar territory and disassociated away from hits on the rise that could be counter-programming . It wasn't until MAGNUM and JAG were older hits that new comedies on other networks were able to challenge them.  The 1982 comedy scare didn't get turned around until 1984.  We see in recent years that revival shows like WILL & GRACE and ROSEANNE are not coincidentally placed on the nights for where they were best known.  This is not only to help the show-- but to also boost that night.

In the streaming world, it may be increasingly important that comedies need to be paired with known hits for consumer awareness.  For example, Netflix has FULLER HOUSE so they've made a four-camera sitcom work, and those fans need to become more aware of ONE DAY AT A TIME.  Networks have long marketed their shows a block in advertising.  Maybe it's time to have "high tides raise all ships."