Abstract: The crucial prime time days in ABC's fall 1992
program lineup will be Tuesday and Wednesday. 'The Wonder Years,' which
currently airs Wednesdays, will either not return or will only be given
a 13 episode run. The show will most likely be replaced by 'Home Improvement'
in order to make
room for new shows on Tuesday, ABC's most successful prime time day.
Some likely candidates for Tuesday slots are 'Going to Extremes,' a medical
school drama, and 'The Jackie Thomas Show.'
Fate of "Wonder Years' among questions to be answered with expected announcement of ABC'S new schedule this week
ABC's planned release of its fall schedule tomorrow (May 12) will bring an end to the anxiety being felt by many companies, writers and producers.
One high-profile series whose future is being negotiated is The Wonder
Years, which may not return for the fall. According to sources, the network
has given New World a 13-episode order, while the production company
is holding out for a full-season order of 22. If the show does return,
whether
13 episodes or 22, it is to be its final season.
The decision on The Wonder Years is one of many that is expected to alter ABC'S Tuesday and Wednesday schedules. Last Wednesday night, ABC gave Home Improvement and Coach a sample airing, and many observers expect it to move both shows from Tuesday to a Wednesday night berth to anchor that night.
Tuesday continues to be ABC'S powerhouse, thanks to the continued strength
of Roseanne in the 9 p.m. slot. Betsy Frank, senior vice president, Saatchi
& Saatchi Advertising, is one of those who expect the network will
move Home Improvement from Tuesday at 8:30 to Wednesday night. "The question
is
whether they think Home Improvement is strong enough to move to Wednesday
at 8 p.m., giving them a hammock at 8:30 on Tuesday between Full House
and Roseanne to launch a new show," she said. In the Tuesday 10 p.m. slot,
occupied most of the year by Homefront, which is also awaiting its fate,
Frank suggested that ABC may schedule Going to Extremes, the latest project
from Joshua Brand and John Falsey. The hour-drama about a medical school
in
the Caribbean has already been given a 13-episode commitment from the
network and will debut on Tuesday night in the summer.
Other questions about those two key nights include the scheduling of
The Jackie Thomas Show (starring Tom Arnold), which the network is apparently
excited about, and whether the network will schedule the latest Neal
Marlens and Carol Black project, Laurie Hill, in the fall. Tom DeCabia,
senior vice
president, The Paul Schulman Company, says that with Coach vacating
the post-Roseanne slot at 9:30 on Tuesday, he expects Jackie Thomas to
be given
that comfortable time period. As a result, he sees Coach moving to
Wednesday 9 p.m.
Saatchi's Frank, however, expects the network to schedule Jackie Thomas
in the Wednesday 9 p.m. slot. "Since they're trying to duplicate the success
of
Tuesday night, they would probably schedule Jackie Thomas, which has
been described as a noisy show like Roseanne, at 9 p.m. Wednesday. "
Aside from Tuesday and Wednesday nights, the network is not expected
to do a major overhaul. Monday is expected to be left alone, with the two
reality
shows, FBI: The Untold Stories and American Detective, seen as strong
lead-ins to Monday, Night Football.
On Thursday night ABC is expected to schedule Matlock, which the network
acquired after NBC passed on it. The series is seen as counterprograming
to
the younger-appeal shows such as Cheers and Beverly Hills, 90210 on
NBC and Fox, respectively. "They [ABC executives] think it's going to be
a whole new
ballgame [on Thursday because of The Cosby Show ending its run] regardless
of what NBC puts in to replace Cosby," said Frank. "Conventional thinking
would be to put programing in from 8-9 that is compatible with Matlock.
Even when Cosby was doing 45 shares on a regular basis ABC was doing pretty
good numbers with older-skewing shows like Father Dowling."
One suggestion Frank said may complete ABC'S Thursday lineup is scheduling
Life Goes On at 8-9. "That show has been positive for ABC from a public
relations standpoint, so maybe they'll try to open up the night with
it. It is also somewhat compatible with Matlock." ABC ends Thursday night
with
already renewed Primetime Live.
As for Friday, which has been the network's most stable night, ABC is
expected to leave the lineup intact. "They probably won't touch Friday
night
unless they come up with something in their development that can replace
Baby Talk," said Frank.
Saturday, which the network has juggled for the past two years, anticipates
more changes, with the 8-10 block ripe for rescheduling. DeCabia suggests
the network will schedule The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, which
was renewed last month. in the 8-9 time period, with a new hour show scheduled
leading into The Commish, which has also been renewed.
The biggest move on Sunday night is the scheduling of the new hour news
magazine in the 7-8 time slot replacing Life Goes On and going head-to-head
with CBS'S 60 Minutes. Also, America's Funniest People is not expected
to return, and Saatchi's Frank suggests ABC may schedule an In Living
Color-type variety-comedy show in the 8:30-9 time slot.
Full Text COPYRIGHT Broadcasting Publications 1992