ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, November 20, 1996 TAG: 9611200016
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN CARMAN SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
The public says it wants richer, more complex TV shows that are willing to deviate from formula.
The public might be full of baloney.
Maybe the networks had the audience pegged right all along in figuring the elements of success: Keep shows simple, up-tempo and preferably uplifting.
``Murder One'' and ``EZ Streets,'' two outstanding dramas that dared to stray from the formula, are gasping for life.
Both had the benefit of broad critical acclaim and lavish media attention. But the public picks hits, and both series are endangered by anemic ratings.
``Murder One'' barely escaped the hangman last season. Recast and streamlined for the current season, it is languishing in a no-win time slot on Thursdays. Earlier this month, in the midst of the November sweeps, ABC pre-empted it for a figure skating special.
``EZ Streets,'' easily the best new drama this season, premiered on a Sunday and then aired only once in its regular Wednesday time slot. It was pasted there by ``PrimeTime Live'' and ``Law & Order.''
CBS looked at the numbers and saw a 5.1 rating for ``EZ Streets,'' vs. 12.1 for ``PrimeTime Live'' and 11.7 for ``Law & Order.'' That's emphatic. The network yanked ``EZ Streets'' from the air and said it would be relaunched later, possibly in March.
CBS is making all the right cooing sounds about the quality of ``EZ Streets.'' But the network's quick hook is still an ominous sign. When ``EZ Streets'' returns, it may not be the same thick drama that wowed its small audience last month.
That's a truly scary side of the relationship among viewers, networks and the A.C. Nielsen ratings - that in order to make a show commercially viable, the network might have to strip it of the qualities that made it exceptional.
So it can be better to be adequate than to be good. That's a situation that's hardly conducive to high morale within television's creative community. But it's nothing new.
In 1980, critics heaped praise on a midseason NBC series called ``Skag,'' whose cast included Karl Malden, Piper Laurie, Peter Gallagher and Powers Boothe. Aside from its cast, the show was lauded for its honest and realistic depiction of blue-collar family life.
NBC canceled ``Skag'' after two months. Viewers hadn't responded to the drama's frequently downbeat atmosphere. Brandon Tartikoff, president of NBC Entertainment at the time, acidly observed that at the least, a TV show should leave viewers feeling that they wanted to go on living. If ``Skag'' had been syrupier, according to formula, it might have survived.
Two years later, David and Jerry Zucker followed their hit theatrical comedy ``Airplane!'' with an ABC television series, ``Police Squad,'' starring Leslie Nielsen. Unconventional, anarchistic and busy with rapid-fire sight gags, ``Police Squad'' also bombed in a jiffy.
Tony Thomopoulos, ABC's chief programmer then, explained the cancellation by saying that ``Police Squad'' committed a cardinal sin: It required viewers to pay attention.
``Police Squad'' later evolved into the highly lucrative ``Naked Gun'' movies. But its theatrical success didn't erase the television lesson: Keep it simple. Watching TV can involve ringing telephones, demanding pets, active children and other home distractions. People who are watching TV are often not watching TV at all.
Those and dozens of other examples account for what network programmers really think of you en masse: Your attention span is limited; you don't watch TV to be challenged; you don't necessarily reward outstanding work; and you're certainly not tuning in to see depressing reality. Life is hard enough.
Viewers can't be blamed for how they use TV. Public taste may not be experimental, but there's no shame in many of the mainstream series that have been embraced by the mass audience - ``ER,'' ``Frasier,'' ``Seinfeld,'' ``Law & Order'' and more.
By the same token, though, the networks' reluctance to break molds deserves a context. When you're occupying their shoes, that paltry 5.1 rating for ``EZ Streets'' speaks volumes.
LENGTH: Medium: 76 linesby CNB