ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 25, 1996 TAG: 9612260017
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: TIM GOODMAN KNIGHT-RIDDER/TRIBUNE
Television's mid-season crisis is coming up. Like a cranky 40-year-old who buys himself a sports car that's too small, the networks traditionally take a whimsical splurge into a sea of new shows. Like the car, this is often an unwise decision.
And just as the car is eventually sold, these shows usually end up canceled. But hey, tradition calls.
Frankly, bringing in a little new blood in January may not be a bad idea. If nothing else, these shows will be fodder for our flagging attention spans. Because even the very best shows on television are mired in weird slumps or annoying detours right now.
That's not to say that a new Pauly Shore show - and yes, it's coming - is the cure-all. But there's a plethora of new lawyer shows and that may hold some interest. Arsenio Hall is going to have a new sitcom. And Mike Judge, creator of ``Beavis & Butt-head,'' has a new weekly animated show.
Many of the more than 20 new shows do not have definite time periods. That's because the networks haven't decided what to cancel or temporarily shelve just yet. Although there have been only a few strong ratings hits this year, the networks have been slow to pull the trigger. And maybe they're right. Some of the mediocre shows have potential that could be realized over time. Rushing to judgment - as networks are wont to do - is the wrong move in many cases.
But here's a vote for bringing on something different. And here's why:
*On ``ER'' - the most popular show in the country - the relationship between Noah Wyle as Dr. John Carter and Glenne Headly as Dr. Abby Keaton does not ring true. And the two of them are acting their parts like the love affair is a farce. Annoying. And what about Anthony Edwards' character becoming a jerk? Don't they pull those kinds of ludicrous character shifts on ``Melrose Place''?
*``NYPD Blue'' has been nothing more than mediocre. The female characters are particularly misused and the stories seem linked to hot-button issues, not natural character development. Even in its current ``shocking'' arc, Kim Delaney had to be shot completely nude from head to foot. Let the plots do the titillating.
*``Roseanne'' is pulling her own version of ``Springtime For Hitler,'' putting on show after show of what looks to be a creative and mental breakdown.
*The ``Ellen'' controversy - will she or won't she come out of the closet - has blown past simple annoyance into mind-numbing irritation. Open the door and walk out, already, damn it.
*``Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'' has imploded. Once it was cute, now it's cloying.
*Even ``The X-Files,'' which is having a banner year, has pulled the ``psyche'' trick on us too many times. Forget about the truth. A couple of answers would be swell.
That said, let's assume these transgressions (except maybe Roseanne's), will pass. While they hash themselves out, here's what you can expect to pop up throughout the rest of the season:
Rick Reynolds, fresh from one of the most anticipated and never picked up pilots, gets his shot with ``Life and Stuff'' on CBS. If it's anything like his ``Only the Truth Is Funny'' material, it should be great. Pam Dawber co-stars. Hmmm.
Arsenio Hall, the former talk-show host, will play a sportswriter in a new sitcom for ABC.
From doctors and cops to lawyers again: ABC will air ``The Practice,'' CBS gives us ``Feds'' and NBC offers up ``Prince Street,'' which will all focus on the legal profession.
In the can't-wait-to-see-it category, ABC has given Robert Altman the green light for ``Gun,'' an anthology series that traces the life of one troubling little weapon. A rotating cast of stars.
CBS hopes to revive the ghost of Charles Kuralt - or at least his sense of wonder at America - in ``Coast to Coast,'' a newsmagazine without anchors. It's just a camera, some reporters and people along the road.
That's just a small sample. The networks will be releasing more information on their big, big plans for change in the near future, as their mid-season crises grow ever more frantic.
You can bet all the new shows will be shiny red and really fast. At least in the showrooms of their imaginations.
LENGTH: Medium: 81 linesby CNB