It's Ugly Out There
Networks throw mad money, but catch only two beauties
Completing the lame trifecta is CBS’s Smith, best known for its Oscar-nominated cast (Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen) and its überexpensive pilot. Not since the old Miami Vice days have these kinds of glossy production values been seen on the small screen: speedboats on waterways, helicopter shots, huge explosions and car chases (as opposed to the cheapo foot chases on the network’s better-viewed Numbers). But the show ultimately bored. Smith’s production was under way on the seventh episode when the series was yanked off the schedule, but it’ll finish out its full 13.
Which leads to another trend this season: Big stars bring publicity but not necessarily the pricey demos. CBS’s Shark stars Jimmy Woods chewing up the scenery as a high-priced defense attorney turned people’s prosecutor. But he can barely say his lines because he’s sucking in his gut. Already, CBS has cut Woods out of the ads for the show and replaced him with the eye candy ADAs who work for him. The show is in such a protected time slot, following CSI on Thursdays, a black screen would draw eyeballs. Even so, a time-slot rival, NBC’s ER, has better demos.
But that network has a much-publicized problem on its hands with the sinking ratings of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Aaron Sorkin’s smarty-pants scripts and high-priced/high-profile cast and truly awful scheduling aren’t gaining viewers. Granted, ABC last spring threw a monkey wrench into NBC’s plans to air Studio 60 on Thursday nights when Grey’s Anatomy was moved there. Studio 60 got stuck with Monday nights at 10 p.m. But I don’t understand why NBC didn’t wait to debut Studio 60 midseason after football ended. It’s a dilemma I can’t help but think “King O’ the Grids” scheduling guru Preston Beckman, who now works for Fox, would have never gotten NBC into.
Then again, Sorkin was fired from West Wing before he was brought back to “save” NBC. There’s a fitting motto here: Ugly is as ugly does.
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