CBS had the honor of tossing out the first bomb of the season, evicting the late, unlamented "People Next Door." Then NBC followed by cracking "The Nutt House."
Now it's ABC's turn.And if you're wondering which shows are being dropped from the schedule, take a look at the bottom three programs in the ratings list that follows. "Living Dolls" is dead. "Homeroom" is history. And "Mr. Belvedere" is being banished to the servant's quarters until the network can figure out what to do with it.
The cancellation of the first two programs is no surprise, even though the "Homeroom" cast campaigned long and hard with various ethnic groups to try to save the series. But there never really was a compelling reason to watch the show. Double ditto "Living Dolls." And while "Belvedere" has had its moments during its not-so-illustrious career, one always had the feeling that ABC officials kept it on the schedule because they didn't have anything any better.
But now they think they do. Beginning Jan. 14, a half-hour version of the recent successful special, "America's Funniest Home Videos," will join "Free Spirit" (probably the next ABC series to feel the ax) on ABC's Sunday night schedule, replacing "Homeroom." "Father Dowling Mysteries," an NBC cast-off that ABC picked up last summer, will premiere at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4, moving "Mission: Impossible" to the Saturday night time period previously occupied by "Living Dolls" and "Belvedere."
But don't write that down in ink. The mid-season replacement season is upon us, and there are likely to be additional changes as all three networks prepare to wring out the old programs while the ring in the new.
-TO THOSE DOUBTERS who are beginning to question the continuing power of The Cosby Show for NBC, we offer the following: When the network premiered its Ann Jillian show in the time slot right behind "Cosby" last week, the new sitcom finished in third place in the Nielsen ratings.
Looks good for Annie, huh? A real hit?
Maybe. But then "Ann Jillian" moves to its regular Sunday night time period and it can do no better than 52nd.
Score one more for NBC's Wonderful Wizard, the Cos.
And score one more for NBC in general, which won the week by a substantial margin despite a mediocre performance by its Sunday Night Movie premiere of True Blue. In fact, all three network movies had rather feeble outings ratings-wise, troubling when you consider that two of the offerings - Hallmark Hall of Fame's "The Shell Seekers" on ABC and CBS's "No Place Like Home" - were quality productions in every sense of the word.
The top 10 programs for the week were: 1. The Cosby Show (NBC); 2. Cheers (NBC); 3. Ann Jillian Preview (NBC); 4. Roseanne (ABC); 5. Dear John (NBC); 6. Golden Girls (NBC); 7. Murder, She Wrote (CBS); 8. L.A. Law (NBC); and 9. 60 Minutes (CBS) and Wonder Years (ABC).
The second 10 consisted of: 11. Monday Night Football (ABC); 12. Unsolved Mysteries (NBC); 13. Empty Nest (NBC); 14. Who's the Boss? (ABC); 15. Coach (ABC); 16. In the Heat of the Night (NBC); 17. Growing Pains (ABC) and Monday Night Movie: Little White Lies (NBC); 19. Matlock (NBC); and 20. Full House (ABC).
The week's big losers (not counting Fox and Jim Fassel) were: 77. Tour of Duty (CBS) and Free Spirit (ABC); 79. Mr. Belvedere (ABC); 80. Homeroom (ABC); and 83. Living Dolls (ABC).
-CAN YOU STAND just a little more ratings info? The most interesting national numbers to come out of the recent November ratings sweeps period (which, by the way, NBC won - surprise, surprise) are the ones that show Roseanne just barely nosing out The Cosby Show as the top show for the month.
But you've got to put an asterisk by the win, since "Cosby's" numbers include a disastrous performance on Thanksgiving night, usually one of the least-watched television nights of the entire year. Taking that into account, plus the fact that "Cosby" won the other three weeks of the month, CBS Vice President David Poltrack said that "if you want an unbiased opinion, `Cosby' is still the No. 1 show in network television."
-SPEAKING OF "ROSEANNE," folks around ABC are still nervous about her "Today" show interview earlier this week, during which she told correspondent Jim Brown that if her new film "She Devil" is a hit, "I'm outta there (the series)."
In fact, she continued, "I'm going to leave TV anyway. What the hell." When Brown asked if she was just joking, she answered seriously, "I'll be OK whatever I do."
ABC officials declined comment on Barr's statements, although one source did indicate that she still has three years left on a five-year contract with Carsey-Werner Productions, the company that produces "Roseanne" for ABC. Barr's publicist was also quick to point out that the star is "almost never" serious when she answers interview questions.
Still, she appeared serious when she said that "that's what happens" when a TV star makes it big in the film world. Then, she added, she could come back to TV when "I'm in my 60s and past menopause - like so many other stars have."
-VIDBITS: Emmy-winning NBC Sports exec Michael Weisman is the new co-executive producer (along with Pat Sajak) for CBS's The Pat Sajak Show . . . Former "Today" show newscaster John Palmer, the first casualty in Deborah Norville's recent rise to prominence on the show, is leaving NBC after 26 years to anchor a new, "Our World"-ish syndicated series, "Only Yesterday," for King World . . . Today's hottest Hollywood rumor: ABC's Home show is having "serious conversations" with Gary Collins about taking over for Robb Weller as series host. According to columnist Marilyn Beck, the only stumbling block is the amount of control Collins will have . . . Great news, Murder, She Wrote fans: Angela Lansbury has already agreed to return to the series for the 1990-91 season, ending speculation that this would be her last year with CBS's biggest hit . . .