Two of NBC's biggest comedy stars of the 1980s will be returning in new sitcoms this fall - on other networks.
Ted Danson, who spent 12 years on "Cheers," will be seen on CBS. Michael J. Fox, who headlined "Family Ties" for seven seasons, is headed for ABC.(Of course, that has a lot to do with the fact that CBS and ABC both need a lot of help, while NBC is doing very nicely in the ratings right now.)
Danson won't be returning to television alone. He'll be accompanied by his real-life wife, Mary Steenburgen, in an as-yet untitled comedy in which the pair will play a divorced couple who run a newspaper - and she's the boss.
(Say, you don't suppose CBS will team Danson's return to TV with Bill Cosby's previously announced new sitcom, do you? Remember, "Cheers" struggled its first two season - it was an outright bomb its first year - and only became a hit when it became part of the NBC Thursday-night lineup that was led off by "Cosby.")
The show will be produced by DreamWorks SKG - which will also be producing Fox's new sit-com on ABC.
The man who became famous as Alex P. Keaton on "Family Ties" will be reteamed with Gary David Goldberg, who created and produced that 1982-89 hit. Titled "Spin," it's described as an ensemble comedy in which Fox plays the second-in-command to the mayor of New York City.
ABC is showing a lot of confidence in Fox and Goldberg, providing a 22-episode commitment for "Spin." (And this is no sure thing - Goldberg's most recent effort, also from Dreamworks, was the tremendously disappointing "Champs," which ABC quickly yanked off the air.)
Of course, not all big TV stars can recreate their success - just look at Carol Burnett, Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore.
Why are Danson and Fox returning to TV? Well, they'd never admit it - but when was the last time either of them starred in a hit movie? Neither can I.
PULLING THE PLUG ON NBC: For the first time since KSL became an NBC affiliate in September, Ch. 5 is pulling network program off the air based solely on its content.
The NBC movie scheduled for tonight, "A Face to Die For," won't air on KSL. Instead, Ch. 5 will air the excellent 1988 TV movie "Go Toward the Light."
And the folks at KSL didn't take this decision lightly. They also didn't make it without being informed. Station executives have seen "Face" - and what they saw was a rather sleazy telemovie that features "Baywatch" babe Yas-mine Bleeth as an ugly woman who undergoes not only plastic surgery but enough soap-opera machinations to fill at least a couple weeks worth of "Melrose Place" episodes.
For broadcast television, this is steamy stuff. And it's not like it has any redeeming qualities such as decent plot, acting or direction.
"The sexual content is really pretty amazing," said Steve Lindsley, KSL's station manager. "I mean, you feel like you're watching HBO or pay cable."
Well, it's not as graphic as much of what airs on HBO or Showtime, but - again - it's pretty strong for broadcast television."
"I can't stomach it," Lindsley said. "We've told NBC that we choose not to air this one. I guess we might be sending a signal their way that we're going to watch these closely."
Now, as regular readers are aware, your local television editor hasn't always agreed with all of KSL's programming decisions. But, in this case, the folks at Ch. 5 are right - "A Face to Die For" is not something anyone (including NBC) can be proud of.
As a matter of fact, it's unfortunate that more local stations don't take a stand and refuse to air junk like this. Then, maybe the networks would produce less junk like this.
And before anyone starts screaming that KSL has no right to decide which network programming it wants to air - yes, it does. All local stations do.
The Federal Communications Commission mandates that local stations must retain control over what they put on the air. It's the owners of a station who hold the license and are responsible for what they broadcast - not the network.
"In my efforts to negotiate the contract with NBC, the majority of the time spent with NBC was to really try to define where the buck stops. And to what degree local affiliates still have control over their local licenses and therefore the end product," Lindsley said. "And clearly, the FCC puts it in the hands of the licensee."
While KSL's relationship with its former network, CBS, was often filled with more confrontation than cooperation, Lindsley said he doesn't foresee a similar circumstance arising with NBC.
"The reality is that we've got a network that understands us better than CBS ever did," he said. "Whereas, obviously they're not pleased that we're pre-empting the show - and they've made that known - they are willing to try to understand what our needs and concerns are.
"And at some point in time we're not going to air everything the network sends us. We're just not going to."
NO WAY: File this one under "Sad but True."
CBS is currently producing a movie titled "Princess in Love" for future broadcast.
It's the story of Princess Diana's affair with former cavalry officer (and current big-mouthed cad) James Hewitt.
Can you say - scraping the bottom of the barrel?