Viewers threw a big wrench into NBC's March schedule shuffle.
They hated "Prince Street."Well, maybe viewers didn't hate the new crime drama - but they certainly didn't care much about it. Americans stayed away by the millions, causing NBC to give the show the ax after just two outings.
Debuting on Thursday, March 6, at 9 p.m., "Prince Street" lost 45 percent of the audience that "ER" has averaged in the time slot this season. (And came in 30 percent below the rating pulled by a "3rd Rock from the Sun" rerun that preceded it.)
Moving to what was supposed to be its regular Wednesday at 9 p.m. time slot last week, it lost 45 percent of the audience averaged by "Law & Order" in the time period and 28 percent of the audience from its lead-in, the sitcom "Just Shoot Me."
At that point, NBC executives had seen enough and shipped "Prince Street" off to the morgue.
The quick cancellation left NBC with some scheduling problems, and the network is doing some scrambling:
- Tonight at 9 p.m., the Peacock is throwing in a rerun of the Saturday-night series "The Pretender."
- Next Wednesday, there will be a special edition of "Dateline NBC."
- The network is still looking for something to fill the time slot on Wednesday, April 2.
- On April 9, "Law & Order" will return to Wednesdays at 9 p.m.
That's a week earlier than NBC had planned, cutting "L&O's" sojourn to Thursdays at 9 p.m. from four weeks to three.
- And that, in turn, will bring "ER" back a week earlier than planned - on April 10 - albeit with a rerun. (The next original episode of "ER" is still scheduled for April 17.)
What all of this proves is that even supposed scheduling geniuses like the folks at NBC are really just guessing what American viewers want to see and when. And sometimes they guess wrong.
ANOTHER EDITION: Speaking of "Dateline," NBC is planning a fourth edition of the news magazine for the summer, to air Mondays at 9 p.m. beginning June 2.
Not only did a special Monday installment of "Dateline" win its time slot a week ago, but news magazines tend to do very well in the summer months when most network entertainment series are in reruns.
LOTS MORE "FRASIER": NBC has issued a whopping three-season order for "Frasier" - a deal that's all but unprecedented in the annals of network television.
And it came about because of fear. Paramount had reportedly been in talks with ABC about moving "Frasier" to that network, and NBC didn't want to lose a hit. ("Frasier" currently ranks 14th for the season to date against tough competition on Tuesday nights.)
NBC isn't confirming this, but reportedly the network is not only paying a whopping $2 million-plus per episode for three seasons but is making a one-time $50 million payment to Paramount for "Frasier."
Even in the big bucks world of network television, that's a lot of money.
DOING THE RENEWAL RUMBA: CBS has issued full-season orders for 1997-98 for "Touched by an Angel," "Walker, Texas Ranger" and "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman."
None of this is a surprise - particularly not for the made-in-Utah "Touched," which has turned into a mega-hit since moving to Sunday nights this season.
NOT SUBTLE: CBS, which swiped "Family Matters" from ABC and will begin airing the long-running sitcom next season, left no doubt as to exactly what its plans are for Fridays in the fall.
During a presentation for advertisers in New York recently, CBS Entertainment President Leslie Moonves flashed ABC's "T.G.I.F." logo up on a screen - with a CBS Eye between the G and the F.
CYNICISM UNCHAINED: A week before Ellen Morgan is scheduled to come out of the closet on the ABC sitcom "Ellen," the woman who plays her is expected to do the same on ABC's "PrimeTime Live."
Ellen DeGeneres is scheduled to be interviewed by Diane Sawyer on the April 23 edition of "PTL" - and ABC publicists confirm that among the topics up for discussion are the star's own sexuality.
Which may be the first time a star has done so solely to hype the ratings of a sitcom.