Every so often, your local television editor is totally, completely wrong -- and thrilled to be proven so.
Take, for instance, the strange case of "Judging Amy." Yours truly certainly wasn't alone in harboring low expectations for the CBS series -- critics and industry insiders generally expected this show to finish third in its time slot (out of three networks) and no one would have been surprised if it didn't last long."Amy" stars Amy Brenneman as a 35-year-old single mom who moves back home with her redoubtable mother (Tyne Daly) and begins a new job as a family court judge. And, while I gave the show a good review, yours truly didn't expect it would succeed.
"Can Brenneman, who used to be on "NYPD Blue," beat her former show? No -- nor can she beat NBC's 'Dateline' with this program," I wrote back before the show debuted. And I couldn't have been more wrong.
To date, "Judging Amy" is the highest-rated new drama on television this season. It's No. 2 among all shows, exceeded only by NBC's awful "Stark Raving Mad." (And that sitcom only attracts as many viewers as it does because it's sandwiched between "Frasier" and "Friends.")
And "Judging Amy" has increased its audience with every episode. This past week, it finished a rather startling No. 7, easily winning its time slot in household ratings (and finishing a half a rating point higher than No. 11 "Stark Raving Mad." Not only has the show gotten more popular every week, but it's also gotten better. This is a darn good TV drama now, with likable, believable characters, nice writing and fine acting.
(Heck, any show that includes Daly in the cast is already a couple of steps ahead of the pack.)
So, yes, I totally misjudged "Judging Amy's" chances. And I couldn't be happier about it.
"NYPD" WHERE? Back before her show debuted, Brenneman was full of bravado about going up against her former show. Not that much of anybody was buying her insistence that she liked the challenge of facing "NYPD Blue."
"Feels great. Feels great," she said in response to a question about her show's spot on the schedule. "Bring it on."
Well, while ABC has not yet made a final decision, the possibility still exists that "Judging Amy" will never face "NYPD Blue" at all. The alphabet network is still considering its options -- and strongly considering leaving "Once and Again" on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. (opposite "Amy") and moving "Blue" to another night.
It's not as crazy as it might sound. "Once and Again" is doing quite nicely in the time slot, despite competition from "Amy." The ABC show was No. 36 this past week and did particularly well in the important 18-49 demographic. (In weeks past, "Once" has actually outrated "Amy" among 18- to 49-year-olds.)
Yes, the two shows are fighting over the same, largely female audience. Which is part of the reason ABC is thinking of leaving "Once and Again" where it is -- the fear is that, without the competition, "Amy" could take off and become a huge, unstoppable hit.
And the fact is that "NYPD Blue" is aging. Like almost all long-running shows, it has followed the standard ratings arc -- and it long ago passed its peak and is on the downward slide. (Down nearly a third in the past three years.)
"Once" may have more life left in it than "Blue."
Unless ABC programmers are cowed by "Blue" producer Steven Bochco's public hissy fit, they'll probably move the show. And it might make sense -- ABC could use help on other nights.
And what Bochco fears most -- moving "Blue" opposite "ER" on Thursday nights -- could be good for the network. If ABC can put any kind of dent in the NBC show at all it would