In the race for daytime talk show success, both nationally syndicated programs featuring hosted by former Utahns have been also-rans. Neither "Donny & Marie" nor "The Roseanne Show" has come close to setting any ratings records.
The two shows are in a virtual tie so far this sesaon. "Donny & Marie" has posted a rather anemic 1.8 rating nationally, while "Roseanne" is a blip behind at 1.7. And those numbers are nothing to get excited about.Translated, that means that 1.8 percent of the TV-equipped homes in America watch "Donny & Marie" and 1.7 percent watch "Roseanne" on an average day. That's just over 1.77 million homes out of 98.5 million for the former, just over 1.67 million for the latter.
And that's about a quarter the number of homes that tune in to see the daytime talk leaders, "Jerry Springer" and "Oprah."
The good news for both shows is that, despite those iffy numbers, they've both been renewed for next season. And it was a close call in each case given that the ratings really don't support the renewals.
CBS-owned King World, which syndicates "Roseanne," may have actually had the easier decision despite the lower ratings. The show is profitable for the syndicators -- not because it is a hit, but because it was expected to be one.
Given the huge success Roseanne achieved with her prime-time sitcom, the thinking within the industry was that she'd do big numbers in daytime as well. And station executives across the country bet their budgets on her.
King World signed the stations to two-year contracts, extracting substantial license fees for "The Roseanne Show." While the ratings haven't allowed the syndicator to charge a whole lot for national advertising on the program, King World is making a nice chunk of change from the license fees.
The buzz is that a number of stations had been hoping that King World would cancel the show so they could get out from under the second year of their contract. But the syndicator is making $14 million a quarter from the program because of those high license fees.
With typical bluster, Roseanne issued a statement saying, "It's been a tough, but interesting adjustment. I feel as if I'm finding the proper dialogue with my audience and I hope to be No. 1 in 1999."
Yeah, right. And I hope to win both the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Peace Prize.
Actually, the odds are that the ratings for "Roseanne" will erode in the coming months. A good number of stations are expected to move what is somewhat of an albatross around their necks to less-desirable time slots -- which is guaranteed to further depress the ratings.
As for Sony-owned Columbia Tri-Star Television, which syndicates "Donny & Marie," that studio's renewal demonstrates that it believes the show does have a future. The theory is that at least there's something to build on with at least a somewhat established presence, rather than just throwing something completely new and untested into the increasingly crowded television playing field.
But if the ratings don't perk up in the next few months, "Donny & Marie" won't make it to a third season.
HOWIE'S OUT: As much as both Roseanne and Donny and Marie are having their ratings problems, it could be worse. Just ask Howie Mandel.
The word has come down that Mandel's daytime talk show has gotten the ax. With just a 1.4 average national rating, Paramount is pulling the plug.
The lame-duck talk show will continue to produce new episodes through the end of the current May sweeps period before heading into summer reruns -- and oblivion.
Mandel is certainly a talented, funny man. And his show occasionally showed considerable promise.
But it wasn't consistent enough to be watchable on a regular basis, as demonstrated by the weak ratings.
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: While "Howie Mandel" is disappearing after a single season on the air, Paramount is also yanking a much longer-running series out of syndication.
The tabloid newsmagazine "Hard Copy" is getting the pink slip after 10 years on the air.
At first blush, it might seem tempting to celebrate the demise of this often smarmy, sensational half hour that has clogged up the airwaves for a decade. But the show's declining ratings could also be attributed to the fact that it's no longer anything particularly different.
In an age when prime-time newsmagazines on the networks -- most notably NBC's "Dateline" and ABC's "20/20" -- have proliferated and becoming increasingly sensational themselves, "Hard Copy" just couldn't attract enough viewers.
WHAT WE DESERVE: It's often easy to despair as to the quality of television programming. But, on the other hand, sometimes American viewers seem to get exactly what they deserve.
For example, UPN's telecast of the pro-wrestling extravaganza "WWF Smackdown!" last Wedneday was up 115 percent in the ratings over what the pseudo-network usually does on the night. And in cities like New York, UPN actually finished second to NBC's hit sitcom lineup.
It would be easier to attack TV programmers for putting reprehensible programs on the air if so many Americans didn't avail themselves of the opportunity to watch them. And it would make no economic sense for networks to put these programs on if lots of people didn't tune in.
(In Utah, the telecast was delayed by KJZZ-Ch. 14's telecast of a Jazz game.)
Don't be surprised when UPN adds a weekly WWF event to its lineup next season. It will only be a surprise if it doesn't happen.
QUOTABLE: "Late Night" host Conan O'Brien: "After playing golf, O.J. Simpson fended off an attack by a man wielding a gun. Afterwards O.J. said, 'Luckily, I was able to defend myself because I always carry a murder weapon.' "