Evaluating the new season.

CBS orders most shows for fall

La nouvelle saison est arrivee. The '96-'97 vintage for the U.S. TV season promises to offer a good drama red. The lighter comedic rose isn't considered to be as good as last year's vintage, but this type of product isn't appreciated for export anyway. Out of a total of 162 shows in development, the American TV nets and webs have ordered some 42 new comedies and 19 new dramas for the upcoming 38-week season, which kicks off in September. Without even considering the package deals attached to each new series, one cart estimate that by the end of the Screenings the studios and other distributors could rake in some $1.5 billion from this year's shows.

More than 500 buyers from some 60 countries are registered at the various Los Angeles hotels for the L.A. Screenings. Many of the major broadcasters that used to send large contingents of personnel sent fewer executives this year. On the other hand, this year there are more broadcasters attending from the Middle East and from smaller Eastern European territories like Slovakia and Slovenia; thus the number of buyers is roughly the same as it was last year. While there was a slight decrease in the number of Asian buyers that registered, there was an increase in the number of German buyers. In addition, the number of independent distributors screening at the Century Plaza and Westwood Marquis hotels increased considerably. According to official figures, 93 distribution companies are at the Century Plaza, with the spill-over (four distributors) setting up shop at the nearby Hyatt (formerly the Mariott) and other hotels. Fifteen distribution companies are screening at the Westwood Marquis. Ten distributors are screening in their own offices and all the studios are screening on their lots. What is overwhelming is the amount of parties taking place this year: 20 special events in all - including cocktail parties and celebrations - for the 11-day event that started May 28.

But back to the new season. ABC's new shows came from Disney's Touchstone Television. Third-rated network CBS is hoping to revitalize its schedule with a whopping 11 new shows (including midseason). Including midseason and backup shows, NBC has 13 new series, UPN has 12, ABC has 10, Fox has nine and the WB has seven.

A curious aspect of this season is that CBS picked up JAG, which was cancelled by NBC, and NBC picked up The Jeff Foxworthy Show, which was cancelled by ABC.

Another interesting element is the possible future role of former CBS head Howard Stringer, who recently went to Tele-TV. According to some reports, Stringer will move to ABC in order to revitalize a network that may be in danger of slipping into the No. 3 position. Jamie McDermott, the former NBC programmer, is also said to be moving to ABC.

This year, orders are in the range of 13 episodes per series. Even though the season is 38 weeks long, the production companies usually can only deliver up to 24 new episodes; the rest of the season will be filled out with reruns.

What's the agency point of view on the new season? According to Peter Christanthopoulous, president of Broadcast Programming USA at Ogilvy and Mather, the new season developed in response to the difficulties the networks faced last year when they lost viewers to cable. "Significantly, the 1995-96 season produced only one hit, 3rd Rock From the Sun," Christanthopoulous pointed out. "At that time, viewers' flight to cable was exacerbated by program changes which confused audiences and created a copycat effect in terms of the new shows the networks offered.... Compared to last year, the level of quality is up. All the networks are offering shows that have strong creative elements attached and which for the most part are well written. Some of these shows have big-name stars, such as Bill Cosby, attached to them. We hope that the new shows will be hits and pick up the slack from long-standing shows, such as Roseanne, that are beginning to show their age."

Bruce Gordon, president of Paramount Television International, believes that the new season underscores the creative vitality and extended range of programming of the Paramount-Viacom combination. Gordon pointed out as one exam remake of Viper, a first-run syndication drama series that originally aired on NBC in 1994, which Paramount is producing with the Kirch Group in Germany pursuant to a partnership with Procter and Gamble.

International buyers were also busy assessing this year's crop of shows. Anat Birnbaum of France's Canal+ thought that ABC's schedule looked the most interesting and original; however, she commented that, "overall, every year there are more or less the same type of shows." Birnbaum was surprised that her favorite producer, Steven Bochco, had only one pilot and that it was a half-hour comedy to boot. She also regretted the fact that there are no half-hour series like Dream On - which is quite successful in France - scheduled for the new season. "We would enjoy having more shows like this," she commented. Pia Lindqvist of Denmark's TV2 hopes to repeat the kind of success the channel has had with U.S. shows like The X-Files, Beverly Hills 90210, NYPD Blue and Party of Five. Lindqvist said that TV2, which attracts younger Danish viewers, is keeping an open mind regarding this year's pilots. She then stated what may be the sentiment of all the buyers assembled in L.A.: "We hope to find exciting, high quality original series this year at the Screenings."