U.S. new season hopes to divide, conquer home, abroad.

For the 2002-2003 TV season, the U.S. terrestrial networks are aiming for a consistent but smaller number of viewers across a larger number of series and formats. In other words, '02's m.o. is "divide and conquer." How this strategy will play out in the international arena has yet to be determined, but the MIPCOM market, taking place October 7-11 in Cannes, France, could well provide the answers.

Crime dramas are everywhere on U.S. TV screens this season, but so are wholesome family comedies. First-rate writing, production and acting is (somewhat) easier to find, but so are "unscripted," generally absurd "reality" shows. And within each genre, a number of different concepts are in play. This "something for everyone menu of program choices may ensure that no one network gets all the glory, as each of the major channels is offering enough of a variety to appeal in one time-slot or another to all the key demographics. So, if NBC'S Friday snags a mostly older crowd, not to worry: Thursday seems strong among the beloved 18-34s.

David Poltrak, executive vp of research for CBS, was quoted recently in the New York Times as saying that, in the post-"three networks" era, "a 15 share is a hit and the audience can be narrower." A 30 share is now considered a rare phenomenon, and not something that should be aimed for at all costs.

Most of '02's new series (which began premiering on September 17th) are dramas; in the past, comedies have tended to dominate because of their superior back-end syndication revenues. But laffers had generally lackluster ratings last season, and the change in atmosphere since 9/11 has left audiences hungry for more serious-minded fare.... Or has it? The other end of the spectrum is also booming: after an astounding run this summer for shows like Fox's American Idol (distributed by FremantleMedia) and NBC'S Dog Eat Dog, reality is expected to continue rising.

Entries for the '02-'03 season in the reality category include newcomers such as 30 Seconds to Fame, a talent-competition series a la American Idol, and Meet the Marks, a hidden-camera show featuring a cast of improv actors, both airing on Fox. Successful returns include ABC's The Bachelor and NBC'S Fear Factor. The Peacock net may also bring in Dog Eat Dog as a replacement series sometime later this season -- should it prove necessary -- and it's just inked a deal to acquire BBC import "The Kumars at No. 42," a part scripted, part improv sitcom/talk show.

There are a number of new reality shows on the independent channels, as well, including Final Justice on Lifetime, a one-hour series that shares the true accounts of women who have challenged the system and prevailed, hosted by Erin Brockovich, and The Anna Nicole Show (ANS) on E!, which follows the daily ongoings of heiress/model/pop icon Anna Nicole Smith. Duccio Donati, vp of international sales for E!, said that the response for ANS has thus far been "very promising. We expect it to be a big hit in the States and it should go over well at MIP COM. We'll be doing a lot of advertising and press for it there... MIPCOM is actually very useful for us, because it's hard to get people signed before the shows have aired in the U.S."

Competition is most severe in the drama category, which boasts more than a few big-name producers: Joss Whedon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame is behind Fox's new Firefly (Twentieth Century Fox), which follows the crew of a futuristic spaceship; the omnipresent David E. Kelley supplied Fox with girls club (Twentieth), which revolves around three female attorneys running a law firm; Ben Affleck and Matt Damon gave ABC Push, Nevada (Buena Vista Int'l), an interactive program that allows viewers to "play along" as mysteries unfold in a small town; and Mike Tollin and Brian Robbins provided the WB with Birds of Prey (Warner Bros. Int'l), a Batman offshoot centering on three women who battle Gotham's villains.

But big-name producers are only part of the story for drama this season. Of the approximately two dozen new hour-longs peppering the '02-'03 slate of the six major TV networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, UPN and WB), at least nine qualify as true "crime dramas." Among these are Boomtown (MGM Int'l) on NBC; Haunted (Paramount TV Int'l) on UPN; and Fast Lane (Warner Bros.) on Fox. But it is CBS that has the lion's share of new crime dramas this season -- so many, in fact, that one has to wonder if the net is overdoing it. The Eye boasts Robbery Homicide Division (formerly RHD/LA), centering on morally ambiguous police officers (Universal); CSI: Miami, a CSI spinoff (Alliance Atlantis); Without a Trace, about the FBI's missing persons unit (Warner Bros.); and Hack, centering on an ex-cop who returns to crimesolving (Paramount). Despite the glut, CBS'S bulky crime slate might be seen as an attempt to reach out to the widest possible variety of crime series fans. While some viewers may go for the more traditional cop/inv estigator series, others may prefer the new twist offered by a show like Without a Trace.

Gail Rivett, senior vp of marketing and publicity for Canada's Alliance Atlantis, which is distributing CSI Miami, explained that the show "already has a level of confidence based on its concept and the creators behind it. We are looking forward to its launch in the U.S., and we should have solid feedback to launch further sales efforts internationally at MIPCOM.... L.A. [Screenings] gets that started, but a lot of our clients will be [in Cannes]."

But while CBS has a built-in audience for Miami because of its parent show's success, viewers who don't have a preference for either aren't automatically lost to other channels. Such a well-implemented "divide and conquer" strategy could prove to be a secret of success for the Eye in this season's very tight race for first place among 18-49 year-olds.

On the independent front, PAX is hosting one new crime series out of four new hour-long dramas. Sue Thomas: FBI (formerly Lip Service), which is being distributed by Columbia Tristar, follows a deaf woman who applies her sharp lip-reading skills to the new job. The series debuts this month in the Sunday 9 p.m. slot.

This overabundance of crime shows is somewhat balanced out by the zealous return of the family sitcom. Last year, experimental titles like The Job and Undeclared were the ones that failed most miserably, prompting nets to play it safe this time around with easily-digestible, traditional-family-values fare.

New family-oriented comedy entries include 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter (Buena Vista) on ABC, In-Laws (Paramount) on NBC, Still Standing (Twentieth) on CBS and The Grubbs (Universal) on Fox. These are in addition to returning family sitcoms such as Fox's The Bernie Mac Show, ABC's My Wife and Kids and CBS'S Everybody Loves Raymond.

At the May upfronts, ABC entertainment president Susan Lyne said that "smart family comedies" had once defined the net, and that it was time the Alphabet got back to its roots. (Three of the four sitcoms on ABC'S current Tuesday night line-up revolve around home life.)

Scott Rowe of Warner Brothers Int'l TV Distribution said that "although we do most of our selling at L.A. Screenings, the advantage of MIPCOM is that, by then, the shows have aired a couple of times, the critics have weighed in, so we have the ability to say, 'this is critically acclaimed,' or 'this has taken-off."'