The celebrity edition of ABC’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” shows why everybody needs a lifeline to understand a fall television season in its infant stages.
That’s because the star-rich version of the game show happens during the November sweeps, one of four times during the year when networks pump up schedules with special programming to help generate huge ratings for local affiliates looking to set future ad rates.
Such stunt programming so early in the season skews ratings. It becomes hard to figure out exactly how well regular series are doing. In many cases, underwhelming shows are pulled in favor of repeats of other shows, reshuffling or special programming.
Such is the case with the WB’s “For Your Love,” which the network has pulled from the Sunday night schedule to give “Grosse Pointe,” the network’s send-up of a “90210”-like series, a better chance for ratings success.
“Grosse” moves to 8:30 p.m. Sunday (on WGN-Ch. 9). Reruns of “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” takes “Grosse’s” place at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays after all-new editions of “Sabrina” to give high school comedy/drama “Popular” a better lead-in audience. “Love” is scheduled to return in January, when “The Jamie Foxx Show” ends its series run.
There are examples all over the schedule during November of special programming and stunt-casting designed to help inflate ratings. Viewers may not get a clear sense of how regular shows are really doing until after the sweeps are over. (They start Thursday and end Nov. 29.)
Those who enjoy the fare that sweeps provide will find the usual suspects — mini-series and movies featuring biographies or fiction, more series guest stars than you can shake a remote control at, reality specials and other alleged goodies.
Usually, the best battles are among the minis and movies. The biggest skirmish will be between NBC’s “In the Beginning” (Nov. 12-13, WMAQ-Ch. 5) and CBS’ “American Tragedy” (Nov. 12 and Nov. 15, WBBM-Ch. 2).
The former is the retelling of several Bible stories; the latter is a docu-drama on the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Keep those good-vs.-evil analogies to yourselves.
Speaking of docu-dramas, CBS has a two-parter on Jacqueline Kennedy set for Sunday and Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. “Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis” casts Joanne Whalley as the first lady; Tim Matheson plays John F. Kennedy.
ABC, which usually tees up with the others in the movies/minis sweepstakes, keeps it low-key this time. The network has “Wonderful World of Disney” flicks “The Growing Pains Movie” on Sunday (WLS-Ch. 7), with the original cast of the 1985-92 comedy; a remake of “The Miracle Worker” on Nov. 12, with Pepsi-Cola kid Hallie Kate Eisenberg as Helen Keller; and Leslie Nielsen as an amnesiac St. Nick in “Santa Who?”
There is one other movie to note for this sweeps period: the blockbuster “Titanic” on NBC Nov. 26.
The networks also rely on a lot of specials to help boost ratings. ABC starts it off with the Radio Music Awards at 7 p.m. Saturday, with the Backstreet Boys and Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath serving as hosts. NBC’s “Saturday Night Live’s Presidential Bash” — 8 p.m. Sunday — has classic political bits from more than 25 years, with new material featuring George W. Bush and Al Gore trying to be funny.
Country music is hot this month, with Faith Hill Nov. 23 on CBS, the Dixie Chicks Nov. 20 on NBC and a 75th-anniversary celebration of the Grand Ole Opry Nov. 23 on CBS.
ABC’s contribution to music in November is “The Beatles Revolution” on Nov. 17, a documentary on how the Fab Four’s songs and ideas have shaped our world.
Other specials include Fox’s “Battle of the Child Geniuses: The Smartest Kid in America 2” Nov. 9 (on WFLD-Ch. 32), and magician David Blaine’s third ABC special Nov. 29, with the man who buried himself alive now freezing himself.
Remember the “For Your Love”/”Grosse Point” example of switching out poor performers to help other shows?
It’s also happening to Fox’s “Freakylinks,” which is being pre-empted for part of the month for “Million Dollar Mysteries” Nov. 10 and Nov. 17. Viewers will get a chance to win cash by solving real-life puzzles.
Specials and movies are constant staples of sweeps, but none of them can beat series that do something special on their own. “Survivor” is a conspicuous example.
No, last summer’s hit isn’t returning — at least, not until January with its Australian edition. But the original stars of the series are extending their 1,500 hours of fame even further.
Jenna Lewis, Gervase Peterson, Joel Klug and Sean Kenniff play neighbors of San Francisco cop Harvey Leek (Jeff Perry) on CBS’ “Nash Bridges” Nov. 10.
Lewis also pops up on an episode of UPN’s “Freedom” Nov. 17 (on WPWR-Ch. 50). And rough-and-tumble ex-SEAL Rudy Boesch plays himself on an episode of CBS’ “JAG” Nov. 14.
Other special episodes:
ABC’s “The Drew Carey Show” does another live edition Wednesday.
UPN’s Monday night comedies — “Moesha,” “The Parkers,” “The Hughleys” and “Girlfriends” — have theme nights: Monday is Election Night, Nov. 13 is ’80s Night and Nov. 20 is Thanksgiving Night.
Tyra Banks begins a multipart appearance on the WB’s “Felicity” starting Wednesday.
Fox’s “The Simpsons” 250th episode/12th season premiere at 7 p.m. Sunday features a reunion of famed rock group the Who.
Mia Farrow makes a rare television appearance, playing the mother of New York City police officer Faith Yokas (Molly Price) on NBC’s “Third Watch” Nov. 20.
