NBC ran a commercial last week thanking viewers for making it No. 1 in November. But like some commercials, it was slightly misleading, and fails to tell the whole story.
ABC was No. 1 with viewers overall during the November sweeps, but NBC was first among viewers age 18-to-49, due partly to “Frasier,” “The West Wing” and “ER.”
But NBC is having problems with its new series. Last week it canceled two of them, and only three of seven new shows are left.
“The Michael Richards Show” got the ax Thursday. A bust creatively and ratings-wise that will run through December, its episode on Dec. 5 managed only 7.5 million viewers.
The “Richards” cancellation came just after NBC dropped “Titans,” Aaron Spelling’s lusty soap opera, after shifting it to Monday last week. That edition drew only 6.6 million viewers, after averaging 8 million people in its former Wednesday time. “Titans” is scheduled to burn off shows through December.
The network did get some good news: “Ed,” the appealing comedy-drama with Tom Cavanagh as a lawyer who runs a bowling alley in his hometown, was seen by 12 million people in its new Wednesday night time last week.
NBC will rejigger its Tuesday night lineup starting Jan. 9 with “3rd Rock from the Sun” at 7 p.m.; “DAG,” of which NBC ordered four more episodes, at 7:30 p.m.; “Frasier” at 8 p.m.; and “Three Sisters,” a new comedy starring “NewsRadio’s” Vicki Lewis and “It’s like, you know’s . . .” A.J. Langer, at 8:30 p.m., all on WMAQ-Ch. 5.
More scheduling moves: Fox canceled “The Street,” Darren Star’s financial drama, while UPN axed “Freedom,” the martial arts series that it gave more promotion time to than the show it follows, Internet cops series “Level 9,” which stays.
UPN will fill Fridays at 7 p.m. with “Gary & Mike,” a stop-motion animated series from the creators of “Mad TV.” It will preview at 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 11 on WPWR-Ch. 50 before it hits Fridays the next night.
Yes, even more scheduling moves: At a bus stop on New York’s Upper West Side is a black sign with yellow letters that appear to have been spray-painted: “The Mole will lie to your face.”
It is advertising for ABC’s new reality series “The Mole,” where 10 players compete in a series of global challenges for a $1 million prize. All the while, one of their number is secretly undermining their progress. It is up to the gamers to figure out which one is the spy.
The show is going on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. starting Jan. 9 (on WLS-Ch. 7). ABC moves its Tuesday edition of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” to Fridays at 7 p.m. on Jan. 5.
ABC temporarily shelves Gabriel Byrne’s sitcom “Madigan Men” and “Dot Comedy,” an irreverent Internet-related series that just premiered last Friday.
You guessed it — more scheduling moves: The WB cleared up the mystery of “Jack & Jill.”
The romantic comedy was to return in “Felicity’s” 8 p.m. Wednesday time slot after Keri Russell’s show went on hiatus until the spring. But the WB announced it was putting the comedy “Grosse Pointe” on instead.
Write this down: “Felicity” will air a cliffhanger on Wednesday. The next week, “Gilmore Girls” will run the first of a two-part episode at 8 p.m. Dec. 20, completing it Dec. 21 in its regular day and 7 p.m. time.
On Dec. 27 and Jan. 3, “Grosse Pointe” will air episodes back to back. The comedy, which spoofs the making of a “90210”-type series, will continue to play at 8:30 p.m. Sundays (on WGN-Ch. 9). On Jan. 10, “Jack & Jill” returns with the first of 13 new episodes.
Meanwhile, the WB has ordered additional episodes of “Grosse Pointe,” “Felicity” and the woeful variety show “Hype.”
It also has Jan. 12 as the date for the hour-long premiere of “Popstars,” a new half-hour reality series on the forming of an all-girl pop group.
Kimmy TV: Comedian and actress Kim Coles will own an hour of television on Tuesday, first appearing in a holiday-themed episode of “Frasier,” followed by her regular co-starring role on ABC’s “The Geena Davis Show.”
“People will just have to flip the channel, but I’ll be there,” she says.
Coles played a fill-in producer for Frasier Crane’s (Kelsey Grammer) sidekick Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin) last season, dispensing enough down-home psychological tips to become his co-host.
At the end of that episode, “Dr. Mary” got her own show on another station.
On Tuesday’s episode (8 p.m., WMAQ-Ch. 5), Frasier’s station rehires her, gives her a show, and she co-hosts Seattle’s annual Christmas parade with a bemused Frasier, for whom “it has been a dream of his” to do, says Coles.
“He has to deal with all my exuberance,” she adds. “He wants to do it his way, and I just want to play and have a good time. And he has to come to terms with” that.
Coming back to “Frasier,” in a character with enough laughs and layers to spin off into its own series, was a blast for the stand-up comic and former co-star of “In Living Color” and “Living Single.”
“They let me play and I appreciate it. They let me contribute and I appreciate it,” Coles says.
It feels just as right for Coles to be a part of “Geena Davis” (8:30 p.m., WLS-Ch. 7), where she and Mimi Rogers play Davis’ well-heeled pals.
Being part of a cast of eight means Coles has the opportunity to make appearances elsewhere, like on “Frasier,” although her network may not be too keen on her helping a show that is currently kicking the tail of its own series “Dharma & Greg.”
“I will participate in as many extra-curricular activities as they will allow me to,” Coles says, “because it enhances me and hopefully enhances the show.”
