HEADING into the fall TV season, a CBS crime show spinoff and a WB series about a brain surgeon who moves his family to a small Colorado town are the two new shows that have rival networks the most envious, top programming officials say.
While TV critics will soon swamp the media with their picks for the winners and dogs of the upcoming fall television season, the kudos by fellow network executives could provide an indication of the buzz surrounding some of the most anticipated debuts set to begin at the end of this month.
When asked what new show they would most like to have from one of their rivals, three executives from the top six broadcast networks picked “CSI: Miami,” a spin-off from CBS’ hit “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”
Set in Miami, the show is essentially a knock-off of the original, which revolves around a Las Vegas-based team of investigators who solve crimes using forensic evidence.
The show was the top pick from a rival network by Jeff Zucker, president of NBC Entertainment; Susan Lyne, president of ABC Entertainment; and Dawn Ostroff, president of entertainment at UPN.
After “CSI: Miami,” the next clear favorite among the network brass, who were gathered for an industry luncheon in Beverly Hills, was the new WB show “Everwood.”
Selected as the top rival program by Fox programming chief Gail Berman and CBS programming chief Nancy Tellum, “Everwood” revolves around a high-flying Manhattan neurosurgeon who moves with his two children to the small town of Everwood, Colorado, after the death of his wife.
When asked what about his network’s fall schedule gives him the most “willies,” Zucker again complimented “CSI: Miami,” which will go up against his own network’s “Crossing Jordan” on Tuesday nights.
Ostroff, whose network shares the same corporate parent as CBS in Viacom Inc., added that her favorite new show outside the Viacom family is Fox’s “Fastlane,” a show about a pair of cool undercover crime fighters.
The only voice who didn’t pick “CSI: Miami” or “Everwood” was WB President of Entertainment Jordan Levin, who chose ABC’s new late-night variety-talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
While saying that changes are in store, the executives offered little insight into what the new landscape might look like.
“I don’t think it will look exactly the way it does now,” but it will still be around, said Berman, reflecting the sentiments of many of her peers.- Reuters
