TWO WOMEN FIGHT FOR QUALITY : SNATCHING TV PROGRAMS FROM FIRE

Dorothy Swanson and Donna Dean believe they can beat the numbers--the Nielsen numbers, that is.

Swanson, a former teacher and now a housewife in Hillsdale, Mich., worked furiously to rescue her favorite television series, “Cagney & Lacey,” from cancellation. Donna Dean of Plano, Tex., became an activist to prevent “St. Elsewhere” from getting the ax.

The two women learned about each other’s activities, and out of their correspondence grew Viewers for Quality Television, a nonprofit, non-dues-paying organization dedicated to preserving quality television series. It has attracted about 400 members in the few months it has been in existence.

“Our purpose,” Swanson said in a telephone interview, “is to band people together and get them to voice their opinions and how they feel--to stop being passive and at the mercy of the Nielsen ratings.

“We want people to let the television networks and the critics know in a positive way that we are applauding them for these shows. Our goal would be to ensure that these shows remain on the air.”

Swanson and Dean have made no bones about which series they mean: “St. Elsewhere,” “Cagney & Lacey,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Miami Vice,” “Cheers,” “The Cosby Show” and “Kate and Allie.” “Call to Glory” was on the list, too, but it has since been canceled, much to Swanson’s chagrin.

The QTV founders want their members to write the networks, applauding them for quality shows, explaining why they like their favorite shows and expressing the hope that the shows will continue on the air.

They also want members to write to TV critics and to the companies that advertise on quality shows, thanking them for their sponsorship. The newsletter lists the sponsors of QTV’s favorites.

“I feel we have the potential to influence these powers, the networks and the advertisers,” Swanson said, “because most of the people who watch these shows are in the prime audience group--18 to 49, with more disposable income with which to buy the products advertised.”

She believes that CBS dropped “Cagney & Lacey” in May, 1983, before doing its demographic homework and that it was research on the makeup of the audience--plus the campaign she and others staged to save the show--that led to the series being reinstated in the lineup.

“St. Elsewhere,” she pointed out, has not remained on the air through sheer numbers--”It has to be demographics.”

Swanson admits that the QTV list of quality shows is very subjective.

“If people want to use our format to write about ‘Three’s a Crowd,’ that’s OK,” she said. “But we’re not hearing from those people, except for the call I got from a woman who wanted to save ‘Paper Dolls.’ That was a trip.

“I suppose in time we are going to have to take a harder look at other shows, but this is just a beginning and we made our list short to make our point.”

Her criteria are simple.

“Basically, we’re looking for shows about humanity, about feelings and relationships,” she said.

Swanson and Dean are currently counting ballots, which were to have been mailed by Thursday, for QTV’s First Annual Awards. Only QTV’s pick of quality shows and their stars were nominated.

“We’re having second thoughts about doing this,” Swanson said. “It was intended as a fun thing for members to do.

“But what we’ve done here is to pit quality against quality. This is hard. How can I choose between Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly, between ‘Cagney & Lacey’ and ‘St. Elsewhere’? We don’t know what we’ll do with the results or if there will be any clear-cut winner. It’s not what we’re about.”

Swanson has no idea where all this will lead.

“We could die on the vine tomorrow,” she said, “or we could become a 5,000-member organization.”