The Aftermath : ABC, CBS to Stick With Plans for ‘Strike-Proof’ Shows, Network Execs Say

ABC and CBS are moving forward with previously announced plans for “strike-proof” fall programming despite the expected resolution of the writers strike.

ABC Entertainment President Brandon Stoddard and CBS Entertainment President Kim LeMasters said they still plan to fill the September and early October prime-time schedules with reruns, movies, variety shows, news specials and reality shows to allow time for the production of their drama and comedy series.

Episodes of new and returning series will begin to appear on CBS in late October at the earliest and in November on ABC. The network executives said there will be no traditional “premiere week” and that the programs will be rolled out over a period of months.

Some new series may be held until January to avoid competition with the flood of December holiday specials.

NBC’s Brandon Tartikoff said through a spokeswoman that his top-rated network would have no announcement on its fall plans until Monday, when he is scheduled to address television journalists gathered here for the industry’s semi-annual press tour.

NBC has had less of a scramble than the other two networks for early fall programming because its prime-time schedule will be dominated by the Summer Olympics for the last two weeks in September, and the World Series will follow shortly thereafter.

Fox Broadcasting Co. will proceed with its interim plans for the fall, said Jamie Kellner, president and chief operating officer. They include continuing the reality show “The Reporters,” which debuted last Saturday, and introducing “Beyond Tomorrow,” another reality-based effort, on Sept. 10.

Two shows that would have already been on the air had the strike not occurred--”Angels ‘88” and “City Court”--will most likely be ready for January, Kellner said.

Howard Stringer, who took over Monday as president of the CBS Broadcast Group, said Thursday that although CBS will not change its early fall schedule because of the strike’s end, resolution of the dispute should contradict a dire prediction made earlier this week by network research chief David Poltrack. Poltrack indicated that CBS could suffer a massive ratings drop in the fall against NBC’s Olympics and ABC’s sports events and specials.

“Yesterday’s gloomy predictions have been replaced by today’s positive news,” Stringer said, although the Olympics and baseball on NBC still remain competitive threats, and ABC’s miniseries “War and Remembrance” is like “an aircraft carrier going down the Thames.” Now, CBS will be ready with new programming right after those events instead of in January.

Stringer added that CBS’ competitive disadvantage may have a silver lining: The large audience lured away from cable TV and their VCRs by special programming on the other networks may also rediscover CBS just when it begins trotting out its new shows.

NBC had previously announced only one show designed for production during the strike, a remake of the 1977 series “The Hardy Boys”--part of a plan to revive old series that Tartikoff dubbed “American Revival.”

NBC at first planned to air “Hardy Boys” in the 7 p.m. Sunday time slot reserved for its new series “The Magical World of Disney,” but later decided to fill that slot in the fall with material from the Disney archives and said they would find another time slot for “Hardy Boys.” The network said Thursday it had not determined whether it will go ahead with the series.

An ABC spokesman confirmed that the network will proceed with its own “American Revival” plans to remake episodes of “Mission: Impossible” and “Police Story” movies, using previously written scripts, to air at mid-season.

LeMasters said in an interview Thursday that CBS would also proceed with plans to produce “Dolphin Bay” and “Jake’s Journey,” two series that would have dodged the strike by filming abroad in Australia and England. The network still needs those shows, LeMasters said, explaining that networks are unlikely to put “Falcon Crest” or other entertainment shows on the air until they have a number of completed episodes, Le Masters said at a Wednesday news conference.

All the networks have said that comedy series will probably be on their feet before hour dramas, with an average of six to eight weeks before any show goes back into production. Fox Broadcasting predicts a slightly longer lead time for its shows, eight weeks for comedies and and 10 to 12 weeks for dramas.

The executive producer of one hour drama, Michael Filerman of CBS’ “Falcon Crest,” said Wednesday that going back into production is like “the first day of school”--no scripts have been written and no creative meetings have been held yet.

“I figure it will probably take us six to eight weeks to get back into production,” he said, adding that he had no idea when they would be ready to actually begin shooting.

LeMasters said CBS will not be able to tell how much money it will lose due to the strike until later. Although fall programming costs are lower because the network is using re-run programming, he said, it is impossible to calculate whether it will cost the network more than it has saved in lost advertising revenues and audience drop-off.

Kellner said Fox may also reap some long-term benefit from the strike. Fox has recently made significant ratings gains with some of its current series during summer re-run season.

Even though Fox shows are in re-runs as well, Kellner explained, the Big Three network viewers are sampling Fox programs for the first time because they’ve already seen the network shows--and the end of the strike will allow them to have new episodes ready sooner to maintain that momentum, rather than having to re-run the shows again.

“This is wonderful for us,” he said.

LONGEST HOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT STRIKES 1. 835 days. American Federation of Musicians. July 31, 1942-Nov. 11, 1944. 2. 167 days. Musicians Union. Aug. 1, 1980-Jan. 14, 1981. 3. 154 days. Writers Guild of America. March 7-Aug. 7, 1988. 4. 153 days. WGA. Jan. 15-June 15, 1960. 5. 119 days. National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians. June 28-Oct. 24, 1987. 6. 112 days. WGA. March 6-June 25, 1973. 7. 96 days. WGA. April 10-July 14, 1981. 8. 95 days. Screen Actors Guild (TV and film actors)/American Federation of Television & Radio Artists (TV actors). July 21-Oct. 23, 1980. 9. 66 days. Film cartoonist members of IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical & Stage Employees). Aug. 5-Oct. 9, 1982. 10. 59 days. SAG--TV commercial actors. Dec. 12, 1952-Feb. 8, 1953. Compiled by GUY AOKI Salary Goes Up Minimum compensation for: One-hour TV show: 1988: $19,013 1989: $ 19,964 1991: $ 20,862 Movie script: 1988: $ 50,258 1989: $ 52,771 1991: $ 57,257 (Periodic increases of 5%, 5%, and 4.5% over four years compare to annual increases of 6% under the old contract).