Future ‘Generations’ Face an Uphill Fight on Daytime Television

“Generations,” the groundbreaking NBC daytime drama that made blacks an integral part of its stories, faces a soap opera situation of its own: It might have only six months to live.

Since “Generations” began in March, 1989, with much hoopla and critical acclaim, it has progressed to the bottom of the daytime ratings. TV’s newest soap ranks 12th among the 12 daytime dramas, despite daring to undertake plot lines with more than a whiff of whimsy.

In one of the latest plot lines, wicked old Aunt Mary disguised herself as a nun and smuggled a moosehead stuffed with $60 million in diamonds out of Chicago by airplane. She was determined to foil her pursuers by parachuting into Iowa with the moosehead.

“It’s kinky. It’s a campy change of pace,” said Sally Sussman, the show’s creator, executive producer and head writer.

At the NBC affiliates’ meeting earlier this month, network President Pier Mapes said the show had six months to get out of the cellar. “The show is not making money at this point,” NBC spokesman Gene Walsh acknowledged.

“Generations” senior executive Jorn H. Winther is very much aware his show is under the gun. “We’re certainly not downhearted about it,” he said. “It motivates you.”

“Generations” is about two Chicago families--one white and affluent, one black and affluent--whose lives have been intertwined for three generations. “We don’t just play things from a black point of view,” Winther said. “We try to cross over black and white story lines. It’s realistic.”

The 18-member cast includes some of the most distinguished black performers on television, including Richard Roundtree, remembered for his title role as “Shaft,” Taurean Blaque, who played detective Neal Washington on “Hill Street Blues,” and Debbi Morgan, the first black actress to win a daytime Emmy Award for her work on “All My Children.”

“I think our production is very good,” Winther said. “We get great critical reviews. It’s very difficult not to see a good write-up of us.”

So why is the show in trouble?

For the week of June 4-10, “Generations” had a 2.5 rating and a 9 share, meaning it was seen in 2.3 million households by 9% of the available audience. By contrast, CBS’ top-rated “The Young and the Restless” had 7.5 million viewers and 31% of the time period’s audience.

“When the show went on in a lot of areas, it went on against the second half-hour of ‘The Young and the Restless’ or fifth-ranked ‘The Bold and the Beautiful,’ ” Winther said.

“We’ve got critical support, but we’re up against the No. 1 show,” Walsh said. “It’s like going up against ‘The Cosby Show’ with another comedy.”