ABC Stands By ‘Cop Rock’ Despite Viewer Resistance

Despite poor ratings performance and “obvious viewer resistance,” the musical police drama “Cop Rock” will keep on rocking in its current 10 p.m. Wednesday time slot, ABC Entertainment President Robert Iger said Thursday.

In an informal news conference at ABC’s Century City headquarters, Iger said that the network’s heavy financial investment in the unconventional show and its executive producer, Steven Bochco--who has a 10-series deal with the network--dictates putting off a decision to keep or cancel “Cop Rock” until the last moment. That deadline does not traditionally hit until mid-November, he said.

“Cop Rock” ranks 74th out of 90 prime-time series that have aired on the four networks this season. The episode that aired Wednesday finished third in its time slot, attracting 13% of the audience--compared to 24% for NBC’s veteran series “Hunter” and 20% for the debut of “WIOU,” CBS’ new drama about a struggling TV station.

“From a creative standpoint, we have been behind ‘Cop Rock’ almost from its start,” Iger said. “We think it’s being executed brilliantly. . . . I’m not going to hide from the fact that there has been some viewer resistance to it, but until we’re absolutely sure we’ve given the show as much chance as possible to succeed, we’re not going to make a decision. We’re not under any pressure from any direction to do anything.”

Iger added that economics will most likely keep ABC from moving “Cop Rock” to a new time slot. “Every time you make a scheduling change, you give a sponsor every chance to take its money out of the time period,” he said. “In this economy, we are not willing to live with that.”

Iger attributed the show’s poor performance to the musical element--”It asks the viewer to really go on a different ride”--and confirmed that ABC and Bochco have discussed taking out the music. But he said that Bochco felt that if if the network wants a conventional police drama, he would prefer to start a new show from scratch.

“Cop Rock’s” rocky start has not shaken the network’s confidence in Bochco, however. Iger said that he already has green-lighted Bochco’s next project: an as-yet-untitled animated series about “animals in the White House.”