INVISIBLE HITS : The shows that nobody cares about--except millions of viewers

They are the Rodney Dangerfields of television: They get no respect from critics, are rarely on magazine covers and are routinely shut out at Emmy time.

But they are not ignored by the people who count most-the viewers. They are the quiet hits of the airwaves-audience pleasers that place in the top of the weekly Nielsen ratings.

The invisible hits range from shows lucky enough to sit in a comfortable time slot, such as the No. 4-ranked “A Different World,” to “Hunter,” holding steady at No. 47 but No. 1 in its time slot against such ballyhooed shows as CBS’ “WIOU” and ABC’s “Cop Rock,” recently canceled.

Producer Fred Silverman has several hidden hits on television-NBC’s “Matlock,” “In the Heat of the Night” (which holds the distinction of having delivered the fatal blow to “Moonlighting”) and the “Perry Mason” movies. His CBS series “Jake and the Fatman” is a more moderate hidden hit.

Silverman has been around long enough to expect that such shows get little press.

“These are not trendy shows,” he said. “When ‘thirtysomething’ went on, it was a trendy show. It was fun to write about. ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘China Beach,’ these shows get hot for a very short period of time and then they go away.

“I promise you next year at this time, there won’t be a word written about ‘Twin Peaks,’ if it is still around. You hardly see anything about ‘China Beach’ anymore. I figure it is a lot sexier to write about them than ‘Matlock’ and ‘Jake and the Fatman,’ which are like old shoes.”

Silverman’s series usually skew to older audiences. “I would be a liar if I said they didn’t,” he said. “But they don’t do badly with the younger demographics. ‘Matlock,’ ‘In the Heat of the Night’ and ‘Jake and the Fatman’ are in the middle range of series among 18- to-49-year-old viewers.”

Silverman maintains his series are successful because they appeal to older viewers: “As time goes by, I think that situation will become even more pronounced. It is just the fact of life. In terms of buying power, (older audiences) represent more buying power than the younger families. They have more money to spend, and I think it’s just a matter of time before we start to see the advertisers buying older.”

It does, however, anger Silverman that his productions are snubbed by Emmy voters. (Carroll O’Connor is a rare exception. He won an Emmy last year for “In the Heat of the Night.”)

“I think there is terrific work done on these shows,” Silverman said. “I think Andy Griffith deserves at least an Emmy nomination for ‘Matlock.’ I didn’t go to the Emmy Awards this year. I didn’t look at them on the air. It’s a sham.” Over the next few years, Silverman believes, the networks will return to more traditional programming such as “Matlock.”

“With all this talk of demographics, any entertainment president of the four networks would kill to get a 35 share,” Silverman said. “I don’t care what the demographics are. I don’t care what the show is, ‘Cosby’ or ‘Roseanne,’ in order to get those kind of numbers, you are going to have a broad-based audience of old and young.”

NBC’s detective series “Hunter,” starring former Rams defensive end Fred Dryer as L.A. detective Rick Hunter, is another quiet hit with broad appeal. In its seventh season, “Hunter” has weathered both schedule and cast changes. “We are the most popular hour police show on TV,” said Larry Kubik, co-executive producer. “We are seen in 88 countries. We are No. 1 in China, South America and Germany.”

The reason for its success?

“I think Fred Dryer is perceived as the John Wayne of his generation,” Kubik said. “I think that women love him and men kind of look up to him. I think the character of Rick Hunter is steeped in a ‘60s morality. I think he has old values that TV audiences are used to. He doesn’t do things that are out of character. He is not going to have an affair with a married woman. The morality of his character is something audiences feel comfortable with.”

Kubik believes “Hunter” is ignored because it was initially perceived as a typical action series in the vein of “The A-Team,” because both were created by Stephen J. Cannell. “The show was that, but it evolved out of it,” Kubik said. “I started changing a lot of what I did,” said Dryer, who is also co-executive producer of the series. “Producer Roy Huggins came in the second year and asked me what I thought about the show. We started working together and, for the most part, it got its feet and legs with Roy. Then we kind of refined it.

“But why don’t people write about it? And why don’t these shows and producers get credit for being successful? I think the Emmy society is very closed and narrow. I think they are inbred with their own self-indulgence. We have done some very good shows, with great performances and directing jobs. I think we have lasted the test of time. We have made an impact. The show came from nothing and it bypassed ‘Miami Vice.’ This is the seventh season, and I am very happy with an awful lot of things. All I worry about is showing up every day and getting the right directors and making the show.”

A show virtually ignored is “Unsolved Mysteries,” originally a series of specials. The NBC reality program, hosted by Robert Stack, has outscored its competition--including ABC’s “The Wonder Years” and “Growing Pains”--almost every week since its premiere two years ago.

“I think part of the reason we don’t get a lot of attention is that it’s a reality show,” said co-executive producer John Cosgrove. “A lot of TV editors want to know what celebrities are doing.”

Over the past three years, “Unsolved Mysteries” has presented 235 unsolved cases; its viewers have helped solve 57.

“We used to travel around the country (before it became a series) and asked people to be interviewed,” Cosgrove said. “Now that we are a series, our directors and field producers go to a new town and everybody wants to help. It’s really wonderful. The nature of the medium of TV is tying people together who don’t know each other.”

Cosgrove says it’s frustrating that “Unsolved Mysteries” doesn’t get the credit he believes it deserves. “We solved a case of a serial arsonist of 14 fires and that to me is really an accomplishment for TV,” Cosgrove said. “It would have been a nice pat on the back to somehow have a salute to those people who tune in and watch.”

Initially, the critics didn’t ignore NBC’s “A Different World.” “The Cosby Show” spinoff starred Lisa Bonet and scored high in the ratings with its time slot immediately after “Cosby”--but it was a critical disaster. Bonet left the series after the first season when she became pregnant.

Director/producer Debbie Allen was brought into breathe some life into “A Different World” during its second season. She revamped the series, which has featured guest stars such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson and tackled such subjects as apartheid.

“The whole thing about Lisa Bonet,” Allen said, “is that the girl is very talented. She became the scapegoat for a lot of things. But our show has gotten better and the critics have started to notice. Before, we didn’t really exist. We have some wonderful people on the show and not one of them has been nominated for an Emmy. Our show has held its own in the midst of network battling and we are finally getting some respect.”

Besides, Allen said, “A Different World” has had a great impact upon the black community: “College enrollment is way up for black colleges now.”

Though Steven Bochco’s recently canceled “Cop Rock” was heavily hyped, it is his other ABC series, “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” about a 17-year-old doctor, that has became a bona fide hit in its second season.

“We were always very popular with teens and pre-teens but now we have grown,” said co-supervising producer/writer Vic Rauseo. “Now the 18- to-49 crowd has discovered the show. The biggest growth has been among women. Doogie is funny, but there is an emotional content, usually about the emotional relationship between Doogie and his dad. Women respond to that. I think a lot of people were initially put off by the premise. They thought it would be broad and goofy.”

“But instead,” said Linda Morris, co-supervising producer and writer, “Steven, from the very get-go, went right for reality.”

“Our shows are very complex,” Rauseo said. “The kids have difficulties with their parents, and they are the same difficulties your average family goes through.”

The series was discovered by audiences during reruns last summer. “We were just doing OK in the ratings, but then the audience built,” Rauseo said.

Like “Doogie Howser,” ABC’s sitcom “Full House” started with marginal ratings only to be discovered by viewers during its first summer of reruns in 1987. “We never get awards, we never get TV Guide covers and yet we win our time slot every week,” said Jeff Franklin, creator and co-executive producer.

The series also does well overseas. It’s No. 1 in Australia and is a top series in France, Spain and Thailand.

Franklin believes “Full House” is such a hit because of a “real warm feeling” the show and cast exude. “It seems like a family show that parents can trust. They know it’s going to be a positive experience. There’s not going to be anything in there that would make them uncomfortable. These are people you want to watch every week.”