CBS’ Rap on Susan Dey: Not Funny for Prime Time

The verdict is in on Susan Dey: not funny.

At least that’s what the folks at CBS concluded, in conjunction with the executive producers of “Love & War,” creator Diane English and her husband, Joel Shukovsky.

Publicly, the network and producers are taking the high road, having allowed Dey to exit gracefully (“letting her stage-manage the event,” as one CBS insider put it) with her own statement about “resigning” for creative reasons.

But the harsh fact remains that she was forced out. “It didn’t take a brain surgeon to see she just isn’t a comedian,” said one highly placed CBS executive who requested anonymity. Asked whether she resigned or was fired, the executive responded, “the latter.”

Dey refused to confirm or deny that assessment, saying only through a spokeswoman that “there were creative differences that couldn’t be resolved.”

English and Shukovsky were traveling out of the country, and CBS officially prefers to stick to “no comment” and claim the decision was mostly made between Dey and English. But insiders point to the network’s sensitivity to Dey’s unpopularity in the role with television critics, and to its own research.

Regarding the latter, Arnold Becker, CBS’ vice president for TV research, confirmed, “It’s fair to say audiences didn’t think she was funny and tended to find her cold.”

In fairness, Dey herself made it no secret to friends that she was unhappy with how her character was written, and there was clearly relief on both sides.

While some inside CBS now say Dey was the wrong choice, some revisionist history is clearly going on. “Her name was one of several (considered),” recalls Jay Sandrich, who directed the “Love & War” pilot. “She came in to read for us a couple of times and everyone was very excited about getting her. I had a wonderful experience with her and there was no dissatisfaction early on.”

No one claims Dey was a personality problem, and the cast and crew genuinely liked her. There was apparently no palpable tension or screaming fights on the set. In fact, her co-star, Jay Thomas, learned about Dey’s exit from his publicist, Tom Estey, who said the two are still good friends.

Now the questions are: Will “Love & War” be picked up for fall and, if so, how will it be recast and redesigned?

Most everyone feels it will be renewed because of its solid ratings and the multimillion dollar deal the network has with English and Shukovsky, and because it’s hard to imagine why they’d go through such a public embarrassment for Dey if the show was expected to disappear altogether.

As for how it will change, that remains for English to deal with when she returns from her trip. But there already is talk of bringing in Annie Potts, now that “Designing Women” has run its course--presumably in a different role.

As for Dey, it’s possible that she could end up back at “L.A. Law,” where she starred as attorney Grace Van Owen for six seasons. No formal discussions have been held, but “I certainly can imagine that scenario,” said the show’s executive producer, William Finkelstein. “We loved her and missed her.”

“Love & War” concludes its season May 10, at which time, according to a CBS source, Jay Thomas’ Jack proposes again, and Dey’s Wally “flips out.” And then goes off, as the source puts it, “to Diane Chambers land.”