Fox’s Programming Chief Defends Fall Plans, Moves : Television: The network’s Sandy Grushow comes under criticism for sensational true-crime movies and switching ‘Melrose Place’ to the so-called ‘family hour.’

Fox Entertainment Chairman Sandy Grushow on Thursday defended the network’s plan for a “quickie” movie on the murder case involving football legend O.J. Simpson, saying Fox was committed to presenting “a good, responsible film.”

Responding to questions during a gathering of national television writers at the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour at the Universal Hilton, Grushow insisted that the movie would not take a position on the guilt or innocence of Simpson in the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Lyle Goldman outside her Brentwood condominium last month. He said the film would most likely focus on Simpson’s life prior to the killings.

Grushow insisted that the film is still only tentative. “Our responsibility as a broadcaster in putting something like this on is significant, and that’s why we want to see a script first,” he said. “We don’t have a ‘go’ picture yet, and we won’t until we get a script.”

He added, however, that a director, Steve Friedman, has already been set for the project, which is currently being written by Steve Harigan. He also said that Fox hopes to broadcast the film in the late summer or early fall, which would be near the anticipated mid-September start date for Simpson’s trial.

“We think the public is fascinated with this case,” he said in explaining the network’s haste to put the movie on the air.

To date, no other networks have announced plans for a Simpson-related film.

The Simpson film is one of several original movies on the “Fox Night at the Movies” schedule for Tuesday nights that will focus on sensational true-crime cases or tabloid-style biographies. Other titles include “The True Story of the Boston Strangler,” “Madonna: The Early Years,” an unauthorized story on the controversial superstar, and a miniseries about the romantic entanglements of actress Mia Farrow, “Mia: Child of Hollywood.”

Some of the planned films mark a departure from the network’s earlier position of producing original movies that would differ in tone and content from traditional “ripped from the headlines” movies-of-the-week on ABC, CBS and NBC.

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Grushow said, “There was a real hole in that theory” to do different types of films, and “we got tired of getting 5 shares with movies like ‘Based on an Untrue Story,’ ” which was a parody of network TV movies. He said Fox had better success last season with movies such as one based on the Menendez murder case, “so we’re willing to take a few more shots” in that direction.

The Fox programming chief also defended the network’s decision to move the steamy soap opera “Melrose Place” this fall from Wednesdays at 9 p.m. to Mondays at 8 p.m., during the so-called “family hour.”

“We were sensitive to the appropriateness of putting the show on at that time,” Grushow said. “It was not a decision that was made capriciously. It’s not a traditional family show, but nor is it anti-social. People who tune it in know what they’re going to get. The themes explored in ‘Melrose Place’ can be found in soap operas that come on during the day.”

Grushow said that NBC’s decision last season to air its adult-oriented situation comedy “Mad About You” at 8 p.m. Thursday did not hurt or affect that show’s tone, and he expected the same result with “Melrose Place.”

“We would not have moved the show if we thought it would impact it creatively,” he said, adding that the program would not carry an advisory calling for parental discretion.

In a further discussion of “Melrose Place,” several critics criticized the cutaway from a kiss between two gay men in the season finale, arguing that the show’s gay male character was not allowed to have a sex life while the rest of the characters hop in and out of bed with ease.

Grushow said that there was too much advertiser opposition to the kiss, and that Fox would have lost up to $1 million if it had aired the kiss as it was filmed: “The bottom line is that we’re a business. It’s show business, but still a business, and we just couldn’t afford to take that kind of financial hit.”

Grushow also addressed criticism that the network had canceled several shows featuring African Americans, including “South Central,” “Roc,” “In Living Color” and “Bakersfield P.D.” He said Fox in its seven-year history had put on more shows revolving around African Americans than all the other networks combined. He added that Fox was taking the unusual step of presenting two new hourlong dramas starring blacks: “New York Undercover” and “M.A.N.T.I.S.”

Fox will begin rolling out its new shows with the premiere of “M.A.N.T.I.S.” on Aug. 26, and the entire Fox schedule of new and returning series will premiere by Sept. 16 in advance of the fall schedules of ABC, NBC and CBS.