ABC Will Pull the Plug on 2 Shows

ABC may give America a few sleepless nights by airing a new miniseries version of Stephen King’s “The Shining” later this month, but the network’s own nightmare is becoming its prime-time lineup.

Mediocre ratings and the approach of the May ratings sweeps have prompted ABC to pull its two most anticipated midseason programs--”Arsenio” and “The Practice”--after next week’s telecasts.

Special attention was focused on these midseason programs as ABC--the No. 1 network during the 1994-95 season--tries to pull itself back into ratings contention. The network has slid into second-place ties with CBS and Fox, respectively, in total audience and the key demographic used to determine advertising rates, well behind NBC.

While NBC and CBS have also declined compared to last year, ABC’s drop has been the most precipitous.

“Arsenio,” which marked Arsenio Hall’s return to television, will exit the schedule prematurely after just six telecasts of 13 episodes ordered.

Sources say ABC and the production company, DreamWorks Television, may try to develop a completely new program featuring Hall for next season. One scenario would cast Hall as a bachelor, with co-star Vivica A. Fox (of “Independence Day,” who plays his newlywed wife) leaving the series.

Though the parties indicated that no final decisions have been made, one source said the expectation is that the show will “go back to square one.”

ABC also brings back “NYPD Blue” on April 15 without finding another home as yet for its replacement since early March, “The Practice”--a well-reviewed legal drama from “Chicago Hope” and “Picket Fences” creator David E. Kelley that generated only marginal ratings.

The network has given the program a vote of confidence while saying that remaining episodes will be broadcast at a later date; however, ABC lacks a desirable time period for the show now that Diane Sawyer has extended her deal at ABC News, making “PrimeTime Live” a virtual lock to retain the 10 p.m. Wednesday slot that the entertainment division had sought for “The Practice.”

ABC’s ratings slide followed the network’s acquisition by the Walt Disney Co., which has stated its willingness to bring the studio’s considerable resources to bear in putting the network back on top.

In fact, the network is hoping its corporate parent will provide some needed firepower next season. ABC has already announced that a new two-hour version of “The Wonderful World of Disney,” featuring original movies as well as family classics from Disney and other studios, will air at 7 p.m. Sundays beginning in September.

There is also still hope at the network that “Arsenio” could become a success given a more deliberate development process. ABC won rights to do a series with the star after a heated bidding war in which Fox offered a sight-unseen commitment of 35 episodes--nearly equal to CBS’ two-year, 44-episode deal to land Bill Cosby’s new comedy.

ABC won out with a lesser bid but ultimately agreed to pay more than $900,000 per half-hour--at least 50% more than the average cost to license a new comedy.

The show faced behind-the-scenes problems, however, with creator David Rosenthal leaving before the premiere following a blow-up with the star. DreamWorks had to find a replacement on the fly, tapping producer Tim O’Donnell and former ABC Entertainment Chairman Ted Harbert (who left the network in February) to oversee the production.

“We all tried hard to change this tire at 60 miles per hour,” O’Donnell said.

ABC will replace “Arsenio” with a second airing of “The Drew Carey Show” before “Ellen” returns to Wednesday nights April 30, in a one-hour episode in which the lead character will “come out” as a lesbian.

ABC’s hard times have even renewed speculation that the network will try to keep Roseanne on its schedule next year, playing the same character in a new series.

Sources say the star herself has expressed interest in continuing on the network. One proposal for the new show would have Roseanne and her teenage son D.J. (played by Michael Fishman) moving to Las Vegas, where they’d be joined by an African American woman.

ABC is currently paying more than $2 million per episode for the right to broadcast “Roseanne,” which is in its ninth season and has witnessed its ratings drop substantially. A new program would begin at a significantly lower fee, probably less than $1 million per half-hour.

With so few programs working, the network thus might have an incentive to keep Roseanne around even with mediocre ratings if the network can reduce its costs.

“The show as we know it is definitely ending,” an ABC spokeswoman said Thursday of the current series, while declining comment regarding the prospects for a spin-off show.

Officials at Carsey-Werner--which produces “Roseanne,” as well as “Cosby” and “3rd Rock From the Sun”--were said to have indicated weeks ago that they weren’t interested in extending their relationship with the star. The company couldn’t be reached for comment.