Here Comes the Sun--Oh Wait! It’s ABC!

This week ABC begins running a major on-air ad campaign--set against a bright yellow backdrop--designed to make Americans feel good about watching television. The “TV Is Good” theme features one commercial that links American prosperity to high TV viewing levels as well as slogans such as “It’s a Beautiful Day. What Are You Doing Outside?” and “The Couch Is Your Friend.” Some writers have already ridiculed the ads, and ABC affiliates squashed one proposed line, “Books are overrated,” feeling it sent the wrong message. (Even comic and ABC sitcom star Drew Carey weighed in, quipping that ABC expects yellow to “save the network” when bumping off NBC’s high-rated “Seinfeld” and “ER” would help more.) The irony is that any discourse the campaign generates--even of a derisive nature--is considered a victory by promotion executives, whose aim is simply to garner attention. “This is all meant as comedy,” said ABC executive vice president of marketing Alan Cohen. “We’re trying to have fun with the fact that people like TV.” Lee Clow, whose agency, TBWA Chiat/Day, created the ads, said despite the tendency to complain about television, people admit in focus groups there are “things that were right, good and positive about it.” Besides, for ABC, anything that takes the focus off its recent management difficulties and declining ratings can’t be all bad.

What Hath a Comic Book Spawned?

It has already attracted a cult following among comic-book enthusiasts. Now, “Spawn” is about to invade movie houses across the land. What is “Spawn”? It is an action-adventure thriller based on a dark hero created by maverick comic-book illustrator Todd McFarlane. New Line Cinema plans to open the movie in 2,500 theaters Friday--a risky call since Harrison Ford opened this past weekend in “Air Force One” and another action movie, “Conspiracy Theory” starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts, debuts in two weeks. But, if you’re expecting a traditional superhero, think again. “Everything today has to be politically correct and ‘Spawn’ isn’t,” McFarlane said. “That’s probably the reason it’ll be criticized.” The story revolves around a character named Al Simmons (played by Michael Jai White), a covert operative and one-man army who, five years after being murdered by his corrupt colleagues, makes a Faustian pact with the devil so he can be resurrected to see his beloved wife, Wanda (Theresa Randle). Directed by Mark Dippe, the film also stars John Leguizamo, Martin Sheen, D.B. Sweeney and Nicol Williamson. McFarlane, who left comics giant Marvel in 1992 to form his own company, said all but one of the major studios originally wanted to make the film, but five months into contract talks with one studio, McFarlane said he discovered a “deal breaker.” That’s when he went to New Line. McFarlane said the film is geared to the “MTV crowd, the Generation-X crowd and people over 22 who are sick and tired of sweet and soft Jell-O--people who want their heroes to grow up with them and want their comic books to grow up with them.” McFarlane, who has developed an animated version of “Spawn” for HBO, conceded the character does not fit the politically correct mold. “Some people are going to have a problem with that,” he said. “He isn’t perfect. He gets mad sometimes. He has to live with the consequences of his actions. His only goal is to get back to his wife.” Making the film gave McFarlane a chance to play a cameo in the film. “I play a bum,” he said. “I get next to my creation in the flesh, but he turns his gun on me for a minute. It’s a little thing my director wanted to do.”

‘Puffy,’ but Definitely Not Fluffy

It seems a sure bet that the debut album by rap mogul Sean “Puffy” Combs will debut at No. 1 when the weekly national album sales chart is released Wednesday. The July 22 release of the highly anticipated collection, Puff Daddy & the Family’s “No Way Out,” contains “I’ll Be Missing You,” a chart-topping tribute to Combs’ late protege, slain rap star Notorious B.I.G. In addition, B.I.G., who was gunned down March 9 in Los Angeles, is a featured rapper on four of the album’s 17 tracks. What the pop industry will be watching is to see whether the first-week sales of Combs’ record will top the debut-week sales of B.I.G.’s two-disc “Life After Death,” which was released two weeks after B.I.G.’s slaying and sold nearly 690,000 copies during its first seven days in stores, the sixth-highest debut since SoundScan began monitoring U.S. record sales in 1991. “I don’t know if it will reach the Biggie numbers, but it will be close,” says Violet Brown, urban music buyer for the Wherehouse Records chain. “It’s definitely going to be an incredibly strong No. 1. And the album will be around for a long time because there are many, many hit singles on this thing.” She predicts first-week sales of at least 500,000 copies.