Unloading the Ammo

If prime-time television always presented a lineup like this Sunday, the major networks might not need a tourniquet to stem the tide of viewers flowing elsewhere.

Choices at 9 p.m. include Part 1 of NBC’s big-budget miniseries “House of Frankenstein 1997,” the season premiere of “The X-Files” on Fox, a “Murder, She Wrote” movie on CBS, and “Oprah Winfrey Presents: Before Women Had Wings”--inaugurating a series of ABC movies from the queen of daytime talk, who co-stars with Ellen Barkin.

Kicking off the night at 7 is ABC’s lavish musical “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella”--featuring Brandy, Whitney Houston and other assorted stars--against usual suspects “60 Minutes,” “Touched by an Angel,” “The Simpsons” and “King of the Hill.”

On an average night, any of those movies would seemingly have the potential to be a major ratings grabber. Forced to air opposite such strong competition, however, overall network viewing may rise but individual results will probably suffer--”The X-Files” and “House of Frankenstein” catering to the same audience, for example, while many “Murder, She Wrote” fans doubtless share an affinity for “Oprah.”

Those who often complain, “There’s nothing to watch,” might wonder why more appetizing fare seems to arrive all at once. Such is the logic behind the rating sweeps, the latest of which officially begins Thursday and lasts until Thanksgiving.

As always, sweeps marks a time when networks smack into one another with high-profile miniseries and specials, while executives lament how much better they’d do if not asked to sacrifice so many resources trying to boost ratings in November, February and May--the key months that local TV stations use to negotiate advertising rates.

The wall-to-wall original programming during sweeps contrasts with the summer or even December and March, when many popular series go into reruns because the networks want to stretch a limited number of fresh episodes through May.

November presents a special dilemma for marginally rated new series. Unless a program quickly establishes itself as a hit, such as NBC’s “Veronica’s Closet” or ABC’s “Dharma & Greg,” many newcomers find themselves temporarily benched during sweeps, hindering people’s ability to form a viewing habit or even find the shows.

Among the rookie series that will be preempted at least twice during the next four weeks are CBS’ “Michael Hayes” and “Dellaventura,” ABC’s “Nothing Sacred” and “Cracker,” and Fox’s entire Thursday night lineup.

The practice of sweeps, then, doesn’t exactly encourage patience, leaving the few viewers who have acquired a taste for little-seen but critically lauded fare such as “Nothing Sacred” or Fox’s “413 Hope St.” to wonder where their show went.

“It is obviously a very frustrating reality that exists in the network television business today,” said Sandy Grushow, president of Twentieth Century Fox Television, which produces both of those programs. “The pressure is so great on the networks to perform in November, February and May, the temptation to pull shows perceived not to be pulling their weight is almost too great to avoid. It is destructive to series, especially new series.”

Those preemptions usually make room for miniseries and specials. In addition to NBC’s “House of Frankenstein,” CBS will air “Ken Follett’s The Third Twin,” based on the best-selling novel, and “Bella Mafia,” starring Vanessa Redgrave. ABC will offer its own two-part nuclear thriller, “Medusa’s Child,” but will schedule the second half against “ER” and “Seinfeld”--four days after Part 1 airs on Nov. 16.

Specials include such attractions as Fox’s much-derided “World’s Scariest Car Chases,” “Cheating Death: Catastrophes Caught on Tape” and “World’s Deadliest Swarms” in place of low-rated programs. (These should not be confused with ABC’s third “I Survived a Disaster” special.)

Seeking to avoid extensive scheduling disruptions, networks and studios have also seized upon a more cost-effective (i.e., cheaper) means of competing for ratings through stunt casting and theme nights involving regular series, such as having the enchanted cat from “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” turn up on all four ABC sitcoms one Friday night.

In similar fashion, Zachery Ty Bryan--the eldest son on ABC’s “Home Improvement”--will appear on that network’s “Teen Angel” and “Soul Man,” while the latter’s Dan Aykroyd will make a “Home Improvement” appearance.

“We believe, in today’s television marketplace, anything to make programs seem ‘special’ or a ‘must-see’ program, if you will, is a worthwhile tactic,” said Walt Disney Network Television President David A. Neuman. “We’re big proponents of this. . . . When you do special things, they will get noticed.”

“Home Improvement,” “Soul Man” and “Teen Angel” are all produced by Disney, though in some instances stunts cross studios and even network lines. Richard Belzer of NBC’s “Homicide” will be seen in a cameo on Fox’s “The X-Files,” which airs its 100th episode during November, as does “Frasier.”

The mother of all casting stunts is scheduled for Monday, when 19 former co-stars from shows such as “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Newhart” and “Taxi” appear with Newhart and Judd Hirsch on their new CBS comedy, “George & Leo.”

More conventional gimmickry will find Mel Brooks reprising his role as Uncle Phil on “Mad About You,” Rhea Perlman guest starring on “Union Square,” the cast of the hit movie “The Full Monty” turning up on ABC’s “The Drew Carey Show,” and Meredith Baxter--who played Michael J. Fox’s mom on “Family Ties”--guest starring as Fox’s mother in his latest series, “Spin City.”

NBC will also feature its second cross-over between “Law & Order” and “Homicide: Life on the Street,” with a story that begins in the former and concludes two days later on the latter.

In addition to “Cinderella,” “Wonderful World of Disney” will feature “Angels in the Endzone” (a sequel to “Angels in the Outfield”) and a new production of “Oliver Twist,” starring Richard Dreyfuss and Elijah Wood.

Ratings for November may assume greater significance for the networks and TV stations because results for the next sweeps in February will be heavily skewed by the Winter Olympics, which will occupy CBS’ schedule for 16 of the 28 nights in the survey.