ABC Shifts ‘NYPD Blue’ and Axes ‘Joan’

Having gotten off to a disappointing start to the new television season, ABC is quickly undertaking a major overhaul of its prime-time schedule, canceling the sitcom “What About Joan” and reassigning “NYPD Blue” to Tuesday nights at 9 in an attempt to bolster series co-creator Steven Bochco’s new legal drama “Philly.”

As part of the restructured lineup, the new ABC comedy “Bob Patterson,” starring “Seinfeld” alumnus Jason Alexander, will in a few weeks move to Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m., following “The Drew Carey Show.” That will require delaying “The Job,” a gritty comedy starring comic Denis Leary, until later in the season.

ABC has endured dismal ratings on Tuesday nights thus far, including a 30% drop in viewing of the heavily promoted “Bob Patterson” with this week’s second telecast opposite NBC’s “Frasier.” Overall, the network’s weekly prime-time audience is down more than 20% compared with the first two weeks of the 2000 television season, creating a perception of a lineup in free fall.

ABC was No. 1 just two seasons ago, thanks to “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” but the network’s fortunes fell as tune-in of the quiz show dwindled.

Determined to diminish its reliance on the program, ABC began the current season with just two editions of “Millionaire”--half the number scheduled last fall--and has seen that franchise continue to fade, with average viewing down more than 40% versus the same period last year.

The hope for the scheduling changes is that higher ratings at 9 p.m. Tuesdays with “Blue”--which was to have moved to Wednesday nights this fall--will help boost “Philly,” whose ratings woes ABC attributes in part to the weakness of the network’s comedy block preceding it.

Bochco, who produces both “Philly” and “Blue,” said he was thrilled by the shift. “This accomplishes two very significant things for us with one move,” said the producer, who previously voiced strong objections to scheduling “Blue” against NBC’s “Law & Order.”

“NYPD Blue” will open its ninth season Nov. 6 with a two-hour premiere explaining the departure of cast member Rick Schroder and introducing Mark-Paul Gosselaar as the show’s newest detective. As a result, the newsmagazine “20/20”--which was to have returned to its longstanding Friday time slot once “Blue” rejoined the lineup in November--will continue to run Wednesday nights.

ABC Entertainment Television Group Co-Chairman Stu Bloomberg noted that the networks are in general struggling with new series, due in part to disrupted viewing patterns stemming from the terrorist attacks that delayed the television season. “All of the networks are in the same boat,” he said, adding that after the attacks, “everything went up in the air. People are looking for news or familiarity.”

NBC, with its well-known Wednesday and Thursday hits, has fared best competitively in this environment. Bloomberg added that ABC has yet to decide whether to pull and reschedule its unscripted series “The Mole II” but said network research indicates that even many fans of the first edition are unaware the show is on--an example of the havoc the last month has played with network promotion and scheduling plans.

“What About Joan,” starring Joan Cusack, premiered last spring and had aired just twice this season following “Dharma & Greg,” which has also experienced a ratings nose dive with its move to an earlier, 8 p.m. time slot.