‘Alias’ on a Mission: Recruit More Men

ABC believes it has a secret weapon in Sydney Bristow, the sexy double agent of “Alias.”

But the Sunday night drama hasn’t been able to penetrate TV’s top 25 tier of shows, despite kudos from critics and a cult-like following.

As a result, ABC is planning to throw more money at the program in an unusual marketing blitz. Coming soon: “Alias” DVDs, comic books, action figures, trading cards, video games and even a new cell phone ring tone, all designed to attract more young men to complement a core audience of young women.

“Shows like these are hard to find,” said Susan Lyne, entertainment president of ABC, a unit of Walt Disney Co. “We’d rather put more time and energy into building this show than take a risk on four others that we might put in that time slot and cross our fingers.”

Expanding the audience for “Alias” has never been more important for ABC, which this week finished the February sweeps period in fourth place among total viewers and fourth among those ages 18 to 49 -- the key category watched by Wall Street and Madison Avenue.

Meanwhile, ABC’s two stalwart dramas are nearing retirement. “NYPD Blue” is expected to run one more year, and “The Practice” might not last the summer. Four new dramas that ABC rolled out in September were yanked off the air by November.

The effort to draw more male viewers to “Alias” kicked off in January, when the network placed it in the post-Super Bowl berth. During the game, tens of millions of people saw commercials with the show’s star, Jennifer Garner, strutting around in attire arguably better suited for a Victoria’s Secret catalog than to a TV drama.

There are no guarantees, of course, that the marketing will work. Stacey Lynn Koerner, broadcast research director for advertising-buying firm Initiative Media, questioned whether video games and trading cards would lure new viewers.

“Typically, ancillary products are appealing to people who are already fans of the show,” Koerner said.

“There’s a whole history of critically acclaimed programs that are loved by pockets of viewers and never take off in a grand scale,” she added.

Network executives say they realize that “Alias” merchandise isn’t likely to attract hordes of viewers who are in the 18-to-49 age category. But they are hoping to indoctrinate teens “who will soon be in that ... demographic,” Lyne said.

A series of “prequel” books have been designed to create a back story to the TV show, while video games and comic books aim to add elements of fantasy and intrigue.

“We’re going to introduce a new character in the comic book before we introduce him on the show,” said J.J. Abrams, the creator and executive producer of “Alias.”

ABC also has been working with Nokia Corp. to produce a cell phone ring that mimics the show’s theme song. Central to the sales pitch, especially to young men, is Garner. Positioned as a young, female James Bond, she also currently is staring in the hit movie “Daredevil.”

From the beginning, “Alias” has been an enigma. The second-year show, produced by Disney’s Touchstone Television unit, aimed to have youth appeal with wild outfits and lots of action. Young women embraced the plot lines and tangled relationships of the characters; Garner poses as a bank employee who secretly works for the CIA alongside her father. But young men didn’t stick with the show.

By mid-January, viewership had slipped nearly 9% from the show’s first season and was averaging about 9 million viewers an episode. That put it at 75th place in the TV ratings race, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Several months earlier, network executives began meeting with Abrams to figure out how to build a bigger -- and more masculine -- audience.

Abrams offered to unwind some of the dense plots driven by the double-crossing characters. To “relaunch” the series, they quickly trained their sights on ABC’s Super Bowl telecast.

It paid off. Some 17 million viewers tuned in to “Alias” after the game, even though the show began at 11 p.m. on the East Coast. Since the Super Bowl, the show’s overall audience has shot up by about 15%, with the biggest gains among men 18 to 49.

Lyne said “Alias” has suffered because it doesn’t have a strong “lead-in.” The network may try next fall to package “Alias” with another younger-skewing show, perhaps on a different night.

“The show has got huge potential,” Lyne said. “But it’s been frustrating that it hasn’t taken off.”