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This article comes from Varitey.com.
Posted: Thurs., Mar. 18, 1999
It's the end of the 'World' -- and 'Lateline,' 'Seven'
Low numbers sink series
By JENNY HONTZ, JOSEF ADALIAN
It was Bloody Wednesday at the big three networks as three ratings underachievers got the hook.
NBC pulled the plug on the Paramount comedy "Lateline," while CBS gave the boot to the MGM/Trilogy oater "Magnificent Seven" and ABC ended the midseason drama "Strange World" two weeks earlier than planned.
"Lateline" debuted midseason last year and was a mediocre performer, but was critically acclaimed and was renewed for midseason this year. "Lateline" returned to the schedule in January, but bombed on Wednesday nights.
NBC gave the show a last chance with a six-episode run on Tuesdays, but pulled it after just one airing this week. Its March 16 performance fell to NBC's lowest rating on record for firstrun regular fare in the Tuesday 8:30 p.m. slot: a 5.1 rating, 8 share.
It rated a mere 2.8/8 in adults 18-49, keeping NBC fourth for the half-hour and reps a 26% fall from the slot's lead-in. The drop is especially newsworthy since slot regular "NewsRadio" built on its lead-in with each of its last nine airings and averaged an 18% gain vs. lead-in over that span.
Going into the slot starting next week are repeats of NBC's hit comedies, including "Just Shoot Me" and "Frasier."
CBS' "Magnificent Seven," which began its second season in January, was scheduled to return to its 9 p.m. Friday slot March 26 following two weeks of preemptions for Eye web coverage of the NCAA college hoops tourney. Instead, CBS will double-pump "Kids Say the Darndest Things" and "Candid Camera" from 8 to 10 p.m. on that date, then bring in "Unsolved Mysteries" on April 2 for a six-week run of original episodes.
Eye execs haven't officially canceled "Seven," though sources say it's unlikely the remaining six episodes of "Seven's" 13-seg order will air anytime soon. Series had been averaging a 6.7 Nielsen rating/11 share, losing nearly 20% of its "Candid Camera" lead-in.
An energetic e-mail campaign by "Seven" loyalists helped convince CBS to bring back the series for a midseason run after the oater, which originally launched in January 1998, was left off the web's fall 1998 sked.
Sources said MGM and Trilogy are still mulling whether it would be feasible to revive "Seven" on a cabler or Pax TV, which already airs several CBS series. Turner had expressed an interest in picking up the show for one of its cable nets last year when the Eye appeared ready to dump "Seven" completely.
MGM Worldwide Television prexy John Symes said it's too early to say whether "Seven" will get lucky again, but said "the dedication of the fans" who bombarded CBS execs with e-mails last year indicated the show had a loyal fan base. "Unfortunately, it wasn't big enough (to survive) on CBS," he said.
"Seven" was MGM's only network TV series launched in recent years, and the company has indicated it has no plans to return to the network TV fray anytime soon.
Too 'Strange'
As for "Strange World," which ABC had been hyping as a "limited run" skein, it had its final broadcast Tuesday after just three airings. The "X-Files"-esque drama from 20th Century Fox Television bowed March 8 with a dismal 5.7 Nielsen rating/10 share; it plunged even further after moving into the 10 p.m. Tuesday slot normally occupied by "NYPD Blue."
On March 16, "Strange World" (4.3/8 in homes and 2.7/8 in adults 18-49), again earned the net's lowest-ever firstrun regular-sked rating in that slot. For the night, "Strange" dropped ABC to its worst in-season Tuesday homes rating since New Year's Eve 1996.
No "NYPD Blue" repeat has ever scored lower in households than the last two "Strange" firstruns, and "NYPD Blue" reruns will now be pressed into service to fill the void over the next two weeks.
ABC ordered a total of 13 "Strange" episodes, but only five were scheduled to air in the Tuesday 10 p.m. slot.
In other ratings news, the WB did OK with its first Tuesday call for "Rescue 77" (3.2/5 in homes, 1.7/4 in adults 18-49), which finished 9% below the homes average of the last five "Felicity" firstruns in that slot.
UPN's second "Family Rules" (2.0/3 in homes, 1.1/3 in adults 18-49) showed promise, retaining 92% of its 18-49 lead-in. It was UPN's second-best retention in that slot in the last 24 weeks. All numbers are based on Nielsen data.
(Tom Bierbaum contributed to this story.)
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