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By Mike Thompson

For my first column of the new semester, new year, and new millenium, I thought that it might be nice to give a sort of mid-season recap of the six broadcast networks, and where they stand so far in the 1999-2000 season. Some networks have had great years (ABC, UPN) while others have had not-so-great years (NBC, FOX). The all-important February sweeps (one of two months in the year—the other being November—when the networks trot out their big guns, all in the name of higher ratings) are upon us, and the networks will no doubt try to improve their fortunes. So, without further adieu, here is my quick take on the current state of the networks:

ABC

Six words define ABC’s success this year: Who Wants to be a Millionaire. This little game show has proven to be big news indeed. The show was a big hit last August, and its run this past November was spectacular. The ratings have gotten even better since ABC made the show a regular series in January. It is difficult to exaggerate how huge Millionaire has been to ABC. The network had really not been doing well in the ratings for the past few years. Its veteran shows were just getting older, and its new shows were not catching on. It was in danger of losing its third-place standing in the ratings to FOX, which had never happened before. Along came Millionaire and suddenly the situation changed. The show is a virtual guarantee to come in first in the ratings in just about any timeslot it airs in. However, the network still has issues with some of its regular series. Aside from Millionaire, the only ABC show that regularly ranks in the Top 20 shows of the week is NYPD Blue. Sports Night, a favorite of critics (including me) still isn’t doing well in the ratings. And the future of the successful Spin City is still very much up in the air. Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinson’s disease, has announced he’ll be leaving the show at the end of the year. While it’s true that Spin City is an ensemble show, it’s almost as difficult to imagine a Fox-less Spin City as it is to imagine a Ted Danson-less Cheers. Still, the alphabet network has a lot to cheer about. ABC had the Super Bowl this year, which is always ratings gold, and they have the Oscars in March, which is also sure to do great. Based on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, the Super Bowl, and the Oscars, the buzz is that ABC might actually win the 1999-2000 ratings race. Considering their sorry state of affairs the past few years, this would be quite the coup for them.

CBS

It’s easy to find fault with CBS (it’s easy, ‘mkay). After all, it’s the broadcast network with the oldest core audience, a dubious honor that has earned the network the nickname of GBS (the Geriatric Broadcasting System) in some industry circles. Some of its dramas, such as Diagnosis Murder, Walker, Texas Ranger and Martial Law are routinely made fun of within the entertainment industry. However, the simple fact is that the network has made some impressive strides so far this season. Its audience, while still the oldest by far, has actually gotten a little younger. The network’s Monday night comedy block, anchored by the Top 20 hit Everybody Loves Raymond, continues to improve in the ratings. A surprise hit for the network has been Judging Amy, which is set in Hartford, CT. (Fellow Nutmeggers, salute!) The show routinely places in the Top 30, despite increased competition in its timeslot from NYPD Blue over on ABC. The never-say-die JAG is still a Top 30 hit, and the new drama Family Law is also doing well. Of course, CBS still has its problems, aside from those I mentioned earlier. Its Who Wants to be a Millionaire rip-off, Winning Lines, is winning few fans, and its new critically-acclaimed drama, Now and Again, is starting to flounder in the ratings. Also, you have to wonder if the recent acquisition of CBS by Viacom will lead to the type of shakeups that have been going on at ABC, which I mentioned earlier. What does the future hold for CBS? There’s only one thing to say: stay tuned.

NBC

NBC has seen their fortunes really drop this season. The network started the season in a bit of controversy, having unceremoniously cancelled critical darlings NewsRadio and Homicide: Life on the Street late last spring. It didn’t help matters any when The Mike O’Malley Show and Cold Feet, the two shows which replaced NewsRadio and Homicide, respectively, on the schedule, promptly tanked in the ratings and became two of the first casualties of the 1999-2000 season. From there things kept on getting worse for NBC. Its once-strong Tuesday night sitcom lineup has performed consistently worse in the ratings, regularly losing to CBS, ABC, and even FOX. Even NBC’s "Must-See" Thursday sitcom block has been dropping in the ratings. To top it all off, NBC, which prides itself on the youth of its audience, has seen its core audience actually get a few years older this season. So, after all this, what does the Peacock network have to crow about? Well, if you get past the network’s sorry state of sitcom affairs, things aren’t all that bad. ER is still the highest-rated drama or sitcom on television, and Law & Order is still pulling in good ratings. Also, NBC’s rookie dramas, such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and The West Wing, have been successful in the ratings. In my opinion, this season has been a wake-up call for the execs at NBC. For the past few years, they’ve been churning out mediocre sitcoms, assuming we’ll watch. Well, we’ve shown them we won’t. Maybe this will convince NBC to improve their sitcom product? One can only hope.

FOX

FOX has not had a great season. Most of the network’s new shows have already been cancelled (Ryan Caulfield, Harsh Realm, Action) or will be gone in a few weeks (Time of your Life, Get Real). Its long-running hit dramas, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Party of Five have floundered in the ratings and have announced they’ll be calling it quits at the end of the season. Just about the only comfort FOX has is that The Simpsons and Ally McBeal continue to do great in the ratings, and that That ‘70s Show is becoming a modest hit. Oh, that and a little show called Malcolm in the Middle. This clever show, which debuted in January, has done smashing business in the ratings, and may be FOX’s biggest live-action comedy hit since In Living Color. If Malcolm in the Middle proves to be a long-standing hit, FOX’s misfortunes during the 1999-2000 season, while still pretty bad, may not be as bad as expected.

UPN

Like ABC, UPN’s phenomenal success this season can be attributed to a single show: WWF Smackdown! The show is by far the biggest hit UPN has ever had in all of its five years of existence, especially with the young adult audience. It wouldn’t be a big stretch to say that WWF Smackdown! has saved UPN. As mentioned earlier, Viacom (the parent company of UPN) recently bought CBS. Since FCC standards state that a company can’t own two broadcast networks, Viacom had contemplated shutting down UPN, since it has consistently struggled in the ratings anyway. Now that WWF Smackdown! has proven so successful, UPN has been given an extended life. But don’t go running to Wal-Mart to buy that UPN T-shirt quite so fast. WWF Smackdown! and Star Trek: Voyager are still the only successful shows on the network, so the option remains that Viacom may move one, or both, shows to CBS, and simply do away with UPN. Of course, if that were to happen, would anybody really care?

WB

It’s too bad ABC is already using those letters, because WB could sure put them to use: the Angst Broadcasting Company. Yes, teen angst is all around on WB this season, from alien teen angst (Roswell) to supernatural teen angst (Charmed) to vampire teen angst (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) to overacted, melodramatic teen angst (Dawson’s Creek). Yet, strangely, all these shows have proven to be ratings successes this season, with Buffy and Angel leading the pack. Of course, these shows will most likely burn out eventually, but for now they’re hits, and they’ve helped make WB a success. As long as they take the attention off of the WB sitcoms, I can’t complain too much. From veterans like The Steve Harvey Show to newer shows like the woefully unfunny Zoe, it’s the same old thing for WB sitcoms. The less written about them, the better.

And there you have it, my fellow Marist boys and girls. My thoughts on where the networks stand at the moment. It’s been an interesting season so far, and you have to wonder what the February sweeps will bring. So pick up that remote control, grab a box of Junior Mints, and catch some of what the networks have to offer. Knowledge is power.