TV brightens its act in face of competition

Press, 19 April 1985, Page 9

TV brightens its act in face of competition

From NIPA staff correspondent Hugh Nevill n Washington. Critics are hailing the United Statessummer television line-up is the freshest and most entetaining for 15 years. The three letworks will be offering 10 new programmes this season, compared with on(y two a year ago. They will include police shows, lomedies, and musical varied All three letworks will also experimeit with new prime-time news shows. Summer is normally rerun season, with viewing dropping about 30 per cent. Behind the new line-up is a surge in competition from independent stations, cable channels, and the use of video cassette recorders, as well as dwindling advertising revenues.?. , Nearly 40 mil Jon homes in the United-'States are wired for pay television, and the number is growing. Nearly 20 milion video cassette recorders have been sold. A recent study found independent stations’ share

of the audience grew from 18 to 26 per cent in the summer months. * * * Shows with female police officers are becoming more and more popular, but there is one taboo — they are never beaten up by men. How do you write the action scenes? Producers have two main strategies. One is pitting the star against a female opponent — that sort of fighting is apparently okay and is usually seen as funny. The other strategem is to have the star a judo or karate expert, overpowering the man and never getting thumped. Often, though, the producers resort to having the star’s male companion get into a fight. » • * “The Cosby Show,” featuring comedian Bill Cosby and a screen family, is the highest rated new series since “Mork and Mindy” in 1978. Spin-offs and rip-offs are now in production. “The Cosby Show” screens on One at 7 p.m. tomorrow.