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Some industry observers feel the networks have gone too far in their pursuit of the young and restless. A broadcast network cannot survive, they argue, by aiming shows at small segments of the audience. "If the networks continue to program 15-share shows, they'll be out of business," says Fred Silverman, the former network programmer who now produces such old-fashioned (and old- skewing) hits as Matlock and Jake and the Fatman.
To avert such a disaster, the networks are looking for ways to reduce programming costs. Reality shows like NBC's Unsolved Mysteries and CBS's Top Cops are becoming more common, partly because they are cheaper to produce. Other cost-saving measures may be on the way: co-productions with overseas broadcasters, more live programming, and series that air more than once a week (an idea NBC flirted with for its new sitcom Parenthood). Meanwhile, the multipart mini-series, once a staple of the "sweeps" periods, has been virtually abandoned because of its exorbitant cost.
The main challenge for the networks, however, is to find ways of wooing back viewers who seem bored by the sameness of network programming. The success of such offbeat shows as The Simpsons and Twin Peaks early this year demonstrated that these viewers will perk up for formula-breaking fare. The result, say many TV producers, has been a rather confused quest for unusual shows. "The question is always, 'Why is this show different?' " says David Gerber, president of MGM/UA Television. "((Network programmers)) are worried that they might get a well-executed show but that it won't be different enough to grab the audience." Says another producer: "The networks seem to have lost their compass. They're crying out for new stuff. But they're not sure what 'new' is or what to do with it when they find it."
In the search for innovation, the networks this fall tried musical shows, with little success. In development for next year are several prime-time animated series (if nothing else, they will look different). Another attention-getting ploy: big stars. Burt Reynolds is back this fall in Evening Shade, and Farrah Fawcett, Ryan O'Neal and Jonathan Winters are among the stars who have shows being readied for mid-season. Most of all, say network programmers, they are looking for high-quality shows that audiences will tune in on no matter how stiff the competition. "We still have a Field of Dreams mentality," says NBC entertainment president Warren Littlefield. "If you build it, they will come."
But will they still come in as great numbers as they once did? Almost certainly not. The era of the mass TV audience may be ending, just as the mass moviegoing audience began to dissipate (lured away by TV) in the years after World War II, and the popular-music audience became fragmented with the arrival of rock 'n' roll in the 1950s. Network TV, of course, is still capable of linking the nation as no other medium can, and the next Dallas or All in the Family might be just around the corner. But more likely, before that new Field of Dreams appears, the networks will face a lot more sleepless nights.