ABC's "Once and Again" heads endangered series list By Gail Pennington
Karen Sammler isn't the only one who feels as if she's been run over by a truck. So do "Once and Again" fans.
Karen, played by Susannah Thompson, actually was run over in the most recent episode of the show, way back in January. Following that pivotal (and shocking) plot twist, ABC dealt fans an equally crushing blow by pulling "Once and Again" off the schedule.
During the hiatus, which ends on Monday, the fans responded by doing what followers of endangered shows always do: They campaigned, in every way they could think of, to persuade the network that quality counts more than ratings and that viewers' passion should outweigh their sheer numbers.
Used to be, a "save our show" effort was pretty much limited to letters - letters, mailed in envelopes. Fans managed to save "Cagney & Lacey" with pen and paper and stamps, and a similar verbal viewer outcry rescued "Designing Women" from cancellation. "Once and Again" fans have 21st century resources. They've used the Internet to gather like-minded viewers and keep them informed about current campaign strategies. They've bombarded ABC and the nation's news media with e-mail. They've created an online petition and voted at a Web site dedicated to saving endangered TV shows.
Ironically, rather than empowering fans, the information superhighway has effectively thrown up a roadblock to their efforts. It's so easy to send (or forward) e-mail, so effortless to click a box on a Web site, that votes carry comparatively little weight.
Networks ask themselves many questions in deciding whether to renew or cancel a series. Ratings are important, but even more crucial is how a show performs in its time period in relation to competing programs. Is viewership growing from week to week? Are audiences who tuned in for the preceding show bailing out on this one? Are viewers young (18-49 is mandatory) and upscale? Does the network own part or, preferably, all of the show? What advertising rates can it command? Fan loyalty, while nice, is just icing.
It's a given that "Once and Again" is one of TV's best dramas. The writing is intelligent, the characters are rich and complex, and the story lines are deeply realistic. The acting, especially from the teen-age members of the ensemble, is often astonishing.
ABC knows this. The network's chief programmer, ABC Entertainment president Susan Lyne, says she loves the show. But in three seasons, "Once and Again" has never been able to build on its core following. Unless a miracle occurs during a promised seven-episode run (9 p.m. Mondays on Channel 30), cancellation seems almost certain.
Pessimism won't stop fans from trying, however. And although "Once and Again" is prime time's most endangered series, other shows and their followers also have reason to worry, and to lobby the networks. [rest snipped] __ St. Louis Post-Dispatch (March 3, 2002)
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