USA Promises More Original Fare

Cable World, May 1, 2000 by Mike Reynolds

Although the lineup has not been finalized, Wednesdays will be the new night for original programming on USA Network this summer.

Stephen Chao, president of USA Cable, said the medium's top-rated network in primetime will choose between five shows -- three comedies and a pair of dramas -- to fill a two-hour block from 9-11 p.m., beginning in July. USA already offers a night of original fare on Sundays.

Chao also said that USA, which had its upfront advertising presentation in Manhattan last week, is proceeding under the assumption that World Wrestling Federation programming, including cable's No.-1 ranked show Raw is War, will continue to be part of USA's lineup this fall.

"The matter is in the courts, but as far as we're concerned, the WWF has been retained, and USA Network will have it as planned on our schedule," he stated.

USA Cable recently sued WWF Entertainment Inc., Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. in an attempt to force the wrestling group to keep Raw is War and other programming on USA Network. USA had asked the Court of Chancery in Delaware for an expedited hearing in the hope of resolution before its upfront presentation. The suit is scheduled to go to trial June 12.

As for Wednesdays, Chao said USA executives will decide its roster in two weeks. "Under previous management, series went straight to order," he said.

One sure bet for Wednesday nights is The Huntress, an action-adventure series stemming from the USA original movie that performed well during its premiere in March. Starring Annette O'Toole, the series is based on a bounty hunter who picks up her husband's business after he dies on the job. USA has ordered 13 episodes.

Another one-hour drama being considered is Miriam Teitelbaum: Homicide (Jay Tarses), about an iconoclastic middle-aged female detective on the trail of criminals in LA..

On the smile side, USA has completed pilots for a trio of single-camera comedies. Chao describes Kill, Kill, Kill, a live-action version of Roadrunner and Wiley Coyote, tracking the give and take between an ex-CIA agent who moves to the quiet of the suburbs only to find that his nemesis is also a member of the community.

Road Hogs is an action series featuring animatronics from the producers of the Chucky movies. Chao said Manhattan/AZ centers on a cop who has moved from the big city to seemingly more calm environs, only to find himself a stranger "in a Northern Exposure kind of way" to life's paces there.

Chao said "there is a higher degree of difficulty" with the one-camera format, but points to the success enjoyed by MASH, The Wonder Years and Fox's current comic cynosure, Malcolm in the Middle. "There are 60 five-camera sitcoms out there; we don't need to be the 61st," said Chao.