Stewart back on TV for now

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Apr 14, 2004 by Scott D. Pierce Deseret Morning News

Local Martha Stewart fans are getting their daily fix again this week -- the domestic diva/convicted felon's show is now airing on KJZZ-Ch. 14 weekdays at 10 a.m.

Until she goes to prison.

Then maybe we'll get recipes for bread and water, or cakes with files baked inside.

Well, we don't really know if she's going to prison at this point. Convicted last month of lying to federal investigators about selling her shares of ImClone Systems stock just before its value plummeted, Stewart has vowed to appeal. And her lawyers are arguing for a new trial based on the behavior of one of the jurors in her trial.

But, right now, she stands convicted. Which is why KSL dropped her show.

I won't argue with Ch. 5 (although that's fun). And KSL wasn't alone -- the first station group to announce it was dropping "Martha Stewart Living" was CBS. And King World, which syndicates the show, is actually owned by CBS.

I know, stock trading has nothing to do with domestic diva-ing. I know other celebrities have done worse things and still have careers in TV.

But I also understand that Stewart's empire is built on the cult of her personality. You can't separate the two.

It's almost like when CBS canceled "Sonny & Cher" 30 years ago. Just after they announced their then-impending divorce, the show was No. 4 in the ratings that week. But the way it was structured -- with its stars as a loving couple -- CBS had little choice at the time.

The way "Living" is structured -- with its star as the purveyor of all good things -- it's hard to argue with any station that decided to drop it.

If Stewart had just apologized and taken her legal punishment, it would never have come to this. American viewers have proven to be greatly forgiving over the years.

The show may not be back next season, regardless of what happens in court. If Stewart does go to prison, King World will cancel it -- just as Stewart's newspaper column, which used to run in the Deseret Morning News, was canceled by the syndicator after her conviction.

Maybe Stewart will get this thing overturned. Maybe she'll take her punishment and then make a comeback.

Or maybe CBS will find a replacement. The network has already announced a reality show that will conduct a search for the "next diva of domesticity" -- an "Apprentice"-like search for Stewart's replacement. Even though they're not calling it that. Stay tuned. . . .

E-mail: pierce@desnews.com