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Thursday
Night 1997/1998
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ABC:
Thursday at 8pm (Hour Drama)
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Premise
In
this already controversial series, Father Ray
(Kevin Anderson) struggles with his own temptations
and beliefs while trying to offer comfort to the
many troubled members of his parish
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The
Priesthood has been the subject of a number of
previous series including Have Faith (1989)
and Hell Town (1985)
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Familiar
Faces
None
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Our
Take
NBC
will have no trouble keeping the younger audience
with Friends while Promised Land
has already established itself among older adults.
Additionally, many religious groups have already
stepped forward to speak against the series
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Expect
to Hear
“Always tell the truth - nobody ever believes
you”
- Father Ray
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ABC:
Thursday at 9pm (Hour Drama)
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Premise
Psychologist
Gerry "Fitz" Fitzgerald (Robert Pastorelli) shares
many of the vices and problems of his patients.
While he has trouble in his relationships at home,
he is an expert when it comes to using his skills
to help the LA police department
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Cracker
is based on a British series. Also, the psychiatrist/police
plot was a major part of last year's Moloney
(which also aired at 9pm)
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Familiar
Faces
Robert
Pastorelli (Murphy Brown)
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Our
Take
Cracker
faces the powerhouse Seinfeld (in what
may be the last year) as well as Diagnosis:
Murder which has already established itself
among older adults
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Expect
to Hear
“This is the textbook of life: today's mail...a
bill from LAWP - pay $300 or they shut off my
water....a bill from the Southwestern Gas Company
- pay $255 of they shut off my power...”
- Dr. Gerry Fitzgerald (while lecturing a Psychology
class at a local college on the differences between
text books and real life)
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FOX:
Thursday at 8pm (Half Hour Sitcom)
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Premise
Rob
Di Paulo (Scott Baio) just started a new job as
a marketing executive. Also at his new company
is Harv (Mysto Clark), his friend since high school.
Rewind follows Ron and Harv's misadventures in
the present as well (via flashbacks) back in the
70's when the two friends were struggling with
the problems of typical teenagers
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The
1988/1989 series Almost Grown also used
flashbacks
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Familiar
Faces
Scott
Baio (Happy Days, Charles in Charge), Christine
Taylor (The Brady Bunch Movie, the series
Party Girl)
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Our
Take
Friends
will easily capture the sitcom audience. On the
other hand, Baio does have his own appeal and
FOX has been known to accept lower ratings/shares
from their programs
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Expect
to Hear
After
Rob Di Paulo shows up to work in casual clothing
on a non-casual day:
Co-Worker: "Why don't you read your memos?"
Rob
Di Paulo: "Why would they change casual day?"
Co-Worker:
"To see if people read their memos"
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FOX:
Thursday at 8:30pm (Half Hour Sitcom)
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Premise
Charles
Gibson (Kadeem Hardison) is a doctor who places
a great emphasis on being organized and planning
out his life. On the other hand, his brother James
(Dondre Whitfield) lives a life filled more with
chaos than order
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The
1996/1997 series Chicago Sons also featured
the misadventures of siblings
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Familiar
Faces
Kadeem
Hardison (A Different World), Tommy Davidson
(In Living Color)
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Our
Take
As
with Rewind, this show faces stiff competition
from NBC among younger adults as well as CBS against
older adults
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Expect
to Hear
“Do you believe in love at first sight or do
you have to pass me twice?”
- Weatherman Dusty Canyon (while trying to pick
up a woman in a bar)
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FOX:
Thursday at 9pm (Hour Drama)
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Premise
In
Living Color's Damon Wayans returns to Television
as producer of this series about a teen crisis
center in New York. 413 Hope Street is one of
the few places where the teens of the inner city
can try and escape from the temptations of crime
and drugs
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Dangerous
Minds and Crisis Center are two recent
dramas that detailed the trials and tribulations
of inner city youths
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Familiar
Faces
Richard
Roundtree, Kelly Coffield (In Living Color)
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Our
Take
NBC
owns the 9pm time slot. Furthermore, Diagnosis:
Murder has established itself among older
adults
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Expect
to Hear
Mr.
Thomas to the Cook: "I don't want you to put
candy in food anymore"
Taffy: "But the kids like it"
Mr. Thomas: "Kids like bungee jumping, but
we don't provide that"
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NBC:
Thursday at 8:30pm (Half Hour Sitcom)
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Premise
Filled
with hopes and dreams, Mel Saurez moves from Miami
to New York to become an actress. When her dreams
do not come true immediately, she finds herself
moving in with an old friend's ex-boyfriend and
hanging out at the Union Square restaurant
[NBC
is reportedly recasting the lead and reshooting
the pilot]
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Where
Have We Seen This Before - Cafe American,
an ethnic That Girl
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Familiar
Faces
TBD
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Our
Take
Depending
on what actually airs (after network retooling),
this show has a good chance of surviving given
its enviable time slot
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Expect
to Hear
“When I got out of prison I had to start over.
I got rejected for everything...Although, I did
get a Discover Card in the mail...Guy with a prison
record - Go figure”
- Jack
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NBC:
Thursday at 9:30pm (Half Hour Sitcom)
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Premise
Although
Ronnie (Kirstie Alley) is well known as the
famous owner of a company specializing in intimate
apparel and books on romance, she is having
much less luck with her own love life thanks
to her philandering husband (Jamey Sheridan)
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Cybill
also tells the story of a famous woman worried
about growing older as well as having difficulties
with relationships
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Familiar
Faces
Kirstie
Alley (Cheers)
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Our
Take
Veronica's
Closet has a strong creative team (Cheers,
Dream On) and arguably the best time slot
in Television
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Expect
to Hear
“Hey girls, there's M & Ms out there
in the lobby...maybe the three of you could
share one”
-Ronnie (after meeting with a trio of extremely
thin models)
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