Sure, it's fun to guess which of the 36 new fall series will rise to the top, but what everyone's dying to know is...which will tank first? Here's a status report on each network's dubious candidates, based on interviews with industry insiders.
WIND ON WATER (NBC)
After previewing this Bo Derek-in-Hawaii
series, ad buyers gave it a perfect 10 — out of 100. ''It's well
photographed and has a good-looking cast...that's all,'' says
Steve Sternberg, a senior partner at TN Media.
Possible Salvation
It is an NBC Studios production, which is why The
Single Guy lasted two seasons.
VENGEANCE UNLIMITED (ABC)
This muddled Equalizer-ish serial
inherits the net's cursed Thursday-at-8 slot. ''It's certainly
the clunker in ABC's schedule and it'll be their lowest-rated
show,'' says Ron Fredrick, a senior partner at ad agency J. Walter Thompson.
Possible Salvation
A new time slot, a bouncier
premise — nah, just forget it.
TO HAVE & TO HOLD (CBS)
This Boston-based cop-and-lawyer
show has less chemistry than Marcia Clark and Mark Fuhrman. Up
against Party of Five and The Drew Carey Show, it should do a
bang-up job of attracting...elderly Bean Town women?
Possible Salvation
''Make some decisions. Is it a romantic comedy or
drama? Right now, it's a bore,'' says Gary Carr, of Ammirati
Puris Lintas.
COSTELLO (Fox)
The shrill barkeep comedy is ''a weak attempt
to create a Rhea Perlman character,'' scoffs BBDO's Steve Grubbs.
''It's been done. Next!''
Possible Salvation
Hey, Aaabbott!
MERCY POINT (UPN)
The outer-space ER knockoff faces killer
foes: Just Shoot Me, Spin City, Felicity.
Possible Salvation
''Add Klingons and call it Star Trek: Mercy Point,'' offers
Sternberg.
THE ARMY SHOW (The WB)
''A bunch of Army guys and gals not
playing by the rules — who cares?'' says Grubbs of this lowbrow
sitcom.
Possible Salvation
Drop and give us 20 — rewrites, that
is.
