CBS executives have pulled the plug on Steven Bochco's drama “City of Angels.” On Nov. 21, network executives informed Bochco, also the executive producer of ABC's "NYPD Blue," that they would not be
ordering additional episodes of the series for the second half of the 2000-2001 season. “City of Angels,” which featured a predominantly African-American cast and production crew, was given a
13-episode commitment for the season. CBS will continue airing original episodes of the drama through at least Dec. 21, CBS executives say. “City of Angels” debuted on Jan. 16, 2000 and had become
CBS' lowest-rated prime time series this fall, averaging only 7.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. A CBS statement said of the cancellation, “We take this step with a profound
sense of disappointment. ‘City of Angels’ has been a tremendous source of pride for all of us at CBS, both for its dramatic quality and for its role in our ongoing pursuit of diversity on the air. In
spite of everyone's best efforts, however, the program simply did not achieve the ratings that would justify its continuation on our primetime schedule.” Fox's “Dark Angel” looked luminous and NBC's
“DAG” took a dive off last week's promising debut. “Dark Angel” drew a 5.9 rating, 14 share among adults 18-49 in Nielsen fast national numbers to lead Fox to a Tuesday night win in that key demo.
“That 70's Show” scored a 5.9/17, followed by “Titus” with a 5.1/14. “DAG” dropped nearly three million viewers off its debut, sliding to a 5.5/13. CBS lost the 18-49 race, but won the night in total
viewers with a 14.6 million average. Judging Amy drew 16.7 million viewers with a 5.1/14, while “60 Minutes II” drew 13.7 million viewers preceding it. ABC finished second on the night in total
viewers and tied with NBC among adults 18-49. “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” drew 19.6 million viewers, while “Dharma & Greg” drew 12.3 million with a 5.0/12. “Geena Davis” did a respectable 4.8/11.
NBC's “Frasier” provided stability for the peacock with a 7.6/19. But “Michael Richards” continued its unstable rookie run at a 3.4/10, lending little aid to “Third Rock From the Sun” which revived
slightly to hit a 4.1/11.
- www.broadcastingcable.com
