June 24, 1991 Wall Street Journal Article
There was an article entitled TV: Winners That Were Losers in the above referenced publication. The following is a copy of themore interesting parts of the article:(by Robert Goldberg)
Every year around this time, as the TV seasondraws to a close, I tryto wrap things up by compiling a list of the season's 10 best series.In recent years, I've been having trouble coming up with 10.
This season seemed especially bleak. It was a season that didn't turnout a single hit, much to the chagrin of the networks...
And now, at the end of the year, comes the final insult: Most of theshows that I would have put on the top 10 list are being canceled.
[The article then lists and describes "ChinaBeach," "thirtysomething,""Shannon's Deal," "The Antagonists," and of course]
"Twin Peaks" - And finally, there's The Peaks. Covered in fog, shroudedwith menace, "Twin Peaks went out in a great blaze of glory recently witha grand finale that was one of the most indecipherable shows ever to air on TV. A triumph of style and symbolism over story line, it reunited thewhole cast, from Bob to Laura Palmer, in some sort of strange netherworld - hell as a waiting room. And then, at the very end, in the ultimateaffront to their viewers, executive producers David Lynch and Mark Frostreveal that our hero, Agent Cooper, had in fact become Bob, the evil spirit. What did it all mean? Who knows?
When the "Twin Peaks" finale aired to anemic ratings, it was taken by thenetworks as proof positive that there is no audience for experimental television. I believe this is a fundamental misreading of the Americancouch potato. For many weeks, a huge viewership was not only watching,but obsessed by this idiosyncratic world of coffee, donuts, and zen-toting G-men. "Twin Peaks" may have eventually sunk under the weightof its own weirdness, but this show was a noble experiment, one of the noblest and I believe there's an audience hungry for more. [Right gang?]Granted, they aren't the typical TV watchers, but they are exactly theupscale viewers that advertisers prize.
One year ago, NBC's oracle, Brandon Tartikoff, seemed to believe this.He pronounced that "tried and true is dead and buried." The networkswere all set to plunge headfirst into the great pool of experimentation.A year later, here are the results: After gingerly testing the waterswith one big toe, the nets have run away screeching. Mr. Tartikoff hasleft NBC and TV for Paramount. Tried and true has been disinterred.Next fall's shows will be an exhumation of sitcoms, sitcoms, and moresitcoms (an all time high of 49 comedies), featuring such old warhorsesas Norman Lear, Red Foxx, James Garner, and Suzanne Somers.
These are bad times for CBS, NBC, and ABC. They continue to lose theiraudience - chunks drop away, year of year. Advertising sales are also slumping. And instead of seeking out to innovate ideas, the networks areretreating to the same old tired concepts in times of crisis.
So here's a prediction for the 1991-1992 season. Mr. Tartikoff, always a leader knew when to get out. Tried and true will end up dead and buried.
Partially reprinted without permission.