Byline: Dusty Saunders
In the past, the words Fox and family haven't seemed compatible, particularly in prime time.
Many still associate Fox with programming like Married ... With Children, violent made-for-TV movies and all those World's Greatest specials that cover everything from car crashes to snakebites.
Not exactly family fare in the traditional sense of the term.
But it case you hadn't noticed, the two words have merged, as in Fox Family Channel, which premiered on cable Aug. 16.
Rupert Murdoch expands again.
Actually, the channel is only semi-new, because it had been operating simply as the Family Channel. Before that, it was known as the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN).
Pat Robertson and his 700 Club are the only remaining vestiges of the past being kept by Murdoch's crew.
The channel's viewers will no longer find prime-time reruns of their favorite dramas like Diagonsis Murder, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and Bonanza.
Replacing them is programming that Fox Family Channel President Rich Cronin says ``has an attitude.''
Examples:
* I Can't Believe You Said That, starring former NBA star John Salley as host of a half-hour series featuring two families competing to reveal hidden secrets.
* Show Me the Funny, with comedian Stephanie Miller displaying clips of the likes of animal antics, sports goofs, practical jokes and hidden-camera stunts.
* Life, Camera, Action! which brings together footage from around the world, ranging from cop-car chases to professional bicycle stunts gone wrong.
* Outrageous, a half-hour featuring two teams competing to create the funniest videos of their outrageous challenges.
* Oh Nooo!!! Mr. Bill Presents, in which the long-suffering doll from Saturday Night Live introduces sketch-comedy video clips featuring such pie-in-the-face comedians as Rowan Atkinson, Freddie Starr, Russ Abbott and Hale & Pace.
Sound familiar?
Stephanie Miller jokingly promised that because her show is on a family channel, ``there will be 40 percent less people getting hit in the crotch'' than on America's Funniest Home Videos.
Now there's a reason to watch.
As one critic noted after Fox's recent Hollywood presentation, ``It's Fox, only dumber.''
And he could have added cheaper.
Such familiar prime-time shows of this nature are the most inexpensive form of network television.
Cronin, who formerly ran cable's TV Land, says, ``Our focus is on families that are a little younger and more plugged into pop culture.''
I could add less intelligent. But then, I'm not running the Fox Family Channel.
``These are contemporary families who appreciate a network with attitude, something the old Family Channel never had,'' Cronin adds.
The prime-time schedule will be sprinkled with specials, like the two aired Sunday: Leo Mania, an hourlong ``exploration'' of heartthrob superstar Leonardo DiCaprio, and Spice Girls in Concert - Wild!, a concert recorded by the British girl group before Ginger Spice departed.
Actually, the daytime fare for youngsters looks more promising, with such shows as Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures, The Adventures of Shirley Holmes and Captain Kangaroo's Treasure House.
But the emphasis is in prime time, where the major revenue exists.
Joining the lineup in October is the channel's first original sitcom, The New Addams Family, a remake of the ABC classic series of the '60s. And Fox Family Channel also airs ``family-oriented movies'' Wednesday nights.
Meanwhile, fans of the old Family Channel will find some of their favorites on Pax Net, a new, over-the-air network that signs on in Denver on Aug. 31. More about that channel at a later date.
The Fox takeover of the Family Channel illustrates once again Murphy's Law regarding television: The fact that there are a lot of channels out there doesn't mean the quality of programming automatically improves.
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Photo
Stephanie Miller.
