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Article: Playing it safe, television sticks with the tried and true.(Arts & Culture)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- January 2, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Gloria Goodale Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
Beverly Hills, Calif. -- Once upon a time, in the world of network television, January was a big deal, a launching pad for important new shows. Some of TV history's most influential programs debuted in this midseason slot. Norman Lear's groundbreaking "All in the Family" sneaked onto the winter schedule in 1971, and the gritty, seminal "Hill Street Blues" arrived in early 1981.
But this year, in an industry still recovering from the production delays and $2.1 billion in losses from last year's 100-day writers' strike and struggling to stem audience erosion, the midterm slate is a ...