By DONALD PORTER
Standard-Examiner
PASADENA, Calif. -- Tonight's the night ABC executives finally find out whether they'll be taking credit or laying blame.
At issue: their plan to schedule "Murder One" against NBC's hit "ER." Will anyone watch the legal serial? Or is the "ER" habit too hard to break? Having aired it for three weeks in "NYPD Blue" 's 9 p.m. Tuesday slot, ABC is hoping those who tuned in on that night will follow the show to Thursdays at 9 p.m., where it's going head-to-head with "ER." ("Murder One" airs locally on KTVX Channel 4.)
The network apparently has a deep commitment to the show, having ordered a full season's worth of episodes: 23. That's an unusual step, since a network typically orders between six and 13 episodes, on the theory that if the show fails, the network isn't out a full season's expense.
By DONALD PORTER
Standard-Examiner
PASADENA, Calif. -- At the Winter Press Tour, it's sometimes easier to gauge stardom by who shows up, and who doesn't: Those who do make an appearance need the press to bang the drum for their show, and those who don't make an appearance are doing just fine without the nation's TV critics.
Well, make an exception for Jerry Seinfeld, sort of, who showed up just long enough to announce that, indeed, the phenomenally popular "Seinfeld" will be returning for yet another season in the fall. It's a bit of a surprise, since rumors have been rampant for months that this season was likely the show's last.
"This year we have suddenly been having a lot more fun than I think we thought we were going to have," Seinfeld said. "And, as a result, we've decided to continue the show into next season."
