Fox Family shuffle
'New Addams,' 'AXN' get early prime slots
Between 6 and 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, "We're trying to create lifestyle shows that people can drop in an enjoy," says Maureen Smith, executive VP of Fox Family Worldwide. Kid-oriented series take over the network's schedule from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and movies fill the time period between 9 and 11 p.m.
Pricey series
The most expensive series in the 6-to-9 block is "New Addams Family," now shooting in Vancouver under the banner of Shavick Entertainment, with worldwide distribution by Haim Saban, co-owner of Fox Family Channel with Rupert Murdoch. Fox Family has committed to 65 half-hours of "Addams" and claims that the total cost will reach $35 million, slightly more than $500,000 an episode. Unknowns make up the cast, but guest stars like John Astin and Jerry Van Dyke will show up occasionally.
"AXN," from Columbia TriStar TV, focuses on "daredevil stunts, extreme sports, natural disasters, dramatic rescues and amazing animals," according to the network. Smith says she has scheduled "AXN" at 8 and the continuing "Life, Camera, Action" at 8:30, both reality series, as counterprogramming to the sitcoms and dramas that fill that hour on the broadcast networks. The executive producers of "Life, Camera, Action" are Ron Vandor and Cheri Brownlee .
The two half-hours of "Show Me the Funny," a comedy series drawing mostly on video clips of everything from movie spoofs to sports bloopers to people making fools of themselves, will move up from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m., displacing "Outrageous" at 6 and "I Can't Believe You Said That" at 6:30. Produced by Vin di Bona ("America's Funniest Home Videos"), "Show Me the Funny" is searching for a new host to replace Stephanie Miller, who ankled the program to focus on her KABC Los Angeles radio talkshow.
"Ohh, Nooo!!! Mr. Bill Presents," featuring the clay puppet and its sadistic antagonist Sluggo, introduced on "Saturday Night Live" 20 years ago, will move from 7:30 to 7. It's from Dreamsite Prods., with Walter Williams and David Fairfield as executive producers.
