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| Holloway goes Hollywood Who's No. 1? Not the viewers HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — As the TV press tour rolls to an end, the buzz among critics is the lack of buzz. No single show has leapt to the forefront as the darling of the new season. No consensus thigh-slapping comedy, no heart-stopping drama. NBC had the only big news: a "Friends" spinoff starring Matt LeBlanc. But that show, "Joey," doesn't arrive for a year. CBS and NBC executives hissed at one another about the definition of success. CBS, which has the most viewers overall, insists that young demographics aren't the only barometer. NBC continues to insist that the 18 to 49 age group is the only population segment of interest to advertisers. Since NBC has more of the younger group, the network insists it is No. 1. Bottom line: Nobody but TV executives cares. Viewers just want to see good shows, and it doesn't matter if they are new or old. And with only a handful of new shows that are even remotely interesting, the focus shifts to the familiar. . . The producers of CBS's hit drama "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" say Grissom's hearing problem will be resolved in the new season, and romance will be in the air. "But we're still primarily a show about forensics," insists executive producer Anthony Zuiker. He also said the trademark gore and goo have gone as far as both TV and decency will allow. That's a relief. CBS wants to further expand the "CSI" franchise, which includes last season's "CSI: Miami." But Zuiker insists another spinoff is "way down the road, at least two or three years from now." Rob Lowe, who left "The West Wing" last year and will star in the new legal drama "The Lyon's Den," tried to downplay his exit from the White House drama. But he clearly has lingering resentment about the fate of Sam Seaborn, his original lead character who faded to the sidelines. "I felt like I had a lot of unfinished business on 'The West Wing,' " Lowe said. "As an actor you want to be involved with stories with teeth. It was never about screen time. . . . I wanted Sam to have the president's ear and be involved in the big story lines, not just shuffled in and out for (comic) relief." The good news for Lowe and quality-hungry viewers is "The Lyon's Den" is one of the few newcomers with promise. Besides legal stories, there will be an ongoing mystery about "the evil lurking" in the law firm, including whether the founding partner committed suicide or was murdered. As critics reach the end of this annual hype hoopla, we're still looking for a reason to be excited about the fall premieres. |