Ross reports -- television index. (1957)

Hollywood trade writers are boasting that 85 per cent of important TV program¬ ming will be produced in Hollywood during the next season, yet the majority also de¬ cry the apparent mediocrity of the announced program series in the sameness of their approach. Hollywood critics are also no different than, others throughout the country in that they devote more news and critique space to live drama shows, no matter where they originate from, than they do for filmed programs. Few of the newsman-critics, at one time or another, have not wished for the "live" spark in film stories, alough they know that any substantial swing back to live production can only hurt the burgeoning Hollywood economy. The biggest question on the TV horizon is: If a arge group of Western series flounders next season, what type of programming will rush into the breach? Since TV has almost exhausted possible "trends" it can only revert to previously tested types of programming - a smattering of anthology series, pr va e eye productions or some newer types of wild -eyed adventure films, such as variations on the old science-fiction series. The current cry from cross -fingered a agency execs seems to be, show me something new, unique, not-too-expensive but good --in other words, a happy golden mean for TV. Dennis^ 0 Keefe will be the host for both the live and film programs on Suspicion over NBC, Mondays, 10-llpm EOT, starting Sept 30 . Neil Simon and Irvin Graham have been signed as co-writers for ABC's The Guy Mitchell Show, starting Sept 21, Saturdays, 10-10 :30pm EOT . In case anyone has wondered what the dependable sit¬ uation comedy writers for TV are doing these days, many of them have been assigned to do scripts for the Eve Arden Show (formerly. It Gives Me Great Pleasure). The CBS film series, starting this fall, Tuesdays, 8: 30 -9pm NYT, goes into production on July 23 at Desllu, with Edmund Hartmann producing and John Rich as director. The 15 writers who will work on scripts are: Hugh Wedlock, Howard Snyder, Everett Greenbaum, Marty Ragaway, Jack Douglas, Marvin Fisher, Joe Quillan, William Cowley, Peggy Chantler, William Davenport, Jim Fritzell, Sherman Marks, Leo Townsend, Seaman Jacobs and Sy Rose. In addition to its spreading network sponsorship pattern. Max Factor & Co is adding to its spot schedule with "special situation" sponsorships, the biggest of which is this week's Miss Universe Beauty Pageant in Long Beach, Calif. The company will sponsor KTTV(LA)'a entire live coverage of the event, including nine telecasts °n <^-^0rerrk days totalling more than 10 hours. The coverage is scheduled to begin Thursday morning, July 11, at approximately 10am POT, when the contestants will arrive in Long Beach, airline weather permitting. There will be a one -hour luncheon telecast on Friday, 12 :30-l :30pm; opening ceremonies Saturday, 10-llpm; the parade telecast on Sunday, 2:30-4 :30pm, and then starting Tuesday, July 16, night¬ ly telecasts of the activities running thru the final night’s judging on Friday. When West Coast movie producers run out of police enforcement agencies for West Coast cities and states (Los Angeles, San Francisco, California Highway Patrol, Cochise County, Nevada State Troopers) and Southern areas (Texas and New Orleans), someone may discover a ready-made pattern that covers the entire East Coast of the U. S. U._S. One runs from the northern tip of Maine to Key West, Florida, and over its vast route it covers every conceivable type of highway and is policed by. every type of state and local law enforcement agency. The storied route presents almost any adventure -police angle a producer could want - and just imagine the joy of an agency able to couple its sponsor’s claims with the title of the show - U. S. Number Che . ROSS REPORTS MID-WEEK SPECIAL 7/10/57 Page 2