Celebrity Newsmagazines
59
Monday Night Football (ABC)
17.4
Family Ties (NBC)
17.3
CBS Sunday Night Movie
17.2
In the Heat o f the Night (NBC)
17.0
MyTwoDadsi^^C)
16.9
Valerie Family (NBC)
16.9
Dallas (CBS)
16.8
NBC Sunday Night Movie
16.7
Head o f the Class (ABC)
16.7
Newhart (CBS)
16.5
Life in the Fat Lane (NBC)
15.7
Although below the top tier of popular programs, its rating approaches
entertainment levels.
CBS introduced a summer magazine series in 1985, West 57^, a “fast-paced
‘yuppie’ version of 60 Minutes'" (Brooks and Marsh 1119). After two summers, the
program made the regular schedule in 1987.
In 1988, the tabloid program A Current Affair, which featured titillating and
gruesome stories and dramatized recreations, went into national syndication and
launched a new genre of news programming (Brown 142). Soon to follow were
Inside Edition and Hard Copy. The success of these programs put competitive
pressure on traditional news producers to pay attention to sensational stories.
In addition to industry factors, the magazine format was malleable. Producers
could blend various elements to appeal to several constituencies. One segment
could deal with a sensational story without tainting the entire program. Features
could also be developed in the Barbara Walters style, based on interviews with
newsmakers and celebrities. (It should not be overlooked that this format lends
itself to self-promotion for the stars and media products of large conglomerates
that own television networks when creators appear on interview segments of the
magazine.)
At NBC, Jane Pauley became the anchor of a prim e-tim e m agazine
documentary series entitled Real Life with Jane Pauley, July 1990 until November
1991. Brooks and Marsh write: “As if to provide counterbalance to the screaming
headhnes, exposes, and disasters that dominate the news, NBC launched this ‘kinder
and gentler’ newsmagazine hosted by the former sweetheart of the Today show,
Jane Pauley. Subjects ranged from [the] pedestrian (why life is so hurried; coping
with the new school year) to [the] quirky (why can’t 80% of Americans program
their VCRs?). A few celebrity profiles were included, but most of the reports were
human interest stories or subjects likely to touch the lives of ordinary viewers”
(856).