Television: Their Major Is Alienation

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The variety of genres the high school-show class of '99 covers may be attempts to stand out in a crowded field. Garth Ancier, president of entertainment at NBC, helped set off the teen explosion while he was programming head at the WB, but says a shakeout could be due. "Generally, the originators of these trends succeed, and maybe one copy." Perhaps for this reason, it is difficult to get high school-drama creators to admit they're creating high school dramas. Freaks, NBC insists, aims more "mature"; Popular, says its co-creator Murphy, is "a comedy...we don't look at this as a high school show." Manchester Prep is Dynasty; Roswell is Beauty and the Beast.

One doubts, however, that the teen connections hurt at the pitch meetings. Three seasons ago, Katims' wonderful Relativity had class consciousness, star-crossed lovers and an odd, appealing ensemble--and it bombed. This year the WB gave Roswell a 22-episode commitment. Explains WB entertainment president Susanne Daniels: "What Relativity lacked in a hook or an angle, Roswell offers in spades." That and a gold-plated audience. Much has been made of TV's slavish emphasis on the youth demographic (which makes young-skewing shows "hot" out of proportion to their total ratings), but it could at best allow a talented writer to succeed with a well-crafted story of limited appeal. As long as he or she learns how to tell it through 16-year-olds in tight jeans.