The Fox Trots Faster
With its biggest hit, The Simpsons, getting ready to challenge NBC's The Cosby Show, Murdoch's network makes its boldest bid yet for parity with the Big Three
By Richard Zoglin
In this corner . . . the champion. TV's No. 1-rated show for four straight years. Slipped to No. 2 last season, but still a powerhouse in the ring. Has the experience, the moves, the fan loyalty. The only uncertainty: most of its victories have come against weak competition. Can it still take a punch?
In this corner . . . the challenger. Television's fastest-rising new hit, a frequent finisher in the Nielsen Top 10 just eight months after its premiere. Its unorthodox style has thrown opponents off balance, but experience is a question mark. Can it go the distance against a wily veteran?
Few battles in TV history have generated as much anticipation as the one being joined this Thursday. That's when The Simpsons, the Fox network's enormously popular cartoon family show, moves from Sunday nights to the time period opposite NBC's blockbuster, The Cosby Show. The scheduling ploy caught most of the TV industry by surprise when it was announced last May. With their audiences steadily shrinking, the networks are more likely to be found in a protective crouch these days, not lashing out with wild uppercuts.
