Central Park West Discussion Thread

[Sylph]

Mädchen Amick is underestimated. Too bad we don't see more of her.

She could come to GH, e.g. Or wipe the floors with Katherine Kelly or Leslie Kay.

[DaytimeFan]

Absolutely. She's a terrible actress, nobody is disputing that!

And you got what I was saying SFK, Raquel takes herself too seriously and it kills her acting.

She DOES look like a million though...interesting that she's alone.

[EricMontreal22]

Random question, but this came up with a friend of mine. Does anyone know which of the two themes composer Michael Gore wrote? He's Lesley Gore's brother who is responsible for most of the Fame soundtrack, the infamous Carrie musical, as well as a few other one offs (Whitney Houston's All The Man I Need, which he originally did for a flop album for Linda Clifford he produced, he did the theme for Terms of Endearment and, randomly, the soap Generations, as well). Judging by his usual style and chord progressions, I'm guessing the second one, but anyone know?

[SFK]

I just came across some CPW on an old tape. I will check the credits and get back to you.

[EricMontreal22]

Thank you kindly, Sir! Like I said I suspect it's the second one--not the first, very Melrose type one.

[te.]

Pretty much - CPW, along with shows like American Gothic and The Client were attempts by CBS to grab the younger demographic and it obviously didn't work. Funnily enough, all those shows ended up getting full season orders despite being pulled off the air and aired erratically. I guess it they just couldn't outright admit that their experiment to flirt with the younger audience had failed!

The revamped CPW was originally going to air in March-April, which of course didn't happen. By the time it got on the air it was pretty much cancelled and CBS was just airing it as a courtesy twice a week, which might explain why they completely skipped airing episodes 9-13 even though it made no sense for the audience.

[te.]

Here's one of the earliest promo spots by the way:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV0ZaP7ob8U

Here's a compilation of promo spots and the "new" image CBS tried that season:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py0HUU1E0Fw

[DRW50]

Thanks. The CPW ad is a great concept, and works well, aside from the "sugar daddy's baby" (ugh!) and the part at the end about the TV set burning down, or whatever they said.

The CBS ads are generally cool, sleek, far more forward than anything on TV today, but they just aren't suited for CBS. I also felt very angry that they only showed Angela Lansbury, who'd carried CBS for years, in one measly shot. Not very subtle. I never get over the way they treated her.

Thank you again for finding this.

[te.]

It's quite funny to compare the cool "urban" promo to the 1996/97 one - damage control much?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOrtKrTTUNU

[DRW50]

I remember that Welcome Home slogan (not the song). I guess it did suit CBS more, although most of the programs still sucked (I forgot Scott Bakula even had a show with CBS at this time). Sometimes I forget just how long Murphy Brown hung on and on and on and on. Other than a few episodes here and there, I stopped watching not long after she gave birth.

Edited February 25, 2013 by CarlD2

[SFK]

I loved the first Central Park West promo I ever saw. It was simply the cast preening for the camera while that great old song "Sleepwalk" played.

[te.]

The sad part about CPW is that it probably would've been renewed if it had been on Fox - it was pretty obvious that it and Party of Five were competing for the same audience as both shows posted around low-to-mid-6.0 ratings (with Po5 having the edge) and once CPW had been pulled Po5 started going up to posting 7.0+ rating points. I can't help to wonder what would've happened if this had been Melrose's companion piece! I guess Fox had been burned by Models Inc the year before.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

Edited February 25, 2013 by te.

[Vee]

That "American Night" CBS promo is so ridiculously schmaltzy and jingoistic. It's as though the network had been fingered as a Communist spy apparatus and they're frantically trying to rehab their image.

Edited February 26, 2013 by Vee

[te.]

This YouTube channel have uploaded episodes 1-13 to their channel:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOgu1ZGQNSrw0Cmmq5lu1oz4X3YC7-Mqt

A treat for Americans who haven't had a chance to see episodes 10-13.

[JWDrama1980]

http://thesoapoperasaga.blogspot.com/2014/10/central-park-west-promo-ad.html