It's been years since his criminal and civil trials, yet O.J. Simpson continues to reveal who we are. That can apply to television networks as well as people.
On the strength of such hit shows as "American Idol," "24" and "House," Fox Television in recent years seemed to be gradually washing away its original image as a network unafraid to wade in the primordial ooze of the lowest common denominator. This, after all, is the network that brought the American public -- who, for the most part, was only too happy to watch -- "Alien Autopsy: (Fact or Fiction?)," "When Animals Attack!" and "Celebrity Boxing," even as it broadcast the sophisticated "The Simpsons."
But Fox's ill-fated decision to step back into the muck with a two-part televised interview with Simpson only to be forced earlier this week to cancel after grossly miscalculating public outrage raises questions about the network's split personality. Does the humiliation of the O.J. debacle, paired with its successful mainstream programming, put any future freak-show projects in jeopardy? Or, is the carnival element too deeply embedded at Fox, part of its DNA code?
"You've got to wonder, 'What were they thinking?' " said Brad Adgate, research director for ad buyer Horizon Media. "This harkens back to the old Fox, like when they did 'Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?' They don't need to do that anymore; it was completely unnecessary.... What it says really is that old habits die hard."
Fox executives have steadfastly refused to comment on the origin of the Simpson show and on who ultimately green-lighted the short-lived project that sparked a mini-revolt among affiliates that were rejecting the show regardless of what the network did. The network also declined to comment for this story.
But the Simpson interview bears the familiar stamp of what many regard as the network's secret weapon (or shame, as say some critics): Mike Darnell, executive vice president of alternative programming. As long as the 44-year-old programming guru occupies a Fox office, the circus element will always be there, say longtime network observers.
Sometimes likened to a P.T. Barnum for the electronic age, the 5-foot-tall executive, who as a child actor appeared on episodes of "Kojak" and "Welcome Back, Kotter," is famous for sniffing out the oddball tastes of American pop culture. In more than a decade at Fox, Darnell has scored a string of ratings triumphs -- content aside -- which would be the envy of any network.
