by MICHAEL STARR
The Herald & News
Let’s talk turkey here: Network television rarely does anything accidentally, not with focus groups and the “D” word – DEMOGRAPHICS – frequently determining programming. Keeping that in mind, it’s no surprise CBS returns “Christy” to the airwaves next Thursday – Thanksgiving Day – with a two-hour special presentation (8-10 p.m., CBS /Ch. 2) that segues the program into its second season (beginning in January). It’s no surprise because Christy virtually blends family values hence the Thanksgiving time slot and because the show is trying to skew toward a larger male audience. So even if CBS no longer has its traditional holiday football game, it’s hoping to attract those (mostly male) viewers who regularly spend their Thanksgiving watching pigskin while eating turkey.
“They wanted more of an edge this year because last year was really soft,” series star Kellie Martin said in a recent phone interview from her California home. “And thank goodness they added a little bit more of an edge, which I think they needed. But there’s still that family morals thing, just because we had to do that.” Martin – bubbly and effusive – had just returned to Los Angeles after a grueling five-month location shoot in the Tennessee mountains where “Christy” takes place. Adapted from Catherine Marshall’s bestselling book, “Christy” tells the story of a young city teacher (Martin) who, in 1912, treks to Cutter Gap, Tenn. to help educate poverty-stricken children in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains. Co-starring Tyne Daly as Miss Alice – Christy’s mentor who helps the young city woman adjust to country life – “Christy” drew more than 30 million viewers when it premiered last Easter Sunday.
So why, you might be asking, did CBS slate “Christy” as a mid-season replacement? It’s a question that still baffles Martin, who’s been playing the network game since her days on ABC’s “Life Goes On” and has yet to understand the weird rituals of network television. “CBS put on “Due South” and “Touched By An Angel” and didn’t know if they would work – if they hadn’t worked they would have put “Christy” on,” she said. “CBS is trying something new. Apparently with their schedule, they want to hit more of the male audience and “Christy” is so female its not even funny. So I think CBS doesn’t know where to put “Christy” and its frustrating because we were there (in Tennessee) working so hard and couldn’t see our work. It doesn’t seem fair but its OK.
Actually, the delay could only help new cast member LeVar Burton (“Roots,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation”) acclimate himself to his environs while adding some, well, maleness to “Christy.” And Burton’s addition is only one of several changes this season, Martin said. “It’s deviating from the book this year; we kind of used everything from the book last year so they’re trying new things,” she said. “Christy gets kidnapped in one episode, which was so much fun. I had the best time I got to do my own stunts and I had a gun in my face the whole time. It was really cool. What else happens… one of my kids almost goes to college, Miss Alice’s daughter may or may not return and Christy almost marries David, so she’s kind of battling with that the whole season.”
Off-screen, Martin is battling with her nerves as she prepares to enter Yale University in January to begin her collegiate career. Although Martin had completed her “Christy” chores by late October, she might be forced to leave Yale intermittently should CBS renew the series for its fall ’95 lineup. “I have no choice – I’m committed to Christy – so if I have to miss another semester . . well, they’ve told me that I will be able to get a semester in, although they haven’t promised me – because you don’t make promises in this business,” Martin said. “If I don’t get a semester in at Yale I think they’ll kick me out. So I’ll have to get a semester in, and if I have to miss a semester then I’ll have to miss next September, but thats OK with me.”
