Not Always a Case of Love at First Sight

“Everybody Loves Raymond” is finally starting to merit its name. Granted, not everyone loves the show, but a lot of people at least like it, even if the CBS comedy took three years to get there.

By holding its own against “Monday Night Football” and Fox’s “Ally McBeal,” “Raymond” represents one of the few pleasant surprises to emerge from the 6-week-old TV season--especially since new shows have generally lived down to expectations, limiting network highlights to returning series that have done better than anticipated.

Other programs in that category include CBS’ “JAG,” a onetime NBC drama that has gradually earned its wings Tuesday nights, as well as ABC’s “Spin City”--which has stunned many pundits by besting time-period rival “Just Shoot Me.”

In a season in which the four major networks are down more than 4 million viewers in prime time versus last year, an 8% drop, programmers can draw rare satisfaction from these series, noting that instant hits may be a thing of the past in a fragmented media environment.

“One of the lessons that we learned is that it really does take nurturing, patience and careful handling of these shows,” said CBS Television President Leslie Moonves. “ ‘Raymond’ gave us no reason [ratings-wise] after year one to think that it deserved to live.”

The problem now is finding shows that might blossom in similar fashion if given the chance. Several networks have ordered more episodes of programs whose initial performance once would have resulted in cancellation, such as ABC’s “Cupid” and “Sports Night” as well as Fox’s “That ‘70s Show”--decisions based as much on faith in those programs’ perceived creative merit as their ratings.

“The challenge is seeing potential in series that are expensive to produce and are not at this point positive to your bottom line,” said ABC Entertainment Chairman Stu Bloomberg. “You’ve got to believe in them. You have to see that potential.”

Disappointments among new fare are easier to spot and were largely expected, including a dismal start by the UPN network, while the WB has headed in the opposite direction. Still, some observers say the general malaise affecting the major networks has been worse than they imagined.

“The numbers to me have been the surprise overall--how low they are,” said Paul Schulman, president of the media-buying firm Schulman/Advanswers NY.

What other surprises can be gleaned from this fall’s Nielsen results? Here’s a night-by-night sampling:

Monday: Hey, Hey, Hey, It’s . . . Ray?

After CBS took a beating last fall with “Cybill” at 9 p.m. and watched “Cosby” slide, “Raymond” has put the network back on the map, drawing more viewers than media darling “Ally” and “Caroline in the City.”

“Frankly, we were scared to death about Monday at 9 o’clock,” Moonves said. “At press tour, all the ‘Raymond’ fans were yelling at me: ‘How can you put it against “Ally McBeal” and football? It’s going to die!’ ”

The WB’s “7th Heaven” has also become a significant factor Mondays, especially in major cities like Los Angeles. Even nationally, the show’s audience is up almost 25%, to 6.6 million viewers in an average week.

Tuesday: ABC Winning “Shoot”-Out.

With “NYPD Blue” back on the beat, ABC scored its most lopsided Tuesday victory over NBC in nearly two years last week. The surprise has been “Spin City,” which has beaten “Just Shoot Me” in their three head-to-head airings, despite NBC’s promotional blitz.

“ ‘Spin City’ was stronger than a lot of people expected, and ‘Just Shoot Me’ has been weaker than a lot of people expected,” Schulman said.

At 8 p.m., deemed perhaps the fall’s most competitive half-hour, the other networks have discovered it’s not wise to underestimate the power of “Home Improvement.” Even in its eighth season, the Tim Allen comedy has left both “Mad About You” and “King of the Hill” in its wake, while CBS’ “JAG” has proven the real upstart.

In addition, ABC’s “The Hughleys” has already helped inspire NBC to bench “Encore! Encore!” through November--a show whose pedigree includes Nathan Lane and the producers of “Frasier.” NBC has pledged “Encore!” will be given another bow next month.

Wednesday: “Dharma,” “Creek” Go With Flow.

The WB network fortified its position by moving “Dawson’s Creek” to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, but Fox’s “Beverly Hills, 90210” showed last week that its rickety legs are still pretty shapely, as that serial and “Party of Five” easily outdistanced “Dawson’s” and the new Shannen Doherty series, “Charmed,” in their first showdown after disruptions due to baseball. The WB performed well among teenagers but had limited impact on the Fox shows in their core young-adult audiences.

ABC’s “Dharma & Greg,” meanwhile, has solidified its hit status in the show’s second season, dominating its new 8 p.m. slot more easily than some might have guessed.

Thursday: NBC Misses “Seinfeld.” Duh.

There are really no surprises here. NBC has experienced a significant ratings drop that was largely expected, but no competing network has made major inroads on a night when NBC still often beats the combined audience for its rivals.

Friday and Saturday: Lost Weekend.

To paraphrase Ross Perot, that sucking sound you hear isn’t jobs going to Mexico, it’s network viewers being siphoned away on these two especially difficult nights.

On Friday, ABC’s “Two of a Kind,” starring the Olsen twins, has become the only new series to successfully open a night, but other newcomers have thus far proven unable to establish any traction with viewers.

Like Friday, Saturday remains a night for which good news is doled out sparingly. With the belated premiere of NBC’s “The Pretender” and “Profiler,” ABC’s “Fantasy Island” and “Cupid” are sinking. CBS has already renewed its action series “Martial Law,” which even with so-so ratings ranks as the season’s highest-rated new drama.

Sunday: “Practice” Run.

Fox has been eagerly awaiting this Sunday, when its highest-rated show, “The X-Files,” gets back on the case. In an odd way, ABC is also looking forward to “X-Files’ ” return, having helped its cause by scheduling “20/20” and “The Practice” in place of last year’s low-rated movie. Bloomberg expressed hope that ABC “might see some of that ‘X-Files’ audience release [when the show ends] into ‘The Practice.’ ”

CBS’ lineup remains the power player this night, thanks to “60 Minutes,” “Touched by an Angel” and the Sunday movie, one of TV’s most popular and underrated franchises.