Media: Star Tribune

      heart PaulaMarshall heart

      Some loyal viewers take
      Cupid's demise to heart

      February 3, 1999

      Notes from the Captain Video file:

      In the perfect channel-surfing universe,
      "Cupid" would have captured America's hearts.

      It's smart, it's romantic, it's funny, it's different.

      And now it's canceled, too. "Cupid" heads into the
      pink-slipped void after the Feb. 11 episode, another
      offbeat slice of quality television gone too soon.

      "Cupid" stars Jeremy Piven ("Ellen") as a cockeyed
      romantic optimist who believes he's the Roman god
      of love. When the series debuted at 10 p.m.
      Saturdays last fall, it received glowing reviews and
      was promptly ignored by millions.

      More recently, it has been airing at 9 p.m.
      Thursdays and doing just as poorly, obliterated by
      NBC's "Frasier" and CBS's "Turks," and finishing in
      such undistinguished spots as No. 88 and No. 93 in
      the Nielsen ratings.

      Filmed in Chicago, "Cupid" costars Paula Marshall
      ("Spin City") as Piven's psychiatrist, Dr. Claire
      Allen. Claire is an expert in relationships who isn't
      quite sure what to make of her screwball patient,
      Trevor Hale. Piven's charmingly manic, meddling
      Trevor insists he's on a noble matchmaking mission
      to work his way back to Mt. Olympus, thereby
      redeeming himself for numerous botched pairings
      that resulted in divorce during the 1980s.

      The people who did find "Cupid" fell in love with it.

      " 'Cupid' is the best, most refreshing show ABC has
      had on in a long time," says Michelle Burks of
      Detroit in an E-mail. "Jeremy Piven is such a delight
      to watch.... I hope I have enough time to get
      together a write-in campaign to see if 'Cupid' fans
      can change the mind of the powers that be."

      Juanita Smith of Ypsilanti is similarly displeased.

      "Who are these network executives listening to
      anyway?" she asks in an E-mail.

      Smith has been down on ABC ever since the
      network pulled the plug on "Relativity," another
      witty, sophisticated romantic drama that withered
      away at 10 p.m. Saturdays three seasons ago.

      "Let Jamie Tarses (president of ABC Entertainment)
      know the only ABC show I'll watch now is 'NYPD
      Blue' -- and I know people who have decided to
      stop watching that show," says Smith. "It's not a bad
      thought. I'll just go to bed after the WB's
      'Buffy'-'Felicity' lineup ends at 10 p.m. I could use
      an extra hour of sleep anyway.

      "P.S. I'm an advertiser's dream: college-educated,
      professional 28-year-old woman with money to
      spend who grew up in a TV-friendly household and
      doesn't mind commercials. So there!"

      Though ABC ordered a full season of 22 episodes
      for "Cupid," only 14 hours were filmed. The chances
      for any change of heart at the network run the gamut
      from extremely slim to forget about it.

      But those who might like to send a cranky Valentine
      to ABC in support of "Cupid" can write to Jamie
      Tarses, president, or Stu Bloomberg, chairman,
      ABC Entertainment, 2040 Avenue of the Stars, Los
      Angeles, Calif. 90067.

      "Cupid" fans can also offer E-mail feedback by
      going to the network's web page at www.ABC.com
      and looking for "Cupid" on the menu of shows.

      Source: Detroit Free Press