‘Soul Man’ Producers Claim ABC Is Mishandling Show

As if ABC didn’t have enough problems, the producers of its most popular entertainment series, “Home Improvement,” are furious over the network’s decision to temporarily bench their other prime-time show, the Dan Aykroyd comedy “Soul Man.”

Matt Williams--who created “Roseanne” for ABC before teaming with David McFadzean and Carmen Finestra on “Home Improvement”--maintains that ABC’s action is “personal and punitive,” having less to do with “Soul Man’s” ratings than a hostile relationship between the producers and top network executives. ABC denied the allegation.

“[ABC Inc. President] Bob Iger has never seen eye to eye creatively with us,” Williams said.

Though all the networks have announced plans to premiere new series in March, when “Soul Man” is scheduled to leave the lineup, the producers argue that the program’s disappearance will hurt its continuity with viewers and feed perceptions the series isn’t performing well.

“There is no way you can put together the statistics to pull this show under any circumstances,” McFadzean insisted. “It has to be aesthetic and personal [reasons]. It cannot be business.”

Bad blood between ABC and the producers has been simmering for some time. The trio’s Wind Dancer Production Group still has a lawsuit pending against ABC and its parent, the Walt Disney Co., over “Home Improvement.” Although they have made millions off the show, the producers contend they aren’t receiving fair-market value from ABC because the network secured a sweetheart deal renewing the series by virtue of its corporate ties to Disney.

According to Wind Dancer, “Soul Man”--which features Aykroyd as a widowed minister--was designed as a companion to “Home Improvement” and has done well whenever it’s followed the show. The series struggled when the season began, however, slotted at 8 p.m. against NBC’s well-established “Mad About You.”

ABC subsequently moved “Soul Man” to 8:30 p.m., where it has done better, beating NBC’s “NewsRadio.” “Something So Right,” which ABC acquired after its cancellation by NBC, will replace “Soul Man” in March.

ABC Entertainment Chairman Stu Bloomberg stressed that it is “a very common occurrence” for networks to rest programs in the spring and that there is nothing personal about the decision. As an example, he cited ABC pulling “NYPD Blue” and “Ellen” after the February sweeps last year, bringing them back in April, as is the current plan with “Soul Man.”

“We’re only looking out for [what’s best for] our schedule,” he said.

Wind Dancer’s complaints haven’t generated much sympathy from peers, who point out that the producers have had opportunities to follow the success of “Home Improvement” without delivering another hit. Since launching that show, the company has produced two other comedies the network canceled: “Thunder Alley,” starring Ed Asner, and the short-lived “Buddies.”