HOLLYWOOD – When the producer of “The Heights,” “Models, Inc.” and “Queens Supreme” wants to rant about bad television, it’s only fair to listen. And nothing sets Aaron Spelling off like asking his opinion about the ongoing popularity of reality shows.
“I have to be very careful about answering that,” Spelling warns reporters at the TV Critics Association press tour. “But I’ve got to tell you, the reality trend makes me puke.”
“I hate it when you mince words,” says E. Duke Vincent, Spelling’s longtime partner on timeless productions like “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Dynasty.”
“We have been approached many times about doing it,” Spelling explains. “We’re not going to do it, at least not as long as I’m alive.”
While waiting for Spelling’s posthumous dating show, viewers can tune in to any of of the duo’s three fall shows (which makes them “failures”), “Charmed” and “7th Heaven” on The WB and the new cop drama “10-8” on ABC. Spelling instantly fell for the Danny Nucci/Ernie Hudson drama, which is about a veteran in the L.A. County Sheriffs Dept. training a wiseacre younger partner, but which the producer describes as focusing on a love affair between two men.
The partners’ only hesitation concerned the show’s somewhat obscure title.
“’10-8′ is the radio call sign for “in-service’ and I was banking on curiosity out of the confusion of what the title meant to bring us into it to figure out what it meant,” the show’s creator Jorge Zamacona circuitously explains. “I believe after the first couple episodes it will be clear.”
“Aaron said, “The name of the show we’re going to do, read the script. It’s called “10-8,”” Vincent recalls. “I said, “What?’ He said, “10-8.” I said, “How are they going to advertise this? How are they going to promote it? Are they going to say, “10-8,’ watch “10-8′ at nine, eight o’clock Central, seven o’clock on the West Coast. “10-8′ a 9:00, 7:00, 8:00. Watch “10-8.”‘
“I says, “It’s not going to make any sense. They’ll never see it. They’ll never find it.’ Now I think they’re going to find it pretty good.”
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