The Associated Press

May 19, 1987, Tuesday, PM cycle

SECTION: Domestic News

LENGTH: 238 words

HEADLINE: ''Moonlighting'' Creator Not Pleased with Network's Promotion

DATELINE: BUFFALO, N.Y.

BODY:

The creator of the popular television series "Moonlighting" says he's not pleased at the way ABC promoted the episode in which Maddie Hayes and David Addison consummated their long-denied love affair.

Glenn Gordon Caron told The Buffalo News he thinks the promotions eliminated the suspense and "skewed the way people reacted." "Because they were premiering 'Max Headroom' that night, ABC promoted us by saying 'Tonight, they do it.' I was very much against that. The episode was about coming to some final resolution of the conflict," said Caron.

He was interviewed upon his return to Geneseo State College, his alma mater, where he delivered a commencement address.

The eagerly-awaited episode was the third installment of a series in which the affection of Maddie, played by Cybill Shepherd, wavered between fellow detective Addison, played by Bruce Willis, and a longtime friend played by Mark Harmon.

"Originally, they were going to promote it by using a picture of all three and saying, 'eenie, meenie, mienie, moe.' But they changed so we could pick up 10 ratings points, at some expense to the relationship we had with the viewership," Caron said.

"It's like saying, 'Go see "Psycho," Tony Perkins is his mother.' You take away one bit of the mystery that keeps the thing perking," Caron said.

He also said some viewers were upset at what they saw as violence, rather than the passion that was intended.