Priming the Primetime Pump

   Tonight marks the official start of the fall television schedules, when the major networks begin the battle for primetime dominance. At their disposal: an arsenal of TV's hottest comedies and dramas.

   1983 Tufts graduate Oliver Platt hopes his new drama "Deadline" will secure a place on TVs around the country, beginning with tonight's premier. This is the actor's first gig as a television star, though he has graced the big screen in films including Lake Placid, Bullworth, Simon Birch and Dr. Doolittle.

   A number of other primetime dramas start their seasons this week, including West Wing, Third Watch, Dawson's Creek, The Fugitive, The Street and Bull -- all of which are projects of Tufts grads.

   Peter Roth, the head of Warner Brothers Television and 1972 Tufts graduate, has developed a number of television's top dramas, including West Wing, Third Watch and The Fugitive. His work on West Wing, which took home nine Emmys in September, earned him accolades from the show's cast and crew.

   "Peter Roth and Warner Brothers have nurtured the West Wing, playing an enormous role in the show's success," West Wing executive producer Thomas Schlamme told Daily Variety. West Wing, as well as a banner year for Warner Brothers' other shows, helped Roth and company earn 43 Emmy nominations in 2000, the most nominations for any studio.

   But Roth isn't the only studio exec with top-notch credentials. With series including Mad About You, Party of 5, Dawson's Creek and Family Law, Eric Tannenbaum left his position atop Columbia TriStar Television to found and lead Artists Talent Group (ATG) -- one of the hottest television studios in Hollywood. The only studio with a new show on every major network, ATG promises to turn heads this fall.

   "When we started this company, we decided on a very aggressive strategy that would allow ATG to impact television right from the start" said Tannenbaum, a 1985 Tufts graduate.

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