Language Cleaned Up Slightly On ‘Morals’

Rest easy, my fellow Americans. There’s at least one dirty word you won’t hear on the tube this fall.

Uber-producer Steven Bochco has agreed to clean up his act - at least one word’s worth, anyway - in the opening episode of his raunchy new CBS sitcom, “Public Morals.” Gone is the vulgar term for a part of the female anatomy that had TV critics, advertisers, affiliates and network suits buzzing all summer.

“I was completely intimidated and whipped into a frenzy of submission,” Bochco said Monday, tongue firmly in cheek. “I reacted out of sheer terror.”

Bochco terrified? As if.

The Braveheart of TV producers, Bochco dumped the phrase “because it wasn’t important enough to keep in. Simple fact,” he says. “This is not ‘NYPD Blue.’ The language is not, conceptually, the cornerstone of this show. I didn’t feel this was a huge battle.”

While Bochco insists he didn’t take any heat, personally, from nervous affiliates, sponsors or CBS sales types, he heard plenty “third hand” from CBS Entertainment boss Les Moonves.

Martha Stewart show expands

This should be no surprise: home-and-garden guru Martha Stewart has just added another big helping to her already overflowing plate.

Come fall 1997, Stewart will be serving up her tips for better living six days a week as her syndicated show, “Martha Stewart Living,” expands from once a week to five times a week, plus a weekend “best of” episode.

“We’re really hoping that it will be a nice alternative to the daytime progamming that now exists,” Stewart said.

With the expanded show, “we can cover more material and give more information,” she said. The five-day format also will give her more opportunity to bring in guest experts and will allow for longer segments. She’ll also be able to tackle more extensive projects, some of which may carry over from day to day.

Subjects will include gardening, entertaining, cooking, restoring, collecting, housekeeping and decorating.