‘Nypd Blue’ Faithful Rap Delay In Season Premiere

Fans of ABC’s “NYPD Blue” are lashing out at the network, calling its decision to delay the gritty cop drama until January a bonehead move.

They’re still threatening a boycott.

Late Friday, ABC said it would hold “NYPD Blue” until Jan. 11 to continue airing the romantic drama “Once and Again” in “Blue’s” Tuesday at 10 p.m. slot until late December.

While “NYPD Blue” co-creator Steven Bochco called the January return the second-best thing that could have happened - the first being no change in scheduling at all - fans were furious with the decision.

“Their treatment of their faithful viewers is ungrateful, unfair and unbelievable,” wrote one message sender to ABC’s Web site, www.abc.com. “It’s shameful. The letters and e-mails and phone calls to ABC should keep being sent.”

“NYPD Blue” was to debut on Nov. 9 for its seventh season. But ABC found itself stuck in the awkward position of having two critical darlings vying for the same airspace.

“Once and Again,” originally scheduled to come off the air in November and return on Mondays in January, had gotten off to a promising start in September and has garnered good Nielsen ratings with its target audience of 18- to 49-year-old viewers. However, its overall ratings have slipped since its debut.

Nearly two weeks ago, ABC Entertainment Co-chair Stu Bloomberg advised Bochco that his show might move, though he gave no indication where “NYPD Blue” would be rescheduled. That infuriated Bochco and some of the show’s cast.

Bochco said Friday the cast was “demoralized and frustrated.”

Bochco maintains that ABC is favoring “Once and Again” because it’s owned by ABC’s parent company, Disney.

On Friday, Bochco credited the fans and the media with at least preserving “NYPD Blue’s” Tuesday status.

While acknowledging the show could have been canceled, fans still aren’t happy with ABC management.

“Corporate greed and stupidity once again overrules the desires of the viewers,” went one message.