American TV gets serious

Instead of sitcoms, people who tuned to NBC last night got Schindler's List. Spielberg's depiction of the Holocaust was shown without traditional commercial breaks in a deal between NBC and Ford, which only ran ads at the film's start and end; it also included its badge on a clock which appeared occasionally during brief breaks in which viewers could make their usual urgent domestic visits. If forecasts are borne out, more Americans saw the film than during its entire run in US cinemas after its release in 1994. Then, some 25 million paid to see the film. Last night's audience was expected to top 30 million.

David Usborne -New York