Retooling

Synonyms:
See also:	Nay-sayer, Beauty and the Beast TPTB-Speak, Keep the Dream Alive
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"Retooling" is a word used in the Beauty and the Beast (TV) fandom and refers to the changes that were made by TPTB regarding changes in the third season of the show.

These changes, which included less poetry, less focus on personal relationships, and more focus on action, were made to attract a male audience, one that was considered more valuable from a profit standpoint than a female audience.

For more on those changes and how they affected fandom, see The Beauty and the Beast Wars.

For other phrases and words during that time, see Beauty and the Beast and TPTB-Speak.

Its First Use

"Retooling" was first used by Kim LeMasters in late July 1989. As reported in Pipedreams (July/August 1989): "LeMasters gave an awkward, defensive little speech about "retooling" BATB because it is a "precious commodity" to the network."

Roy Dotrice, who portrayed Father, tried to explain some of the "retooling" to fans. From a Q&A session at the Creation Con in Minneapolis on October 21st & 22nd:

[November/December 1989]: What we're doing at the moment is fighting for our existence. These 12 episodes are an attempt to retain the morals and everything we felt about the show — but to make it more exciting, to attract a male audience that will go for it. We realize that however devoted the fans are and they have been, they are basically 95 to 98% women. God bless 'em. Women are the most intelligent members of our society, (applause) But we do need the males and they've been switching off by the millions. Whenever we have a love scene or poetry, it's "(groan), where's the ball game?" So we've got to attract that male audience. If we don't, we will not get the ratings and we will not be back for another season. We have to pull out every stop and use every tactic we can to grab some of that male audience which has been so sadly lacking.

Many fans were suspicious of the term, "retooling," off the bat, and these suspicions were later confirmed.

Fan Comments

[July 1989]: This retooling the silly network uses as their excuse for not having B&B on the fall schedule is scaring the hell out of all of us. Only because Koslow is back, and hopefully Martin, Gansa and Gordon as well, do I have any faith at all when B&B comes back that it will be the same show we've all grown to love passionately. Still, having inhabited this earth for 36 years and having seen network television screw up or cancel just about every show that dealt in fantasy and/or romance that gnawing knot of fear will remain.

[March 1990]: Count me as one who opposes the retooling that brought about the third season... I know the greater effort is in saving the show, but I'm worried that enough of us haven't dealt with the idea of a show being discounted because it has a predominantly female audience. I'm worried that that audience was given a below the belt punch in the two-hour opener via the mistreatment of the lead female character and it was absorbed by a public just grateful to see the show back on the air. Sorry gang, there was more to Catherine's manner of death than just giving Linda a way to leave the series and setting up a villain for Vincent to chase for several episodes.

[March 1990]: What about those of us with some intelligence?! I can't believe that the people who watch Beauty & the Beast are not those much sought after people that advertisers want. I'm a 32 yr. old veterinarian, married, with 7 animals, a baby on the way and my husband is a college professor. The people I associate with really appreciate Beauty & the Beast. It's time for our voices to be heard.

[March 1990]: The network wants to appeal to a younger audience — I believe half of the group that was at my home [viewing the show] were in their twenties — what do they call them? Golden-agers already? If so, I must already be dead!

[March 1990]: I do not think that cable TV is the answer, as the series would lose a lot of fans who became acquainted with it through free television. Fans, who possibly are the outcasts & low income, who cannot afford cable.

[March 1990]: Two months hardly seems a fair amount of time to judge the show's success. And the men (at least the ones I know) who weren't watching before are now dutifully tuned in to see Vincent 'get his man.' The women of course missed Catherine.

[March 1990]: Regarding the 'male audience problem.' My boy friend had a rather casual interest in B&B the past 2 seasons, but this season he's taken a much greater interest. Not because of the increased action/adventure (read: violence), but because he loves to watch a detective at work solving a mystery, and he is eagerly monitoring Diana's progress on the case. Note to network programming people: you don't need violence to attract the male audience!

[March 1990]: I know a 19 year old guy that is a bigger fan of the show than me. I mean, a show's gotta be good if a 19 year old guy likes it.

[March 1990]: I also wonder what the big brouhaha is about B&B appealing only to women — my husband (a biker) was watching the show long before I sat down & took an interest in it. Even if it is primarily female viewers, who the hell does most of the shopping & errand running in this country!?!!

[March 1990]: I feel that CBS has failed to appreciate the marketplace the audience of this show represented. If it is true that 30% of a given population purchases/consumes 80% of a given product, then this group (mostly women, ages 25-55) represents a very concentrated market of key consumers. They are the major household purchasers, by no means a negligible statistic.

[February 1990]: Am I the only one out here who is not only appalled but profoundly disappointed in the new "retooled" B&B? I have watched the show since the first episode when those words, "Once upon a time..." rolled across the screen and now I most heartily agree with CBS..."It's not a fairy tale anymore." It's a "Nightmare on Elm Street."

[March 1990]: I had written a nice letter to CBS after the series came back on — I don't dare write them now — I would only be another bridge burner." "Count me as one who opposes the retooling that brought about the third season...

[March/April]:

I thought the entire premise for "Retooling" B&B was due to the validity of the low Nielsen Ratings that the show was getting all last season. These so called accurate reports of what people were watching and not watching nearly caused the complete cancellation of B&B from the 1989 schedule. Now for the irony...Did anyone see a copy of USA Today for December 14? Reviews were in for how Beauty and the Beast fared in the ratings Tuesday December 14. The headlines read," Fans Stay True to Their Beast". Then an article right next to it read, " Glitches in Nielsen's System" "A survey released Wednesday id's problems with viewer use of the people meter ratings system that may affect the ratings for TV shows."

Were those same "glitches" responsible for all the low ratings of our beloved B&B and its subsequent retooling and demise of its original format of beauty, love and hope? Were those "g1itches" in the boxes or in those holding the keys to the ratings system responsible for changing, altering and twisting a uniquely beautiful show to suit those holding the keys to those crooked locks. Does every show on TV have to be aimed at the air—brained unrefined twinkos of the B-movie mentality or for children who spend six hours a night staring at a box and matching wits with such stimulating minds as that of the 15 year old Doogie Doctor MD"???

[March/April]: Ok, I did watch "Snow" tonight. No one told me that part of the retooling included a lobotomy! This show doesn't deserve to be called "Beauty & the Beast." What was it Vincent said at the end of "The Hollow Men," ..."Nothing. Nothing but madness. Nothing but blood! When will it stop?" Apparently the only one with their integrity left intact is Linda Hamilton. Looks like she got out just in time. "HANG IN THERE LINDA!"

[March/April]:

I hate the retooled version! It is only a pale image of the former beautiful show that we all loved so much. I found the torture segment of Catherine to be a violent and distasteful turn-off. This show is turning into a detective series instead of the beautiful poetic show that it was.

I heard that Ron Koslow was proud of this first season opener. One can only wonder why. The fans worked so hard to save this show, and now there is no Catherine, no romance, no touching tunnel scenes, no Winterfest, no Beauty and the Beast. Did we make a mistake to work hard to bring this show back?

[March/April]: I was one of the loyal fans who sent you a very expensive telegram to save this show. However, if I had known you would degrade it so badly with your retooling I'd have urged you instead to cancel it. Yes "It's not a fairy tale anymore", but that was the very thing that made this show special. Ho wonder you're a third place network, you somehow find ways to alienate loyal viewers in your quest for new viewers, and so you lose as many, if not more, than you gain. Sign me an angry viewer...

[March/April]: I must say I am disappointed with the turn of events, but not surprised. Nothing with quality survives on network. I would have supported this show, had the retooling not been done, until my dying day. And if for any unforeseen reason it was to return to its original form, I would continue to support it.

[May 1990]: Divide and conquer... .it happens every time! CBS has divided us by their ordered "retooling" of our beloved show, and conquered us by putting us at each others throats. We fell into their trap like most wild animals would, and we are caught there, helpless.

[November 1990]:

I read one LOC that stated we do not have the right to demand the return of Catherine to the story since B&TB is not a product like laundry detergent but a work of art, and it is inconceivable that anyone should tell an author what to write. Excuse me?

I was under the impression that's how we got into this controversy in the first place: because CBS demanded a retooling, and retooling is a euphemism for re-writing. Is the right to demand changes in what is written and produced, therefore, exclusively the prerogative of the people with money and power? Do we not have the same privilege? If they could demand a rewrite, why can't we demand that they un-rewrite it? Un-retool it? Oh, you know what I mean.

[...]

We all fought with every means at our disposal to save the show when CBS threatened to cancel it and then put it on hiatus. Basically, what we were doing was demanding the show's return. Now, suddenly, all that fervor is splintered, and because some so-called leaders of fandom just LOVED third season, we are sitting here wringing our hands and projecting the attitude to the producers (more people with money and power) that they have the right to produce anything they like and we will accept it. Well, I don't buy a laundry detergent that I don't want, and I will not meekly accept the remnants of a show that someone has rewritten into oblivion.