A Change of Plans, airing tomorrow night on Fox (8:00 PM ET), is family programming in the classic sense (think a multicultural Eight is Enough with half the kids) that may seem a little out of place on the network of the raunchy Family Guy. Still, if you can get past the apparent incongruity to find it, it’s worth your time.

The movie — about an attractive and ambitious young couple (Brooke White of American Idol) and Joe Flanigan of Stargate: Atlantis) who find their personal and career plans interrupted by the sudden responsibility of caring for four orphaned children of differing cultural backgrounds– is the latest to come from an effort spearheaded by a partnership of Walmart and P&G to promote smart family-appropriate programming on television.

I just spoke with Ben Simon of Walmart’s Corporate Marketing division about the movie (of which he is a co-executive producer). I asked him about the retailer’s overall goal in supporting such fare. More information on the plot, as well as my review, follow the interview excerpts.

JWK: How did you and Walmart come to be involved in these films?

Simon: There is this idea of the Double Bottom Line where you can not only do good business but you can also do things that address really big unmet needs with families and consumers. This whole program began because we talked to several hundred thousand moms and families over the last few years and they just told us the were really concerned and frustrated over the lack of wholesome quality options out there in entertainment.

JWK: How did you choose this particular project?

Simon: All these movies start by listening to consumers. The whole program is a way to meet an unmet need for more quality family programming. In order to do that, it actually started by setting up a process of testing ideas and concepts for shows and movies with consumers. All the ideas actually came from moms and families. We actually have a unique process by which we work with groups of writers and families across the country on generating ideas around the shows that they would want to watch if they were the ones controlling the shots on what was on television and, what we’re doing is taking those best ideas that tested off the charts both with moms and with kids and producing those into programming.

JWK: These films all seem to have backdoor pilot potential. Do you have any plans to turn any of these into series?

Simon: We do. The strategy is that the movie acts as a launching pad for a potential series and that’s all based on how well it performs and general consumer feedback on the quality of the movie. So, we are definitely looking toward bringing (some of these) to series.

JWK: Is that looking promising at this moment?

Simon: Yes, it’s looking very promising.

JWK: The ratings have been good so far?

Simon: We’re pleased with all the results we’ve had. Of the three movies we have done, consumers have responded very positively. We either come in number one or number two in our time slot and it’s given us confidence to say “Hey, we’re meeting an unmet need. We should feel confident in doing more of this.” And we’re gonna do more family programming as long as the consumer says “We’re gonna vote with our remote and support what you’re doing because we do want more of this type of programming.”

JWK: This movie is on Fox instead of NBC, as the previous ones were. Is this a switch or are both networks now going to be airing your movies?

Simon: There’s a number of great partners across the broadcast spectrum. NBC’s a great partner. Fox is a great partner. We think family programming can live on multiple networks.

JWK: It seems like years ago if was hard to find good family movies but there were some good family shows on television. Now, it seems to have reversed — with some great and successful family movies out there but a lack of family TV programming.

Simon: It’s true. There are still some great programming for families but what we’ve heard is that there is just not enough and what we’re trying to do is to bring back television that we all remember as kids growing up (where) the whole family came together. We believe that programming on television should be (for) mass (audiences). We think our last three movies speak to this. Family programming is mass audience. Look at the demographics of the country. There are 35 million moms (plus dads) and kids. That’s the largest niche out there. We’re trying to serve that need.

JWK: This movie, A Change of Plans, seems a little bit more grounded in reality than the others — which leaned more toward sci-fi or fantasy.

Simon:  They’re all of a different genre or storyline but they’re all under Family Movie Night. This one is a special one. It is a little different than the last three. That really comes from the fact that our consumers are looking to see all kinds of great programming.

JWK: Any plans to doing these movies on a weekly basis — like a Family Movie Night of the Week?

Simon:  Ultimately, that’s our plan. Later this year, around the first or second quarter, you’ll see us begin a monthly cadence of original family movies on broadcast — actually beginning in April. And, ultimately, that’s going to move to a weekly occasion for families as there is an enormous unmet need for this type of programming. Last year we had essentially one per quarter. Given the need that’s out there for families we know that moms are looking to create these occasions on a regular basis.

JWK: Would this be on a single network?

Simon: I’ll just say that we’re working on strategies right now that would create this as a regular occasion for families. It’s gonna be a great oasis for families to come together. Moms aren’t going to have to worry about diving for thier remote controls and the kids are gonna love it as well.

JWK: What I like about these films is that they are intelligent as well as wholesome.

Simon: Our consumers are smart so our stories need to be sophisticated as well.  We’re pleased with the results we’ve seen. Our last three movies have been a great success and it’s all based on the consumers responding to this unmet need. I encourage you and all your readership to get out there and vote with your remotes and affirm that this is the type of programming you want to see more of.

JWK: I couldn’t agree more.   
 
                                                                ***  
 
As for my review of A Change of Plans, I’d say its the best of the four Walmart-P&G films yet — and I did like the other three.  It certainly is the most grounded in reality as the others (Secrets of the Mountain, The Jensen Project and A Walk in My Shoes) leaned more toward fantastic adventure, sci-fi and/or fantasy.

The plot follows the emotional journey of Sally and Jason Danville (Brooke White of American Idol and Joe Flanigan of Stargate: Atlantis), a young and ambitious married couple who experience the “change o
f plans” of the title when they are suddenly saddled with the care of the four orphaned children of Sally’s best friend, a Peace Corps worker who died in a tragic accident with their father.

Three of the four kids are adopted from Third World countries while 16-year-old Jordan (Jayme Lynne Evans), the eldest, is the American-born birth daughter of Sally’s friend.  What follows is a personal and cultural adjustment for all involved. At first, Sally and Jason are seeking a way of what they see as their predicament but as the story progresses they come to realize that the “problem” is actually a blessing as a bond of concern blossoming into love develops between them and the children.

What could be a fairly trite rehashing of stuff we’ve seen before is saved by strong and appealing performances by White (who has a future in acting as well as music), Flanigan and Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show) as the social worker overseeing their transition. The kids (including Evans, Bobby Soto, Jakobe’ Dempsey and Clarissa Suwoko) also come across as real and likable. I can tell you the ending actually left me with a lump in my throat which is rare — since it’s so seldom these days that the networks actually engage the heart.

Walmart and P&G deserve a lot of credit for supporting this kind of programming. Now, it’s up to we viewers to do our part. As Simon says, let’s vote with our remotes. And, if you like what you see and want to see more of it, let the networks know.