Since Judging Amy was a good sized hit for CBS on Tuesdays at 10/9, why doesn't ABC try out Brothers and Sisters in that time slot and put Boston Legal in another slot (perhaps Sundays?)
The ratings for Boston Legal improved on Sundays (by almost 4 million viewers) over its Tuesday performance, so that would be a good boost for that show.
Plus, a show like Brothers and Sisters would be good counter-programming to Law and Order: SVU and whatever plug CBS puts in that slot. CBS doesn't really have a family drama that they could move into the Tuesday at 10/9 time slot to compete with Brothers and Sisters.
Excellent question regarding the comedies. I can't recall any success stories.
As for predicting hits and flops, the biggest recipe for a flop is whenever a show is created as an answer to another show - the copycats - TV shows that it was obvious were created because of a big hit show - think of all that came and went because of Lost, 24, ER and Friends to name a few... I don't get why the network folks will never understand this golden rule. If you want a huge hit, be original and think outside the box.
No, last year Dancing with the Stars was on Thursday and Friday nights. CiC was already on hiatus then, I believe. DWTS only moved to Tues/Weds this fall.
Are you sure 3Lbs did that poorly? How many viewers did BL lose from its Part 1 that aired on Sunday nite? 3Lbs was not that far behind BL's ratings.
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Originally posted by JONNYSBRO: Marc what I find funny about CBS is ever since they called Judging Amy without giving the fans closure and it was still a solid show for them. It was an older skewing show but did well in viewers, this slot has been cursed for CBS. Smith was canned early but because it was a very expensive show but 3lbs was a House watered down ripoff. It also seems that Legal had an effect on 3lbs because Legal was off the two weeks it aired and Legal's return put some dent in the ratings. I have to give props to Legal. It will never be a huge hit like Grey's/DH but a moderate hit. It does about 6.5 to 7.2 but that is solid for ABC and performing better then most of ABC's 10pm shows. I think ABC forgot that their audience loves to watch traditional comedies with distant comedic voices that are family centered. These single camera comedies do not work for ABC or it's audience. I tried Big Day and clicked it off quickly. Help Me is a very niche show. ABC needs to look back at the days of Roseanne/Home Improvement and figure out what worked. Also moving Cold Case is a stupid decision because it is very solid for Sunday nights. CSI Miami is a big Monday hit. I think maybe CBS should try Shark out on Tuesday's at 10pm and give CSI a better compatible show. CBS needs something at 10pm that is more in line with NCIS-Unit. It needs something more male demo and fits with the whole male demo night.
Our odds of predicting which new shows will flop are pretty good since over 80 per cent do.
I think the competence and strategy comes in when managing your existing shows. Their handling of Lost this year, while based on a good idea of limiting reruns, has been and will continue to be disastrous I think. If they stick to their guns and keep Lost off the air until February, and then put it up against AI, its much overexagerated decline will become a reality.
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Originally posted by pisher:
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That's because I'm convinced that programming is about 10 per cent strategy and 90 per cent luck -- especially as it relates to new shows.
True to a point--but it's not about genius. It's about COMPETENCE. It's about picking the right people to work with, knowing when to make suggestions, knowing what suggestions to make, and knowing when to butt out and give the creatives room to run.
And aside from development, it really helps if the suits know when to cut their losses and cancel a show that's never going to work. And, of course, when to give a show that can work some time to find an audience, but it's equally important to stop the bleeding, and accept failure.
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So called genius programmers are really just lucky programmers becuase its absolutely impossible to know what will hit with the audience.
I don't quite agree--sure, many big hits come out of the blue, but that doesn't mean you can't predict hits or flops--we do it here all the time. The biggest thing is to avoid the flops--and the best way to avoid flops is to judge a show on its merits, instead of on the basis of what supposedly hot producer has his name all over it. There's an awful lot of one-hit-wonders out there in TVLand.
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No one saw Grey's becoming a huge hit.
As big as it's become? No, that's impossible to predict. A success? Absolutely. If you program up enough base hits, you'll get a home run sooner or later.
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Dancing With the Stars? Please. It was a summer throw away -- as were Survivor, American Idol and Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
Um--weren't some of these shows hits in Britain before coming here?
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If there was a surefire strategy to this stuff I would agree with you.
Okay--so for example, since there's no surefire strategy to win the World Series, the NBA finals, or the Superbowl, that means it doesn't matter who manages a team, or what players he recruits?
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As it is though, its throwing a bunch of stuff agaisnt the wall and seeing what sticks. No one really knows.
I agree in general principle--but that doesn't mean ABC isn't blowing it. Because once you HAVE success, the critical factor becomes hanging onto it. ABC got complacent way too quickly. They might at least have waited until they actually were #1 before they started acting like they were.
Posts: 1664 | Location: Great White North | Registered: 10 November 2006
Originally posted by Marc Berman: You know what, Cory. I have heard nothing re: ratings for Nip/Tuck, so I'm not sure. But silence from the PR front is rarely a good thing. And I have heard nothing about Dirt, but I'm looking forward to seeing it.
FX's PR department may have not published anything but Nip/Tuck has made the list of top cable shows nearly each week (seen in USA Today) this season.
Here's a rundown of each episode's ratings: September 5: 4.8 million September 12: 3.9 million September 19: 3.5 million September 26: 3.9 million October 3: no info but less than 3.4 million October 10: 3.6 million October 17: 4.0 million October 24: 3.3 million October 31: 3.3 million November 7: 3.9 million November 14: 3.47 million November 21: 3.3 million
Even though this is a show on basic cable, the CW would lust over these viewer numbers for its Monday sitcoms, Veronica Mars and One Tree Hill!
[QUOTE]Originally posted by vlis: Are you sure 3Lbs did that poorly? How many viewers did BL lose from its Part 1 that aired on Sunday nite? 3Lbs was not that far behind BL's ratings.[QUOTE]Originally posted by
Originally posted by Marc Berman: Don't you just love how ABC promotes it as Wednesday's #1 new drama? What other new Wednesday dramas are there?
Marc, absolutely hilarious. Well, at least a lot funnier than the Big Day pilot and Help Me Help You (which needs a lot of help)
The suggestion of moving B&S to Tuesday is not a bad one, but it's probably to early. If they put it there now with no lead-in, it might fail. They would be better off leaving it behind DH and letting it grow.
And count me in as one who sees George Lopez as underrated. And given ABC's other comedies...
