It’s been another lousy start for the networks this fall, as their new shows are not only underperforming across the board, they’re getting whipped by cable competition. In the 18-49 demo, for instance, both Sons of Anarchy and American Horror Story beat all new network shows except for three, while the premiere of The Walking Dead would’ve been the highest rated show in the demo on ALL of network television, new or returning shows. In fact, in the demo, two of the network’s new shows are being beaten by Dexter, which viewers have to pay $12 a month to watch.
That’s how bad it is for the networks. It’s so bad, in fact, that NBC is now the top-rated network in the coveted 18-49 demographic, not because NBC is having an outstanding season, but because the other networks are cratering. Those days when the networks highest rated shows could receive 20 or 25 million viewers are long gone, and now the networks have to recalibrate their expectations. It might be that the networks can’t beat AMC or FX across the board; it may be now that the networks have to consider keeping shows that are competitive. A 1.5 in the demo is no longer considered for immediate cancellation. This might, ultimately, prove beneficial to a show like Community, which can get a 1.7 in the demo, better than most of the new network comedies.
How are the new shows doing? Here’s a rundown, ranked by overall viewers:
1. Vegas (CBS) (11.7 million viewers, 2.0 in the demo)
2. Elementary (CBS) (10.9 million viewers, 2.3 in the demo)
3. Revolution (NBC) (8.6 million viewers, 3.3 in the demo)
4. Last Resort (ABC) (7 million viewers, 1.7 in the demo)
5. Made in Jersey (CBS) (CANCELLED) (6.78 million viewers, 0.8 in the demo)
6. Nashville (ABC) (6.7 million viewers, 2.0 in the demo)
7. Go On (NBC) (6.65 million viewers, 2.6 in the demo)
8. The Neighbors (ABC) (6.5 million viewers, 1.9 in the demo)
9. Partners (CBS) (6.1 million viewers, 2.1 in the demo)
10. Chicago Fire (NBC) (5.8 million viewers, 1.5 in the demo)
11. The New Normal (NBC) (4.86 million viewers, 2.0 in the demo)
12. 666 Park Avenue (NBC) (4.82 million viewers, 1.5 in the demo)
13. Guys with Kids (NBC) (4.19 million viewers, 1.4 in the demo)
14. Animal Practice (NBC) (CANCELLED) (3.85 million viewers, 1.1 in the demo)
15. The Mindy Project (Fox) (3.55 million viewers, 1.9 in the demo)
16. Mob Doctor (Fox) 3.36 million viewers, 0.9 in the demo)
17. Ben & Kate (Fox) (2.7 million viewers, 1.2 in the demo)
As you can see, two shows have already been canceled (Animal Practice and Made In Jersey), while several more aren’t far behind (Ben & Kate, Guys with Kids, 666 Park Avenue and Partners). Strangely, Fox is showing a lot of faith in the underperforming The Mindy Project which — despite only 3.55 million viewers — has been picked up for a full season. ]
The one certifiable hit, and the only new show so far to consistently score above a 3.0 in the demo? Revolution. GUH. I loathe that show, but I will always love you, Gus Fring.
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Elementary and Last Resort aren’t bad. That just about covers the list.
I agree on both accounts. And Revolution has a decent opprotunity to make some twists in the next few episodes to keep it fresh.
Last Resort is losing me. So many of the problems that they encounter *should* be dealt with by shooting people in the face, but aren’t. For example, it’s pretty unlikely that any mercenaries are going to take part in an “insurgency” if you shoot their leader in the face. They will stand the fuck down and try to figure out where the next paycheck is going to come from.
Yeah I’m about to bail on Last Resort too. I will watch Thursday’s episode and decide.
Ditto about Last Resort. Solid plot, but the mystery of why the sub was fired on is already running on fumes 4 episodes in. I have no clue how they’re going to keep stretching that single mystery. The characters themselves, while acted fine, are fairly bland and not interested enough by themselves to keep me coming back.
elementary is the only one i watch on that list. it’s no sherlock, obviously, but carries me over til the next series. anyone know when that will be?
I read that Cumberbatch’s career is flying pretty high right now and it may be a while before they can get back to do another series of Sherlock. And that next series may very well be the last series.
Last Resort grabbed me with Andre Braugher’s amazing bad-ass speech at the end of the pilot, but I’m not sure how much longer that good will is going to last.
For some reason I feel compelled to note that I now like the Mindy Project and hope that no one notices.
I watch it too. It’s got some laughs and my girlfriend actually enjoys watching it as well, so that’s a plus. I won’t be gutted if it ever goes away, but it’s still on my list of shows to watch.
On a different note, I’ve been meaning to watch “Ben and Kate”, but it looks like that won’t be around much longer so no point in getting invested in it, right?
i started watching it but bailed after a couple episodes. too rom-commie for me.
Why they feel the need to add a lumpy doofus (à la the masturbating neighbor in Apt. 23) is beyond me.
WePeoplewedon’t need someone to identify with just interesting writing and story.it’s a pretty great effin show. I enjoyed the scene in which she tells her fellow OB/GYNs about how she fell asleep watching a rom com drinking red wine and woke up covered in red liquid, thinking she has been shot. It’s funny cause it’s sad.
I also enjoyed the HP reference -
Mindy: “It’s like if Hermoine and Voldermort got together.”
Shauna: “I don’t know those words.”
Mindy is definitely quirkier and better written than I ever anticipated. It’s a compromise show with the ball and chain and those are seemingly getting more and more sparse, so that’s definitely added endearment.
Haven’t watched Ben & Kate. I think Rowles likes it though.
No shame son, stand up. I enjoyed Whitney for a few months. We all have our guilty pleasures.
Feel free to add yours.
666 Park Avenue is on ABC and I want to bang every woman on the show.
Yeah, but is that enough to make you watch it?
for a solid 2 minutes it is.
Am I the only one who actually likes Ben and Kate? That’s cool if I am.
And, the fact that EIGHT people are watching Revolution regularly is bad enough…but eight MILLION? Ugh.
Ben and Kate is really good. Its going to get canceled but I will enjoy it while it lasts.
I like Revolution
Animal Practice (NBC) (CANCELLED)
What? NOOOOOOOooooooooo! – Furries, I guess.
it makes up for justin kirk’s last show going on about four seasons too long.
I first saw promos for this show while watching the Stanley Cup finals at a bar and said “WHAT THE FUCK?! I CAN WRITE A BETTER SHOW THAN THAT” I then proceeded to write a show on several napkins and everyone agreed it sounded like an awesome show.
The next morning I woke up and looked at the napkins. They were just scribbles.
I know I’m beating the dead whore on this one but as interesting as I find how the breakdowns of ratings are (I will never get how CBS shows get ANY of the demo) it upsets me ever more about how outdated the ratings are and I just can’t wait until one network steps up to be the first to prove to advertisers that the under 49 demo just doesn’t watch TV live anymore unless its sports
I haven’t seen a full episode of any of these, though I did watch a little bit of 666, Also, the first epidsode of American Horror Story was pretty bad IMO.
I have been really enjoying Ben and Kate. Probably more so than what’s left of HIMYM and The Office.
The Mindy Project is alright but only because I really enjoy Chris Messina and Stephen Tobolowski. No show with Tobolowski should get less than a full season.
ugh, they better not can Ben & Kate. Easily my favorite new show this season.
I thought Mob Doctor was already cancelled….
The new slate of shows this year has been a big giant bowl of OK. Nothing is what I would consider great, but (with a few exceptions) nothings is really terrible either. It’s all very vanilla.
Is it just me, or do both Last Resort and Revolution both feel liked scrapped movie plots that were hastily re-written to be made into TV series. Last Resort in particular feels like it could have been a solid Tom Clancy-ish film, but as a TV series, it really doesn’t make sense. It’s already like 5 episodes in and beginning to feel stale. There’s not enough there to get invested in.
How does Mindy Kaling have her own show? She’s only 33 but she looks like a cigar-store indian statue.
Stage 4 Boner Cancer.
I’ll miss Ben & Kate. Also I think it is a tad unfair to cancel things now with all these interruptions to schedules. Especially on Fox with the debates and baseball.
I watch 666 I like it more for the interesting plot and the fact that it has so many places to go, unlike Last Resort (which I will continue watching to see if they make the populace of the island more interesting) I sincerely hope it does not get cancelled since of the new shows that I have watched it is by far the most interesting. Eye candy doesn’t hurt either.
I watched one episode of Vegas. Other than that I’ve only watched Elementary and I gotta say I didn’t want to like it but it’s definitely been a pleasant surprise.
Is there any reason I should be watching any of the others? Doesn’t seem like it
Same here. Lucy Lui is essentially useless so far but at least they make fun of that in the show as well.
I’d rather watch “The Mindy Cohn Project”
I am 31 and have not watched a live show in years. Every single show I watch is through torrents or DVR. I do not know one person who still watches tv as it airs. Even my mom who is in her 50s uses torrents.
So my question is: why bother using these ratings at all since they are clearly grossly inaccurate? They dont show accurate numbers for any age group.
A good example is the show “heroes” from a few years ago. It was the most downloaded show on tv (in the top 5 virtually every episode) but its official ratings were crap. Yet it was getting downloaded millions of times per episode. MILLIONS.
If the networks continue to rely on information that is known to be faulty then they deserve to go under.
All those shows listed suck too. If you are a regular watcher of any of them you should be sterilized to prevent further harm to the gene pool.
I guess I’ll set up the doctor’s appointment, then. My kids are gonna be so disappointed when they find out they shouldn’t exist because of a TV show. Oh well.
Yeah sure, but the networks are interested in people watching their announcers’ ADS, not people actually watching their shows (buying their shows’ dvds maybe).
If you torrent them, there’s no ads, and if you DVR them, you’ll likely skip the ads.
So they’re actually right in using Nielsen ratings to attract announcers.
What’s stupid is that they don’t give access to all of their shows online, for free, for ever, worldwide, and of course with ads.
People would use that instead of bothering with torrents, or having to program a DVR, and they won’t be able to escape the annoying ads (I absolutely HATE internet ads before videos, but it’s clearly the future for advertisers).
But I guess the old geezers running the networks won’t figure that out for a good 5-10 years.
CUT MY LIFE INTO PIECES
THIS IS MY LAST RESORT
I just peed a little.
At my desk.
Go On is the only show on the list that I am watching, though my lady is a fan of Mindy, and having recently listened to her new book, I suppose I might enjoy it as well. How any CBS show continues to top lists like this is just mind boggling and sad. I’ve never met a single person who watches anything on CBS outside of Big Bang Theory or HIMYM (those are CBS shows right?). My parents are in their 60′s, and my mom watches a lot of bad tv but even they don’t watch CBS. And Elementary is just an insult to those of us who watch Sherlock, and I’d like to think better of Sick Boy, but I get it, he’s a junkie con artist who figured out how to get mother trucking paid.
Easy answer: Aging population. Once again, the Baby Boomers fuck it all up for the rest of us.