Blog Archive 6 - I'm Out of the Loop Here...

Well, I checked out last week's Nielsen's ratings, thanks to zap2it.com, and it would seem that I'm missing out on the so-called "popular" shows. It may be because I have little tolerance for reality television, but there also seem to be a lot of scripted shows out there that I'm missing out on... I think I'm out of the loop.

Listed below are the ratings.

1	DANCING W/THE STARS-MON	ABC	Mon	8:00 PM	12.8/19.0	14,386,000	19,623,000
2	CSI	CBS	Thu	9:00 PM	12.4/19.0	13,981,000	19,794,000
3	GREY'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM	ABC	Thu	9:00 PM	12.3/19.0	13,847,000	19,036,000
4	DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES	ABC	Sun	9:00 PM	11.8/18.0	13,365,000	18,892,000
5	60 MINUTES	CBS	Sun	7:52 PM	11.3/17.0	12,690,000	17,227,000
6	HOUSE	FOX	Tue	9:00 PM	10.8/16.0	12,177,000	18,033,000
7	DANCING W/STARS RESULT-TU	ABC	Tue	9:00 PM	10.7/16.0	12,072,000	16,362,000
8	NCIS	CBS	Tue	8:00 PM	10.4/17.0	11,726,000	16,357,000
9	CSI: MIAMI	CBS	Mon	10:00 PM	9.6/15.0	10,875,000	14,452,000
10	CRIMINAL MINDS	CBS	Wed	9:00 PM	9.3/14.0	10,480,000	14,554,000
11	COLD CASE	CBS	Sun	9:22 PM	9.1/14.0	10,258,000	13,876,000
12	WITHOUT A TRACE	CBS	Thu	10:01 PM	8.9/15.0	9,999,000	13,616,000
13	CSI: NY	CBS	Wed	10:00 PM	8.8/15.0	9,873,000	13,431,000
14	SURVIVOR: CHINA	CBS	Thu	8:00 PM	8.6/14.0	9,734,000	14,222,000
15	LAW AND ORDER:SVU	NBC	Tue	10:00 PM	8.4/14.0	9,432,000	12,303,000
16	BROTHERS & SISTERS	ABC	Sun	10:01 PM	8.2/14.0	9,306,000	12,514,000
16	PRIVATE PRACTICE	ABC	Wed	9:00 PM	8.2/13.0	9,296,000	12,420,000
18	TWO AND A HALF MEN	CBS	Mon	9:00 PM	8.1/12.0	9,176,000	13,016,000
19	DEAL OR NO DEAL-WED	NBC	Wed	8:00 PM	8.0/13.0	8,999,000	12,575,000
20	EXTREME MAKEOVER:HOME ED.	ABC	Sun	8:00 PM	7.3/11.0	8,256,000	12,227,000

Chart by zap2it.com; Ratings information by Nielsen Media

Among the Top Twenty shows, I have no use for Dancing with the Stars (though my family watches it religiously), I watch CSI casually because of my sister; I keep up with Grey's Anatomy from a distance; I can no longer stand Desperate Housewives, though I totally respect the talented actresses; I watch 60 Minutes out of a desire to be "informed;" I respect House for its uniqueness; I am ambivalent towards NCIS, for it was a spin-off of my beloved JAG; CSI: Miami is somewhat 'meh'... I could go on and on.

I guess I'm just concerned that I've been completely off-base when it comes to "Quality Television." I don't mind straying from the crowd and not following the status quo, but I do wonder if perhaps I should rethink my standards, and maybe give some of these hit shows a chance.

Photo by ABC

It's still interesting that there are no new, huge hits, yet none of the currents series have been cancelled. Then again, there's still time for some series to hit the chopping block. I'm still (patiently) waiting for the relatively controversial Cavemen to get the axe -- no offense to the talented ape-boys who play the insightful title characters. I just don't see the point.

Blog Archive 5 - Writers Strike, Women's Murder Club

Strike on the Horizon

I've been trying to keep an eye on the recent Writers' Guild of America (WGA) issues that have been a brewing in Hollywood of late. Apparently the issue stems from Guild members requesting more money for content that makes it to the Web. According to Broadcast Newsroom, there has been heavy debating on either side, but there is a silver lining for some shows: With the networks ordering so many scripts in advance (so as to compensate for a potential strike that will otherwise leave them with gaping holes in their programming), it's giving "struggling" series a second chance at survival. The popular online trade magazine cited CBS' Cane, FOX's K-Ville and ABC's Big Shots as examples of such stragglers.

This all seems to be yet another indication of the ever-changing distribution model that studios and networks have both been fighting and trying to keep up with for the past couple of years. There is, as always, an issue of copyright, and how the original authors of a product can be properly compensated. Unfortunately, thanks to torrents and a host of other video- and media-sharing websites, it's very difficult to track every single download. While it's unfortunate for the creators of each work, it's also rather unavoidable. Worldwide, fans are determined and resourceful when it comes to finding what they want on the Internet.

Is TV Viewership Rising, Falling, Or at a Plateau?

I've been wondering lately how viewership has been faring, but it's become a bit hard to compare this season's performance with last season's because of the recent DVR debacle. Networks are wanting ratings credit for viewers who watch their series through DVR and TiVo usage, and Nielsen is admittedly trying to keep up with the changes.

The digital age has caused a revolution for which networks, advertisers and Nielsen's were not quite prepared, but they are trying. Still, I'm a bit surprised that there are no new series that have gotten the official axe yet. Granted, it's still early, but usually there's a stinker or two that's canned after the first week. I've yet to find one. And I know that doesn't mean that quality in programming has increased, because ABC's Cavemen is still around. Its concept (and the fact that ABC, of all networks, actually greenlit it) still boggles my mind.

So, we have struggling shows that aren't doing so hot this season. We have no breakout hits, despite the many, many, heavily-pimped new series, such as Private Practice, Bionic Woman, Journeyman, Cane, Pushing Daisies, Life, Moonlight and Back to You. However, we also have networks preemptively requesting more scripts so they can have something to produce and broadcast over the next three or four months in the event of a strike. With all of these technological and political changes, it's going to be an interesting season. Some series may be cancelled a little later than usual, while others may be given a final chance to add that extra umph! they've needed to truly shine. Only time will tell how each network's programming fares.

Women's Murder Club

Picture by tvguide.com/ABC -- From left to right: Paula Newsome, Laura Harris, Aubrey Dollar and Angie Harmon

I caught the series premiere of ABC's newest drama based on the literary work of acclaimed bestseller, James Patterson. The series, starring crime drama veteran Angie Harmon, follows the lives and careers of four diverse San Francisco women as they work together to solve murders.

At first, I'm sure some people scoffed at the idea. Though Patterson (who also serves as Executive Producer of the TV series) has had incredible success with the book series, I'd imagine there may have been some trepidation with having an all-woman team solve crime. For one thing, it breaks tradition. Over the past 20 years, law enforcement shows have typically comprised of a male-female duo, with the male lead character mostly taking precendence.

While I am personally intrigued by the concept, I would not be surprised if some wondered whether the audience would buy, or be interested in, four women taking on the bad guys every week.

Fast National Ratings, as reported by zap2it.com, suggest that Women's Murder Club had a strong reception with audiences. Though premieres are not always indcative of a series' overall success, Friday is a tough night, specifically with CBS' killer lineup. If the series can measure up to the competition on a regular basis, and build upon what I'm sure is an increasing online fanbase (most likely comprised of women), I think the series has the opportunity to be a success.

It's unconventional, not just in theme and characters, but also in directing and writing. The story takes place in beautiful San Francisco, shying away from the obvious and overdone choice -- gritty New York City.

While Harmon's Lindsay Boxer has a backstory that may bring in a bit too much soap to the story (the character's ex-husband is assigned as Boxer's boss in the pilot), the combination of hard-nosed professionals with passion and a trusting friendship will ultimately drive the series. I'm looking forward to more episodes, and seeing how each of these characters will contribute to future storylines.