My Network TV "averaged more prime-time viewers than the CW"

[Level 2 Diagnostic]

Yep, it's true. A combination of wrestling, magicians, a prison reality show, and an awful knock-off of America's Funniest Home Videos has won more viewers than the CW:

Surprising success for My Network TV

So the question becomes, is My Network TV doing something right, or is the CW really, really in trouble?

 

[Hermiod]

Would that be partly because of the show Dawn Ostroff booted off the CW despite it having some of her network's highest ratings moving to MyNetwork TV ?

 

[Christopher]

^^Yep, it's probably got more to do with wrestling than anything else. Lots of people watch wrestling, for whatever reason.

Does this mean MyNetwork has abandoned those trashy telenovela things it started out with?

What gets me are those ads touting "all-new" episodes of those "Masked Magician" shows that are actually reruns from a decade ago.

 

[Level 2 Diagnostic]

What gets me are those ads touting "all-new" episodes of those "Masked Magician" shows that are actually reruns from a decade ago.

Actually, they really are all-new episodes. They just look like they were taped 10 years ago.

 

[nx1701g]

CW's biggest problem was their decision to rebrand as being more focused on their teen women demographics. Wrestling didn't fit their bill for that so they didn't bother getting a new contract with WWE for Smackdown and it moved. Now they're paying for it.

 

[msbae]

The only CW show worth watching is Supernatural. The rest of that channel can go to Hell for all I care.

 

[Christopher]

What gets me are those ads touting "all-new" episodes of those "Masked Magician" shows that are actually reruns from a decade ago.

Actually, they really are all-new episodes. They just look like they were taped 10 years ago.

Oh. I haven't actually seen them, just the ads, so I assumed they were the old specials. I mean, the "Masked Magician" exposed his identity at the end of the last original special, so I figured there'd be no point in doing new "Masked" episodes. Unless this is a different MM.

Heck, if I'd known they were new, I'd probably have watched them.

 

[Hermiod]

CW's biggest problem was their decision to rebrand as being more focused on their teen women demographics. Wrestling didn't fit their bill for that so they didn't bother getting a new contract with WWE for Smackdown and it moved. Now they're paying for it.

Which is absolutely moronic. Don't cancel a high rating show until you have something to replace it with. It's not rocket science, is it, Ostroff ?

 

[jamestyler]

^^Yep, it's probably got more to do with wrestling than anything else. Lots of people watch wrestling, for whatever reason.

I always find it odd hearing such a thing on a place like this as WWE fans suffer similar stigma to Trek fans... though it gets more of a bashing as it's not 'classy' enough entertainment.

In the UK WWE will most likely always be on Sky Sports, so I never pay much attention to the US side of things, but with Smackdown consitently getting X amount of ratings and a rising teen female fanbase (which is what CW was, I was told, going after) it seemed an odd thing to drop.

Despite being quite saturated in the US (especially with three main shows and over a dozen PPV's a year) and having little competition to hit it's creative peak again WWE is still big business.

 

[Sheep]

CW's biggest problem was their decision to rebrand as being more focused on their teen women demographics. Wrestling didn't fit their bill for that so they didn't bother getting a new contract with WWE for Smackdown and it moved. Now they're paying for it.

Which is absolutely moronic. Don't cancel a high rating show until you have something to replace it with. It's not rocket science, is it, Ostroff ?

Admittedly I haven't followed Smackdown's move from the CW to MyNetworkTV closely, but I figured it was due to the WWE wanting more money to air Smackdown than it was the CW cancelling the show due to it not fitting their desired demographic?

 

[wamdue]

theCW had something to replace it with a deal with MRC, that just so much more awful than anyone could have predicated

 

[sidious618]

The only CW show worth watching is Supernatural. The rest of that channel can go to Hell for all I care.

I agree. I'm surprised that they haven't cancelled it, though, as it doesn't really fit their vibe.

 

[Hermiod]

I agree. I'm surprised that they haven't cancelled it, though, as it doesn't really fit their vibe.

From what I've heard about it from Dorian, it doesn't fit with the CW's vibe because the male characters aren't just idiotic eye candy.

Admittedly I haven't followed Smackdown's move from the CW to MyNetworkTV closely, but I figured it was due to the WWE wanting more money to air Smackdown than it was the CW cancelling the show due to it not fitting their desired demographic?

That's not what I heard from places like Wrestling Observer.

In the UK WWE will most likely always be on Sky Sports, so I never pay much attention to the US side of things, but with Smackdown consitently getting X amount of ratings and a rising teen female fanbase (which is what CW was, I was told, going after) it seemed an odd thing to drop.

Having Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy and John Cena as champions won't hurt that one bit.

Despite being quite saturated in the US (especially with three main shows and over a dozen PPV's a year) and having little competition to hit it's creative peak again WWE is still big business.

I'd argue that ECW isn't a main show, it's Velocity or Heat dressed up as a main show.

 

[Skywalker]

I agree. I'm surprised that they haven't cancelled it, though, as it doesn't really fit their vibe.

From what I've heard about it from Dorian, it doesn't fit with the CW's vibe because the male characters aren't just idiotic eye candy.

That's pretty much it. Ostroff wanted to cancel Supernatural, but Warner Bros. put their foot down and told her to back off. It's doing very well internationally, and making a pretty decent profit for WB, so they're making sure it sticks around for its full intended run.

If Ostroff had had her way, it probably would have been gone after season two.

 

[jamestyler]

Having Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy and John Cena as champions won't hurt that one bit.

Jeff Hardy especially... though others such as Edge and Brian Kendrick come to mind as eye candy for women. Though another Trish Stratus type wouldn't hurt - the younger 'girlier' female fans seem to have the Divas division thrown at them. Which I didn't think would work until our editor told me his daughter wanted a Divas title for Christmas...

I'd argue that ECW isn't a main show, it's Velocity or Heat dressed up as a main show.

In terms of production and attention, I'd agree - and with the roster split being almost non existent it just seems to blend into the background. But despite being the bottom of the food chain it's still a third brand with it's own champion. They just seem to have failed on every level to make it worthwhile and unique- with the exception of one or two talents.

 

[Caretaker]

The only show I really watch on CW is Everybody Hates Chris and even then, I've been recording it this season, but haven't had the time to watch them.