TV Ratings, Oct 8-14

[Jax]

Revolution and Go On will continue to slip over the season but its CBS I was mainly focusing on. ..

While TBBT is no doubt very very safe and even Two & Half Men, the latter is a mere shadow of it past self and erosion will occur from every year on from now IMO. Hawaii Five-O can't break past a 2.0 demo and The Mentalist (in a bad time slot) has even worser problems. The Good Wife (which should be in the 10pm slot) scored recently a 1.7 in the demo. Vegas is on the way to being cancelled by May and Elementary start has been lackluster too. Mike & Molly will never be the smash hit CBS wants it to be but will easily last 5 years.

All am saying is CBS weathered the issues networks were facing quite well but now even they are seeing worrying erosion in yearly auduences.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The collapse that CBS is seeing has been a long time coming. If your audience is aging outside the target demo, sooner or later the strategy of getting a mass audience to compensate is not going to work. They should have been thinking ahead long before now, figuring out how to shift into a new audience, instead of producing more cop shows and sitcoms.

FOX Is also in trouble but in their case, they did it to themselves with a new slate of shows even worse than their competitors. Where was their Last Resort or Revolution type attention grabbing action show for their male audience?

More on the topic here.

 

[degra]

TV just has gotten progressively worse over the last decade IMO. I used to not have a problem finding several consistently good shows--in recent years it has been a struggle just to find something halfway passable.

Networks just dont have the kind of writers they used to have. Instead of fresh storytelling, good casting and compelling characters we are treated to a bunch of stale recycled stories I've seen done better a million times before(just about any CBS series. cop/hospital/legal drama) OR we get some overly ambitious epic mystery drama that quickly falls to pieces with bland characters or worse yet bland plot devices(hello V, FF, Invasion, Surface, Alcatraz, The Event, Revolution, Last Resort, Happy Town, Heroes to name a few). And even the "better" series can only muster maybe about one decent season before imploding(Heroes, BSG, Prison Break)--gone are the days of a series putting out at least 4 or 5 good years of consistently quality episodes.

And cable tv is just as bad. SyFy, A&E, History etc have strayed from their intial purpose and have started to become more and more full of crap.

Honestly I've considered dropping cable/Dish and just watching older series on Netflix--even if I've seen them a thousand times before--they are much better written than the crap today that relies on sloppy writing, shallow characters, juvenile humor, flashy effects and ADHD pacing.

 

[Starbreaker]

This CBS stuff is just unfounded. They're still going to come out a main competitor. Their new shows are doing strong in the demo outside of Made in Jersey. Just because you don't like cop shows doesn't mean that CBS is bleeding viewers. Show me the facts other than some people quit watching Hawaii Five-0.

4/5 of the top rated comedies.
3/5 of the top rated dramas

Friday

ABC Once Upon A Time 3.0/7 9.14
CBS The Amazing Race 2.6/6 9.42

NBC NFL Football : Packers at Texans Live (8:30-11PM) 6.9/16 17.72
FOX MLB Baseball: Cardinals at Giants (8-11PM) - Live 1.9/5 6.00

ABC Revenge 2.7/6 8.21
CBS The Good Wife 1.7/4 9.04

CBS The Mentalist 2.0/5 10.62
ABC 666 Park Avenue 1.5/4 4.92

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Ratings:

ABC Modern Family 4.9 12.226
ABC Modern Family 4.7 12.03
NBC The Voice (8-10PM) 4.7 12.577
NBC The Voice 4.4 11.93
CBS The Big Bang Theory 4.2 13.767
CBS 2 Broke Girls 3.7 10.124
CBS Two and a Half Men 3.4 11.74
FOX The X Factor (8-10PM) 3.4 9.357
CBS NCIS 3.3 18.09
CBS How I Met Your Mother 3.2 8.139
CBS Mike & Molly 3.1 9.417
NBC Revolution 3.1 8.206
CBS Criminal Minds 3 11.352
ABC Once Upon A Time 3 9.14
FOX The X Factor 2.9 8.25
CBS NCIS: Los Angeles 2.9 15.1
ABC Nashville (Series Premiere) 2.8 8.978
NBC Go On 2.8 6.95
FOX New Girl 2.7 4.99
ABC Revenge 2.7 8.21
CBS CSI 2.6 10.584
CBS Survivor: Philippines 2.6 9.576
CBS The Amazing Race 2.6 9.42
ABC The Middle 2.4 7.807
CBS Partners 2.2 6.345
ABC Castle 2.2 10.562
CBS Hawaii Five-0 2.2 9.006
ABC Dancing with the Stars: All Stars 2.1 13.18
ABC Dancing with the Stars: All Stars (8-10PM) 2.1 13.331
NBC The New Normal 2 4.96
CBS Vegas 2 11.78
NBC Parenthood 2 4.99
FOX Bones 2 7.092
CBS The Mentalist 2 10.62
NBC Chicago Fire (Series Premiere) 1.9 6.438
FOX The Mindy Project 1.9 3.569
ABC Shark Tank 1.8 6.369
NBC Law & Order: SVU 1.8 6.184
FOX Raising Hope 1.8 4.11
CBS The Good Wife 1.7 9.04
ABC Last Resort 1.6 6.93
CW The Vampire Diaries 1.6 3.483
ABC The Neighbors 1.6 6.271
ABC Private Practice 1.6 6.05
NBC Grimm 1.5 4.949
FOX Ben And Kate 1.5 3.33
ABC 666 Park Avenue 1.5 4.92
CBS Blue Bloods 1.4 10.459
ABC 20/20 1.4 4.674
CBS CSI: NY 1.4 9.416
NBC 30 Rock 1.4 3.824
NBC Guys With Kids 1.4 4.196
NBC Dateline NBC 1.3 4.721
ABC Primetime: What Would You Do? 1.3 4.666
CW Beauty And The Beast -P 1.3 3.158
CW Arrow (Series Premiere) 1.3 4.017
NBC Up All Night 1.2 3.462
ABC Dancing with the Stars: All Stars (Clip show) 1.2 8.239
NBC Animal Practice 1.1 3.875
FOX Fringe 1 2.713
CW Supernatural 1 2.588
FOX The Mob Doctor 0.9 3.457
CW 90210 (Season Premiere) 0.5 0.995
CW Hart Of Dixie 0.4 1.2
CW Gossip Girl (Season Premiere) 0.4 0.768
CW Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog 0.2 0.57

ABC

ABC Modern Family 4.9 12.226
ABC Modern Family 4.7 12.03
ABC Once Upon A Time 3 9.14
ABC Nashville (Series Premiere) 2.8 8.978
ABC Revenge 2.7 8.21
ABC The Middle 2.4 7.807
ABC Castle 2.2 10.562
ABC Dancing with the Stars: All Stars 2.1 13.18
ABC Dancing with the Stars: All Stars (8-10PM) 2.1 13.331
ABC Shark Tank 1.8 6.369
ABC Last Resort 1.6 6.93
ABC The Neighbors 1.6 6.271
ABC Private Practice 1.6 6.05
ABC 666 Park Avenue 1.5 4.92
ABC 20/20 1.4 4.674
ABC Primetime: What Would You Do? 1.3 4.666

CBS

CBS The Big Bang Theory 4.2 13.767
CBS 2 Broke Girls 3.7 10.124
CBS Two and a Half Men 3.4 11.74
CBS NCIS 3.3 18.09
CBS How I Met Your Mother 3.2 8.139
CBS Mike & Molly 3.1 9.417
CBS Criminal Minds 3 11.352
CBS NCIS: Los Angeles 2.9 15.1
CBS CSI 2.6 10.584
CBS Survivor: Philippines 2.6 9.576
CBS The Amazing Race 2.6 9.42
CBS Partners 2.2 6.345
CBS Hawaii Five-0 2.2 9.006
CBS Vegas 2 11.78
CBS The Mentalist 2 10.62
CBS The Good Wife 1.7 9.04
CBS Blue Bloods 1.4 10.459
CBS CSI: NY 1.4 9.416

CW

CW The Vampire Diaries 1.6 3.483
CW Beauty And The Beast -P 1.3 3.158
CW Arrow (Series Premiere) 1.3 4.017
CW Supernatural 1 2.588
CW 90210 (Season Premiere) 0.5 0.995
CW Hart Of Dixie 0.4 1.2
CW Gossip Girl (Season Premiere) 0.4 0.768

FOX

FOX The X Factor (8-10PM) 3.4 9.357
FOX The X Factor 2.9 8.25
FOX New Girl 2.7 4.99
FOX Bones 2 7.092
FOX The Mindy Project 1.9 3.569
FOX Raising Hope 1.8 4.11
FOX Ben And Kate 1.5 3.33
FOX Fringe 1 2.713
FOX The Mob Doctor 0.9 3.457

NBC

NBC The Voice (8-10PM) 4.7 12.577
NBC The Voice 4.4 11.93
NBC Revolution 3.1 8.206
NBC Go On 2.8 6.95
NBC The New Normal 2 4.96
NBC Parenthood 2 4.99
NBC Chicago Fire (Series Premiere) 1.9 6.438
NBC Law & Order: SVU 1.8 6.184
NBC Grimm 1.5 4.949
NBC 30 Rock 1.4 3.824
NBC Guys With Kids 1.4 4.196
NBC Dateline NBC 1.3 4.721
NBC Up All Night 1.2 3.462
NBC Animal Practice 1.1 3.875

 

[Jax]

CBS stuff isn't unfounded because TV audiences across the networks are down in general from 5-10 years ago. CBS ratings were much bigger 2 years ago then they were today. Older ones are still there but the key 18-49 demo based upon the current TV model is leaving.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Here's the article I was looking for with the handy chart showing how bad things are, especially for FOX and CBS.

If that link is blocked for you with a paywall, try going here and clicking directly to it, it's the third link down.

Basically, FOX and CBS are both down about 25%, which is significant enough to get the business press talking about it.

Television viewing of both cable and broadcast networks among adults under age 50 fell for the first two weeks of the new fall season, Nielsen data show, a much weaker start than the industry experienced last year.

The major broadcast networks lost an average of 15% of their viewers in the 18-49 demographic compared with the first two weeks of last season. In that same group, viewership of ad-supported cable channels dropped 1%, according to Nielsen.

The figures show less of a decline among people over 50, indicating that overall television audiences are getting older. Among all adults, the declines at broadcast networks were 11% while cable's overall audience rose 4%.

Older ones are still there but the key 18-49 demo based upon the current TV model is leaving.

Right, it doesn't matter if CBS is hanging onto 50+ if the advertisers won't pay for them.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

And yet another piece of the puzzle: DVR numbers are in!

And the impact of time shifting is bigger than ever, especially for some shows like Grimm. The question I always have is, how much do advertisers count time shifting when it comes to paying up? The fates of 666 Park Ave and Last Resort, which shold be cancellation bait without timeshifting, may be revealing. If either or both stave off cancellation, then time shifting counts for quite a bit. If only 666 Park Ave gets renewed, that may be a budget issue.

 

[bigdaddy]

CBS also has the issue of having their aging hit shows that with age people leave. Just because it's a top show this year doesn't mean audiences will be with it in a year or so when the actors of the show are leave. Not every show is as stupid as 2.5 "Men" with it's cast changing.

And both 666 Park Ave and Last Resort will never get a 2nd season, LR probably won't get a back 9 and 666 might, but I think it's pretty screwed unless it turns into this year's Revenge with word of mouth.

 

[Dream]

'The Walking Dead' Season 3 Premiere Hits Series High With 10.9 Million Total Viewers & 7.3 Million Adults 18-49

 

[Starbreaker]

So are you guys advocating that CBS cancel NCIS, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, CSI etc. because they're getting up there in seasons and losing a few viewers? I'd rather have something I know is going to still resonate with viewers and get a high demo than cancel everything and roll the dice.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

CBS needs a strategy for what to do about its demographic problem of an aging audience. Maybe that means phasing out the old-skewing shows and phasing in some new, younger skewing shows, and if so, what kind of shows, and how will they compete with broadcast networks and with cable, and how fast will the phase in-phase out occurr? Those are just a few of the questions CBS needs to address.

Cancelling or keeping this or that show is just a tactic. Businesses need to operate on a higher level than just reacting to data, and they need to plan for more than just the current season.

I keep an eye on the business press where Moonves' strategy would be reported, and I've yet to see any indication that there is a strategy other than business as usual. So when business as usual no longer works, then it lights a fire under some asses to come up with somethng that will.

 

[stj]

The CBS fixation is largely due to that weird anti-old people mania. The Live+7 ratings show Elementary is a relative hit. Even Vegas is doing better than you would have thought. Made in Jersey was a definite bomb and Hawaii Five-0 is slumping, that's pretty much it.

The Mentalist's slump is to be expected, but it's being thrown away on purpose. By ordinary standards The Good Wife should have been buried in the graveyard, where it could be expected to get lousy ratings and good press. It may be that the real demographics (income breakdown) show The Good Wife to be really hot in the higher income brackets?

But yes, people here do want CBS to deepsix pretty much everything and take its audience down into the depths along with the shows too. Unfortunately that's just a wet dream. The real issue is whether the ad revenues will support more than a handful of scripted shows. The basic cable model, where there are only two or three new shows floating in a morass of reruns, B movie packages and game/contest/weird jobs/glorified DIY will prevail. There won't be edgy or good programming for glorious youth, there'll just be the biggest youth drawing series, like American Idol or sports or the occasional Gray's Anatomy.

And one of the biggest problems with the quality of scripted shows is the number and length of commercial breaks. The networks are already in a vicious circle here.