You may have heard that ABC's Modern Family saved the sitcom drought or that CBS's "The Big Bang Theory" and "How I've Met Your Mother" are always at the top of their games, but many want to know what is going on with the drama. I read an interesting article in the recent issue of TVGuide Magazine that talks about the future of drama's on broadcast television. Over the past couple of years, drama on TV was a success. A month into this years TV season, none of the major networks are producing "buzzed" about dramas. Shows such as, Terra Nova, Revenge, and Person of Interest are all doing ok in ratings, however it still isn't enough. Many of the aging shows, for example, Grey's Anatomy, CSI, House, Law & Order:SVU, are hitting series low ratings and are being DVRed or watched at a later time. This season, more drama's have been cancelled than comedies. So are we at risk for a network drama drought?
We have cable to thank for the slip. Cable networks have been stealing the drama away from broadcast. According to the TV Guide article, last year approximately 230 drama pilots for the networks had been purchased while this year the number stands at 170- a 26 percent drop. Network execs will be producing fewer dramas for the following TV season.
Viewers are leaning more towards laughs this season more than anything. Fox's New Girl, and CBS's 2 Broke Girls have been picked up for full seasons. Even Modern Family has reached a new high in its ratings. Even some major drama show runners are developing sitcom pilots. Glee creator, Ryan Murphy, just sold a half-hour comedy to NBC, according to TV Guide Magazine. He feels as if viewers would be happier if there were more light hearted programming out in television. The comedy low is now on a comedy high. But why is drama facing these challenges? Maybe its because too many are being copied.
Cable vs Network Drama's are always competing against each other. Cable has a show that dominates the Emmy Drama Category called Mad Men. The networks picked up on it and shows like "Playboy Club"(which has been already cancelled) and ABC's Pan Am, have a "Men Men" feel. Are we getting tired of seeing the same old things? They're are way to many spinoffs of CSI, Law & Order and NCIS, even some are trying to capture the soapy style plot the Desperate Housewives has captured for the past 8 years. Too much is too much.
We must look to what midseason can bring in terms of dramas. It's uncertain that we are facing a drama crisis but let's keep our fingers crossed that there won't be a drama drought, if anything we must switch to cable.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Dancing With The Stars: Week 5 Recap and Elimination, 80s Night
Welcome to 80s night in the ballroom. I have been neglecting my DWTS nights but i managed to come back to the ballroom to watch the 80s crazed night unfold. We start of DWTS with a long intro piece that is filled with old 80s songs from the Bangles and dances from the pros. One thing that i disliked about DWTS is they fill up time by using the pros. I wish DVR would fast forward in real time because that would be a good time to FF. Finally after almost 10 min the remaining couples are introduced. Tom says the judges will be commenting on what the couples need to do to improve. We start the night off with Hope and Max
Hope is very athletic and has a very difficult time adjusting to the performance value of the dance. They give them the tango. It was a solid dance except head judge Len said she seemed "wobbly" Carrie Ann was happy that Hope was in character but felt she put to much into it. Bruno however, loved it calling Hope a "Sexy strong, powerful" dancer. They received a 24/30
Nancy is such a hard worker when it comes to dancing. You can tell she is determined to learn and perfect herself. This week she has the Rumba. Tristan and Nancy play off of each other (him the boyfriend trying to get the girl back) The judges feel that it was a good dance despite having its moments. Nancy receives
Carson, Carson. He is always an enjoyable person to watch on the dancefloor. Except, he has poor technique. Bruno thinks his technique needs to match with his personality. In the package, Carson is determined to get the dance right for fear of being eliminated after making one mistake. His dance is the jive. After having trouble getting out of his costume (cheerleading uniforms), he manages to put a lot of energy into the dance. He still misses a couple of steps but is still fun to watch. Len & Bruno call it a "minimal jive" and Carrie Ann comments how they are in the middle of the competition and he hasn't "upped" his game. They receive a 19/30
JR has really been this seasons "breakout" dancer. He captures emotion in his dances and his technique has been on par these past couple of weeks. His dance this week is the Samba and he is excited to take on the challenge of the dance because of his Latin Background. Its a fast Samba and JR's hip actions take center stage. The audience loves it The Judges loved it saying it was brilliant. his samba manages to get him two 10s. He receives a 28/30
I still find it amazing that Rob Kardashian is still on DWTS, either he is really better than Kim or he has a VERY strong fan base. His dance this week is the Rumba. Now the Rumba is a sexy dance. One that requires passionate chemistry and technique. Len comments that Rob and Cheryl has great chemistry which is key to executing the perfect Rumba. Their dance is definitely sexy. Rob's dancing wasn't that bad either. The judges love that he is improving each week. His Rumba gets him a 25/30
Chaz has got to be one that you can't help but root for. Im excited that he is still competing and that fans are enjoying him on the show. His dance this week is the Samba. It requires a ton of hip action which is quite difficult since he got injured last week. He stills comes out to perform an enjoyable dance. The judges think he did a good job but his technique was not up to par with what the samba requires. It also doesn't help that JR already performed his Samba and did a fantastic job. Chaz receives a 21/30
I was so excited that David got the tango this week. He is so fun to watch on the floor and i wanted to see his serious side. His technique in his dance was great and he did a good job (hense a standing O by the audience.) His flashy dance gets him a 25/30
Ricki is for sure this seasons front runner (hello she has Derek as a partner) and of course the judges didn't give her any advice. She has the Foxtrot this week. Her dance is so-so. Not flashy, not to much energy but enough for a Foxtrot. It was a bit of a let down from last weeks. Len comments that this wasn't there best dance while Carrie Ann and Bruno agreed something was off about their foxtrot. The judges give them a 24/30
So who is going home? This week its Carson who got the boot. It was a pleasure seeing you dance Mr. Kressley. You made it enjoyable and we will miss you.
Were you surprised about Carson's Elimination?
Hope is very athletic and has a very difficult time adjusting to the performance value of the dance. They give them the tango. It was a solid dance except head judge Len said she seemed "wobbly" Carrie Ann was happy that Hope was in character but felt she put to much into it. Bruno however, loved it calling Hope a "Sexy strong, powerful" dancer. They received a 24/30
Nancy is such a hard worker when it comes to dancing. You can tell she is determined to learn and perfect herself. This week she has the Rumba. Tristan and Nancy play off of each other (him the boyfriend trying to get the girl back) The judges feel that it was a good dance despite having its moments. Nancy receives
Carson, Carson. He is always an enjoyable person to watch on the dancefloor. Except, he has poor technique. Bruno thinks his technique needs to match with his personality. In the package, Carson is determined to get the dance right for fear of being eliminated after making one mistake. His dance is the jive. After having trouble getting out of his costume (cheerleading uniforms), he manages to put a lot of energy into the dance. He still misses a couple of steps but is still fun to watch. Len & Bruno call it a "minimal jive" and Carrie Ann comments how they are in the middle of the competition and he hasn't "upped" his game. They receive a 19/30
JR has really been this seasons "breakout" dancer. He captures emotion in his dances and his technique has been on par these past couple of weeks. His dance this week is the Samba and he is excited to take on the challenge of the dance because of his Latin Background. Its a fast Samba and JR's hip actions take center stage. The audience loves it The Judges loved it saying it was brilliant. his samba manages to get him two 10s. He receives a 28/30
I still find it amazing that Rob Kardashian is still on DWTS, either he is really better than Kim or he has a VERY strong fan base. His dance this week is the Rumba. Now the Rumba is a sexy dance. One that requires passionate chemistry and technique. Len comments that Rob and Cheryl has great chemistry which is key to executing the perfect Rumba. Their dance is definitely sexy. Rob's dancing wasn't that bad either. The judges love that he is improving each week. His Rumba gets him a 25/30
Chaz has got to be one that you can't help but root for. Im excited that he is still competing and that fans are enjoying him on the show. His dance this week is the Samba. It requires a ton of hip action which is quite difficult since he got injured last week. He stills comes out to perform an enjoyable dance. The judges think he did a good job but his technique was not up to par with what the samba requires. It also doesn't help that JR already performed his Samba and did a fantastic job. Chaz receives a 21/30
I was so excited that David got the tango this week. He is so fun to watch on the floor and i wanted to see his serious side. His technique in his dance was great and he did a good job (hense a standing O by the audience.) His flashy dance gets him a 25/30
Ricki is for sure this seasons front runner (hello she has Derek as a partner) and of course the judges didn't give her any advice. She has the Foxtrot this week. Her dance is so-so. Not flashy, not to much energy but enough for a Foxtrot. It was a bit of a let down from last weeks. Len comments that this wasn't there best dance while Carrie Ann and Bruno agreed something was off about their foxtrot. The judges give them a 24/30
So who is going home? This week its Carson who got the boot. It was a pleasure seeing you dance Mr. Kressley. You made it enjoyable and we will miss you.
Were you surprised about Carson's Elimination?
Friday, October 14, 2011
The Curse of The Thursday Night 8/7c Lead In Time Slot
Sorry Charlie, but you got to go. Today, ABC announced that the remake of the popular drama series "Charlie's Angels" has been cancelled. The overly promoted remake series which was produced by Drew Barrymore failed to get viewers to tune in. The show starring Mika Kelly, Rachael Taylor and Annie Llonezeh averaged 6 million viewers in the first five episodes that aired, according to Zap2it.com .
The show had gotten off to a rocky start in the beginning, never quite matching up to the classic 70s version. Viewers had a difficult time connecting with the remake and made advertising sales difficult for the key demo audience. The cancelation is the forth series in the Thursday night 8/7c time slot to be cancelled. So is there a curse?
Back in time Ugly Betty was the lead in to hit Grey's Anatomy and worked really well, until a thing called the Writer's Stike happened in 2008. When UB came back, it struggled to gain its momentum it had before which ABC ended up moving it to Fridays and well we know what happen with that. Then came the over the top "Lost" like show Flashfoward which during the TCA's the summer of 2009 seemed like it had potential to go a long way. Advertisers picked up on it and promotion was huge. It premiered to decent ratings but declined shortly each week which ended up getting cancelled after 6 episodes.
ABC decided to air reruns of Grey's Anatomy until the 2010 Spring season when they aired a show called. The Deep End. It was produced by the producers of Grey's Anatomy but still failed to gain viewership.
The Fall 2010 season looked promising with the show called "My Generation." ABC advertising saw a creative way of getting the audience involved by doing interactive participation with viewers. Even the creators wanted to get students involve. Filming in Austin, Tx, My Generation was casting extras to be a part of multiple episodes. Ratings however tanked and after two episodes My Generation got the chopping block.
With the premiere of "Scandle" coming to ABC in the Spring, ABC might just turn Thursday nights to the Shonda Rhimes night. (Scandle is the latest show created by Grey's and PP executive producer, Shonda Rhimes) Is the curse only trying to make way for the Triple threat? We shall see.
This cancelation is fourth series to go into the Fall 2011 TV season cancellation chart. However if you enjoyed the remake of CA you are in luck because even though they stopped production on the show, there are still a couple of produced episodes that will make way onto our TV screens before it is officially pulled off the schedule, according to E! Watch with Kristen. The dates on those episodes are still TBD. Now that it is cancelled there is also a possibility that Rachel Taylor will go back to Grey's Anatomy to reprise her role as Lucy Fields, Alex's girlfriend. Come on ABC we know you are going to go there.
What do you think about the cancelation of Charlies Angels? Are you sad it's gone?
The show had gotten off to a rocky start in the beginning, never quite matching up to the classic 70s version. Viewers had a difficult time connecting with the remake and made advertising sales difficult for the key demo audience. The cancelation is the forth series in the Thursday night 8/7c time slot to be cancelled. So is there a curse?
Back in time Ugly Betty was the lead in to hit Grey's Anatomy and worked really well, until a thing called the Writer's Stike happened in 2008. When UB came back, it struggled to gain its momentum it had before which ABC ended up moving it to Fridays and well we know what happen with that. Then came the over the top "Lost" like show Flashfoward which during the TCA's the summer of 2009 seemed like it had potential to go a long way. Advertisers picked up on it and promotion was huge. It premiered to decent ratings but declined shortly each week which ended up getting cancelled after 6 episodes.
ABC decided to air reruns of Grey's Anatomy until the 2010 Spring season when they aired a show called. The Deep End. It was produced by the producers of Grey's Anatomy but still failed to gain viewership.
The Fall 2010 season looked promising with the show called "My Generation." ABC advertising saw a creative way of getting the audience involved by doing interactive participation with viewers. Even the creators wanted to get students involve. Filming in Austin, Tx, My Generation was casting extras to be a part of multiple episodes. Ratings however tanked and after two episodes My Generation got the chopping block.
With the premiere of "Scandle" coming to ABC in the Spring, ABC might just turn Thursday nights to the Shonda Rhimes night. (Scandle is the latest show created by Grey's and PP executive producer, Shonda Rhimes) Is the curse only trying to make way for the Triple threat? We shall see.
This cancelation is fourth series to go into the Fall 2011 TV season cancellation chart. However if you enjoyed the remake of CA you are in luck because even though they stopped production on the show, there are still a couple of produced episodes that will make way onto our TV screens before it is officially pulled off the schedule, according to E! Watch with Kristen. The dates on those episodes are still TBD. Now that it is cancelled there is also a possibility that Rachel Taylor will go back to Grey's Anatomy to reprise her role as Lucy Fields, Alex's girlfriend. Come on ABC we know you are going to go there.
What do you think about the cancelation of Charlies Angels? Are you sad it's gone?
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Strong Start for Allen's New Comedy, NCIS Leads CBS to a win. Tuesday Oct 11 Ratings
Tool Time fans are happy to see Mr. Tim Allen gracing our television screens again. The new ABC comedy starring Allen, "Last Man Standing" debuted to strong numbers last night earning 12.95 million viewers for its double episode premiere. According to TVline.com, the premiere was the most watched 8/7c comedy for the network since 2004. It scored mixed reviews from its audience but was a great lead in for "Dancing with the Stars" which was up 10 percent from last Tuesday and won its time slot receiving 16.6 million viewers.
Fox's Tuesday lineup was absent due to the coverage of the ALCS Games. It improved throughout the night even winning the 18-49 demo in the 10/9c hour but only averaged 7.94 million viewers.
NCIS continued to be the most watched show according to Zap2it.com with 18.7 million viewers. Its sister show NCIS: LA dipped a bit but manage to pull in 15.5 million while the freshman drama Unforgettable earned 11.8 million which all together helped CBS win the night and key demo.
Are you satisfied with Allen's new comedy "Last Man Standing"?
Fox's Tuesday lineup was absent due to the coverage of the ALCS Games. It improved throughout the night even winning the 18-49 demo in the 10/9c hour but only averaged 7.94 million viewers.
NCIS continued to be the most watched show according to Zap2it.com with 18.7 million viewers. Its sister show NCIS: LA dipped a bit but manage to pull in 15.5 million while the freshman drama Unforgettable earned 11.8 million which all together helped CBS win the night and key demo.
Are you satisfied with Allen's new comedy "Last Man Standing"?
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The New Girl's Fall Break
Just when you started getting used to her, Fox pulls a fall season shocker. As reported by Zap2it.com Fox's break out hit "New Girl" will be absent from our television screens for much of October. Its slight hiatus is due to the fact that the network will be making room for the upcoming World Series as well as expanding "The X-factor" into a 2-hour episode for October 12 and October 18. Does this mean "New Girl" is in trouble?
Don't pull out your cancelation cards just yet, the decent ratings and fan feedback helped the Zooey Deschanel comedy get a full season, 22 episode pickup. All new episodes of Glee and Rising Hope will also be on hiatus, which makes the break a good thing for the freshman series.
New episodes of Fox's Tuesday lineup will be back November 1 at 8/7c.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Save It Or Sink It? Is An NBC Show in Trouble?
There once was a time when NBC ruled the airwaves. "FRIENDS", "ER" "The Cosby Show" just to name a few but now the Peacock network is struggling and scrambling to save their shows and money from advertisers.
According to the New York Post, Advertisers spent $1.7 billion on NBC's fall schedule. For the past six years, NBC has placed fourth in the ratings race. What didn't help the network was the disastrous "Jay Leno" primetime experiment back in 2009. Ever since that NBC has been trying to rebound and regain momentum. This fall season for NBC hasn't been the best. Shows such as "Whitney, Free Agents, and Prime Suspects, have lost viewers within its second week. One NBC show, in particular, is rapidly losing viewers and sponsors.
The Playboy Club was this summer's most promoted and anticipated Fall Show. The Playboy Club which stars Eddie Cibrian, is centered around Hugh Hefner's lifestyle in the 60s. The show debuted to very lower numbers, 5 million and is rapidly declining. In it's second week according to Philly.com, only 3.8 million came back for more. The Parents Television Council wants advertisers to boycott the series. The president of TPTC said until the program gets off the air they will have more sponsors back out.
The one thing that is working for NBC is NFL's Sunday Night football which is a ratings win drawing in an average of 19 million viewers.
The Fall television season is starting its third week and all eyes are on which show will be the first to get axed. My money will be on The Playboy Club.
Does The Playboy Club have a chance at survival?
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