Based on a couple of e-mails I got, you’d have thought I wrote that Desperate Housewives stunk and was well on its way to being cancelled. With 16 million live plus same-day DVR viewers in the ovenight results for Sunday it was by far and away the most watched show on television Sunday night and the most watched show among 18-49 year olds.
But the numbers were still down significantly from its last airing in early January and well below its season average. Did a hiatus of over three months hurt it? Maybe. It didn’t seem to hurt CSI, but as we know CSI skews a bit older than DH.
Sometimes absence doesn’t really make the heart grow fonder, it just makes you forget. Did the notion that Sunday’s episode didn’t involve a natural disaster impact the numbers? Perhaps. But enough to send it to its lowest ratings of the year?
I know that some of you want to compare to last year’s ratings, and that’s fine. I might be more out of the Janet Jackson “what have you done for me lately?” school of thinking. But I think the comparisons to last year in this case are a bit silly. Here’s why…
Let’s say last April that I had $10 to my name. Fast-foward to early Janauary where I win a lottery where I clear $1 million. Let’s then say I act like a dope and gamble it all away and in early April I have $10. I can tell myself, “well, I have as much money as I did last year!” But I’d just be telling myself that to make myself feel better. I have no doubt that if it went down like that, I would do just that — it’s a very human way to look at things.
But it’s also a very silly way to look at things.
Pretty good written, Robert.
Pretty good written, Robert.
Forgive me if this is a bit longwinded. I’ve been writing longhand with a bad shoulder and may not be a good self-editor right now. I have a decent memory, and I remember Teri Hatcher saying at the 2004 Emmys, to enthusiastic applause, ” This may be the end of reality TV.” Now 2004 was the last year I bought TV Guide, and that fall was full of promise for scripted TV. DH actually took a backseat to a number of other hyped quality shows on both premium and basic cable as well as the nets. I’ll name a few from memory: Dead like Me, Joan of Arcadia, the show about the neoKennedys with Christine Lahti, Madame President or something with Geena Davis, Carnivale. There were others. They were also pushing Felicity, Crossing Jordan and the lawyer show with Dermot Mulroney or whatever as sleeper hits. Not only have those shows vanished – they didn’t last long enough for a smell of syndication, even the kind of one season syndication USA nearly ruined itself with. Ie, the fate of DH is not only about ABC, no-men-wanted programming philosophy, or losing even 14-25 year old female viewers to God knows what. Essentially, its about scripted TV versus reality. CBS stays in second place partly because of its reality shows, few as they are. ABC’s reality shows would turn Susan Faludi’s hair white, but if you critisize them you’re against the new Hollywood sisterhood, or maybe you don’t love Oprah enough. It’s getting tiresome to try to cheer for the unsupportable.
Forgive me if this is a bit longwinded. I've been writing longhand with a bad shoulder and may not be a good self-editor right now. I have a decent memory, and I remember Teri Hatcher saying at the 2004 Emmys, to enthusiastic applause, ” This may be the end of reality TV.” Now 2004 was the last year I bought TV Guide, and that fall was full of promise for scripted TV. DH actually took a backseat to a number of other hyped quality shows on both premium and basic cable as well as the nets. I'll name a few from memory: Dead like Me, Joan of Arcadia, the show about the neoKennedys with Christine Lahti, Madame President or something with Geena Davis, Carnivale. There were others. They were also pushing Felicity, Crossing Jordan and the lawyer show with Dermot Mulroney or whatever as sleeper hits. Not only have those shows vanished – they didn't last long enough for a smell of syndication, even the kind of one season syndication USA nearly ruined itself with. Ie, the fate of DH is not only about ABC, no-men-wanted programming philosophy, or losing even 14-25 year old female viewers to God knows what. Essentially, its about scripted TV versus reality. CBS stays in second place partly because of its reality shows, few as they are. ABC's reality shows would turn Susan Faludi's hair white, but if you critisize them you're against the new Hollywood sisterhood, or maybe you don't love Oprah enough. It's getting tiresome to try to cheer for the unsupportable.
LOL! OMG! This post was pretty damn good, that analogy? @ the end was cool. Still laughing hahehahe…
LOL! OMG! This post was pretty damn good, that analogy? @ the end was cool. Still laughing hahehahe…
I think Desperate Housewives did very well quality wise this past sunday i think it will take some time before the numbers get up again and by the time we reach the 2-hour season finale in May numbers will be way up.
Also alot of ABC sucess relies on promotion and DH in my opinion didnt hav much promotion the only reason i knew it was on is cause im hardcore dh and i check their website weekly
Once the whole sunday night scedule returns so will the ratings and doesnt dh have about a 40% male viewing audience
I think Desperate Housewives did very well quality wise this past sunday i think it will take some time before the numbers get up again and by the time we reach the 2-hour season finale in May numbers will be way up.
Also alot of ABC sucess relies on promotion and DH in my opinion didnt hav much promotion the only reason i knew it was on is cause im hardcore dh and i check their website weekly
Once the whole sunday night scedule returns so will the ratings and doesnt dh have about a 40% male viewing audience
DH is the only show I watch on Sunday, and the only show of ABC’s I ever watch except to kibitz. It’s still one of the best two or three scripted shows on TV. It doesn’t surprise me that it appeals to men. The chemistry between Carlos and Gabrielle is really what keeps the show going. Eva Longoria is obviously a breakout TV star in the same way Heather Locklear was. You knew from the pilot episode she was going to be huge – the kind of woman both men and women like. When I watch the show with women, they laugh out loud the most at Eva’s one-liners. She is a deftly written comedic character, one of the few on TV. If women thinks she’s funny, its OK to lust in your heart for her, I guess.
DH is the only show I watch on Sunday, and the only show of ABC's I ever watch except to kibitz. It's still one of the best two or three scripted shows on TV. It doesn't surprise me that it appeals to men. The chemistry between Carlos and Gabrielle is really what keeps the show going. Eva Longoria is obviously a breakout TV star in the same way Heather Locklear was. You knew from the pilot episode she was going to be huge – the kind of woman both men and women like. When I watch the show with women, they laugh out loud the most at Eva's one-liners. She is a deftly written comedic character, one of the few on TV. If women thinks she's funny, its OK to lust in your heart for her, I guess.