MAGNA Global is out with a new report on New Series Performance and Prognosis and their views largely mirror the findings in our Renew / Cancel Index.
Here are some highlights:
CBS’s The Mentalist and FOX’s Fringe, are the two stand-out new shows so far this season. The CBS drama because it sustained its strong opening performance in its second episode. The FOX drama, not just because of its solid rating performance, but also because of its reduced commercial load, which is helping it retain more of its commercial minute audience than the typical FOX series. Both were pre-empted for the Presidential Debate last week.
ABC’s Life on Mars and CBS’s Eleventh Hour, each had decent debuts in the same Thursday 10-11pm hour. It will take another week or two to determine if either has legs. They both may have had some of their potential male audience lured away by FOX’s competing baseball playoffs.
NBC’s new comedy, Kath & Kim had an OK premiere, but certainly can’t be labeled a hit.
CBS’s Gary Unmarried and The Ex-List can go either way, while NBC’s heavily touted Knight Rider must be a disappointment for the network.
Second-season series being re-launched this fall, ABC’s Pushing Daisies, Private Practice, and Dirty Sexy Money, along with NBC’s Lipstick Jungle and Life, and FOX’s Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, are not performing up to their respective network’s expectations.
Most new dramas decline after their debut episodes. The Mentalist and Fringe are so far bucking this trend. We’ll need a week or two to see if the same can be said for Life on Mars and Eleventh Hour.
New shows that start out poorly, however, seldom rebound. So the next couple of weeks bear watching. By the end of the month, we’ll have a clear picture of new series hits and misses.
It also contains lots of observations and data on individual shows. You can download the entire report here.
October 13th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Does that mean Chuck is doing well (enough) or did they just forget to mention it? I didn’t see it anywhere in that report. Chuck is my favorite show and I would be devastated if it were canceled.
October 13th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Chuck is not a new series…
October 13th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Chuck isn’t doing well, but it’s on NBC, and has already gotten a full season order so it doesn’t matter yet.
October 13th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Chuck should have been mentioned in the paragraph about Terminator and Pushing Daisy’s, but I think the full season order is keeping them off these lists right now.
October 13th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
I’m glad ABC decided to remake Life on Mars. The premiere was awesome. It was cool to see New York in the 70’s. I think it’s the best new show this season.
October 13th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Isn’t it ironic that Mentalist and Fringe air in same slot? (And opposite DWTS Results). ABC totally messed up Wednesday by not airing Season 1 episodes during summer.
October 13th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
“The Axe List can go either way?”
Lets hope it goes away and us Mad Moonlight Fans or MMF’s get our show back.
October 14th, 2008 at 12:50 am
Its the networks that are killing the shows. That and the downloads.
October 14th, 2008 at 5:48 am
ha ha – the downloads
October 14th, 2008 at 7:07 am
Angie, Even if/when Ex-List is canceled, Moonlight is NOT coming back. CBS will put in a placeholder (reruns, gameshows, etc.) until midseason and launch a new show or move an existing one.