The Renew or Cancel Index is updated on a weekly basis, to see the latest list, click here.
The fourth week of our Renew/Cancel Index finds the shows most likely to be cancelled for each of the broadcast networks the same as they were last week: Easy Money (CW), Life (NBC), The Ex List (CBS), Pushing Daisies (ABC) and ‘Til Death (Fox). Other shows in the greatest danger are NBC’s just premiered Crusoe, CBS’s The New Adventures of Old Christine, and CBS’s Gary Unmarried.
10/24 Update: NBC has announced that Life will move to Wednesday and Lipstick Jungle will move to Friday in late October/early November. This indicates both that Life will be given extra time and that Lipstick Jungle is a dead show walking. The status of both in our list is updated.
On the other hand, because either their own results are improving or their network results are slipping (it doesn’t matter which since it’s the show’s relative performance that matters), several shows moved from the Cancellation in May zone into the Renewal for 2009-10 Likely zone this week including: Chuck, Prison Break, and Ugly Betty. Others getting close to the renewal zone are Knight Rider and Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles, both of which got full season (2008-9) orders from their networks this week.
I’ll go on record now as predicting that Pushing Daisies will be this season’s Moonlight (which was sort of last season’s Jericho) in terms of the volume of fans wailing and moaning about the injustice and conspiracies of the television networks and vowing never to watch ABC again if the show is cancelled. If you’re emotionally fragile and a fan of Pushing Daisies, prepare yourself! As far as all those Moonlight fans vowing never to watch CBS again, it seems that even more fans have vowed not to watch the other networks.
While the Renew / Cancel index is most geared toward predicting potential renewal for *next* season, my color coding of the shows are guesses on what might happen this season:
- Cancellation by January
- Cancellation by May
- Renewal Likely for 2009-10
| PROGRAM | Net | STD 18-49 (LIVE+SD) (000) | Network Avg. STD 18-49 | Renew/ Cancel index | Status |
| EASY MONEY* | CW | 395 | 1,210 | 0.33 | production halted |
| VALENTINE* | CW | 440 | 1,210 | 0.36 | production halted |
| LIFE** | NBC | 2,028 | 3,500 | 0.58 | moving to Wed |
| CRUSOE** | NBC | 2,145 | 3,500 | 0.61 | 13 ep. mini-series |
| THE EX-LIST** | CBS | 2,586 | 4,180 | 0.62 | pulled from schedule 10/27 |
| DO NOT DISTURB | FOX | 2,097 | 3,290 | 0.64 | cancelled |
| NEW ADVS OF OLD CHRISTINE | CBS | 2,772 | 4,180 | 0.66 | |
| NUMB3RS** | CBS | 2,800 | 4,180 | 0.67 | |
| TIL DEATH | FOX | 2,363 | 3,290 | 0.72 | |
| PUSHING DAISIES | ABC | 2,619 | 3,640 | 0.72 | |
| GARY UNMARRIED | CBS | 3,050 | 4,180 | 0.73 | |
| BOSTON LEGAL | ABC | 2,860 | 3,640 | 0.79 | final season |
| EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS** | CW | 951 | 1,210 | 0.79 | |
| ELI STONE | ABC | 2,865 | 3,640 | 0.79 | |
| LIPSTICK JUNGLE | NBC | 2,763 | 3,500 | 0.79 | moving to Friday |
| DIRTY SEXY MONEY | ABC | 2,920 | 3,640 | 0.80 | |
| THE UNIT | CBS | 3,365 | 4,180 | 0.81 | |
| GHOST WHISPERER** | CBS | 3,418 | 4,180 | 0.82 | |
| WITHOUT A TRACE | CBS | 3,547 | 4,180 | 0.85 | |
| COLD CASE | CBS | 3,618 | 4,180 | 0.87 | |
| THE GAME** | CW | 1,066 | 1,210 | 0.88 | |
| TERMINATOR: SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES | FOX | 2,924 | 3,290 | 0.89 | |
| KNIGHT RIDER | NBC | 3,133 | 3,500 | 0.90 | |
| RENEWAL LIKELY BELOW THIS LINE | |||||
| CHUCK | NBC | 3,279 | 3,500 | 0.94 | |
| PRISON BREAK | FOX | 3,182 | 3,290 | 0.97 | |
| ELEVENTH HOUR | CBS | 4,237 | 4,180 | 1.01 | |
| UGLY BETTY | ABC | 3,693 | 3,640 | 1.01 | |
| WORST WEEK | CBS | 4,263 | 4,180 | 1.02 | |
| MY NAME IS EARL | NBC | 3,588 | 3,500 | 1.03 | |
| PRIVILEGED | CW | 1,255 | 1,210 | 1.04 | |
| PRIVATE PRACTICE | ABC | 3,867 | 3,640 | 1.06 | |
| KATH & KIM | NBC | 3,795 | 3,500 | 1.08 | |
| SAMANTHA WHO? | ABC | 4,000 | 3,640 | 1.10 | |
| THE MENTALIST | CBS | 4,649 | 4,180 | 1.11 | |
| MY OWN WORST ENEMY | NBC | 3,909 | 3,500 | 1.12 | |
| THE BIG BANG THEORY | CBS | 4,674 | 4,180 | 1.12 | |
| LIFE ON MARS | ABC | 4,085 | 3,640 | 1.12 | |
| NCIS | CBS | 4,823 | 4,180 | 1.15 | |
| HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER | CBS | 5,183 | 4,180 | 1.24 | |
| BONES | FOX | 4,225 | 3,290 | 1.28 | |
| CSI: NY | CBS | 5,429 | 4,180 | 1.30 | |
| AMERICAN DAD | FOX | 4,396 | 3,290 | 1.34 | |
| E.R. | NBC | 4,744 | 3,500 | 1.36 | final season |
| CRIMINAL MINDS | CBS | 5,675 | 4,180 | 1.36 | |
| KING OF THE HILL | FOX | 4,471 | 3,290 | 1.36 | |
| CSI: MIAMI | CBS | 5,806 | 4,180 | 1.39 | |
| BROTHERS & SISTERS | ABC | 5,064 | 3,640 | 1.39 | |
| LAW AND ORDER:SVU | NBC | 4,950 | 3,500 | 1.41 | |
| SUPERNATURAL | CW | 1,839 | 1,210 | 1.52 | |
| SIMPSONS | FOX | 5,277 | 3,290 | 1.60 | |
| TWO AND A HALF MEN | CBS | 6,746 | 4,180 | 1.61 | |
| FRINGE | FOX | 5,315 | 3,290 | 1.62 | |
| HEROES | NBC | 6,044 | 3,500 | 1.73 | |
| GOSSIP GIRL | CW | 2,113 | 1,210 | 1.75 | |
| OFFICE | NBC | 6,219 | 3,500 | 1.78 | |
| FAMILY GUY | FOX | 5,895 | 3,290 | 1.79 | |
| SMALLVILLE | CW | 2,221 | 1,210 | 1.84 | |
| ONE TREE HILL | CW | 2,247 | 1,210 | 1.86 | |
| HOUSE | FOX | 6,342 | 3,290 | 1.93 | |
| CSI | CBS | 8,147 | 4,180 | 1.95 | |
| 90210 | CW | 2,373 | 1,210 | 1.96 | |
| DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES | ABC | 8,102 | 3,640 | 2.23 | |
| GREY’S ANATOMY | ABC | 8,705 | 3,640 | 2.39 |
-
The Renew/Cancel Index is a show’s Season To Date adults 18-49 viewership divided by its networks Season to Date average 18-49 viewership. Note: Only shows that have premiered during the 2008-9 broadcast season are on this list.
*CW MRC Sunday – The CW has leased its entire Sunday night to Media Rights Capital (MRC). The two scripted shows have now had their production halted, but are still airing their completed episodes. Althought, we’ve been told and Mediaweek has reported that these shows are contractually in for a minimum of a 13 week run regardless, we think their dreadful results may cause that to change. And MRC’s President just resigned. Coincidence?
**Friday night - Friday is quickly becoming an 18-49 wasteland, so these shows may be allowed a lower threshold for success than shows on other nights. My grading technique on shows with histories on Friday (only Numb3rs and Ghost Whisperer) is that until they reach their Index values from last season they still are at risk of non-renewal.
How did we come up with our list? We found that last season, the future of a show was nearly directly related to its adults 18-49 average viewers divided by its networks 18-49 average viewers. Many other factors may matter, but they all seemed to boil down to that one number. Because American Idol so skewed Fox’s 18-49 average, and would make nearly all Fox shows fall into the “cancel” range, for Fox, I used the last STD 18-49 average *before* Idol. Last season, if a show had better than 92% of its network’s average 18-49 viewership (0.92 in our index) it was pretty safe, below that level it was in danger. We’re not sure what the magic number will be this season, but I’m very confident that our index will still indicate the shows most likely to be cancelled compared to those less likely to be cancelled.
—————————————————————-
For unscripted shows, the results from last season were far less cut and dried. A similar relationship did seem to hold between 18-49 averages, but some unscripted shows survived with very low numbers. My conclusion was that some unscripted shows must be so cheap that they are expected to do little more than fill air time and produce little in the way of viewership. However the closer a show is to the top of the list the more danger it’s in of being cancelled or not returning when it’s run is completed. Other shows can be judged by their relative position on our list ranked from most likely to be cancelled to least likely to be cancelled.
| PROGRAM | Net | STD 18-49 (LIVE+SD) (000) | Network Avg. STD 18-49 | Renew/ Cancel index | Status |
| IN HARM’S WAY* | CW | 370 | 1,210 | 0.31 | |
| AMERICA’S TOUGHEST JOBS | NBC | 1,452 | 3,500 | 0.41 | |
| SAT NIGHT FTBL PRE-GAME | ABC | 1,913 | 3,640 | 0.53 | |
| 48 HOURS MYSTERY | CBS | 2,206 | 4,180 | 0.53 | |
| WIFE SWAP | ABC | 1,977 | 3,640 | 0.54 | |
| DEAL OR NO DEAL-FRI | NBC | 2,038 | 3,500 | 0.58 | |
| SMARTER THAN 5TH GRADER | FOX | 1,952 | 3,290 | 0.59 | |
| OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS | ABC | 2,175 | 3,640 | 0.60 | cancelled |
| DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS | FOX | 1,991 | 3,290 | 0.61 | |
| SUPERNANNY | ABC | 2,228 | 3,640 | 0.61 | |
| COPS | FOX | 2,087 | 3,290 | 0.63 | |
| HOLE IN WALL THU-8P | FOX | 2,183 | 3,290 | 0.66 | |
| 20/20-FRI | ABC | 2,511 | 3,640 | 0.69 | |
| AMW: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK | FOX | 2,388 | 3,290 | 0.73 | |
| FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 2 | NBC | 2,634 | 3,500 | 0.75 | |
| COPS 2 | FOX | 2,479 | 3,290 | 0.75 | |
| AMER FUNN HOME VIDEOS | ABC | 2,874 | 3,640 | 0.79 | |
| EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-7P | ABC | 2,952 | 3,640 | 0.81 | |
| SAT NIGHT FOOTBALL | ABC | 2,999 | 3,640 | 0.82 | |
| 60 MINUTES | CBS | 3,788 | 4,180 | 0.91 | |
| KITCHEN NIGHTMARES | FOX | 3,052 | 3,290 | 0.93 | |
| AMAZING RACE 13 | CBS | 4,161 | 4,180 | 1.00 | |
| BIGGEST LOSER 6 | NBC | 4,074 | 3,500 | 1.16 | |
| DANCING W/STARS RESULTS | ABC | 4,626 | 3,640 | 1.27 | |
| FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3 | NBC | 4,511 | 3,500 | 1.29 | |
| EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-8P | ABC | 4,967 | 3,640 | 1.36 | |
| SURVIVOR: GABON | CBS | 5,825 | 4,180 | 1.39 | |
| SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK | NBC | 5,772 | 3,500 | 1.65 | |
| DANCING WITH THE STARS | ABC | 6,017 | 3,640 | 1.65 | |
| THE OT | FOX | 6,080 | 3,290 | 1.85 | |
| AMERICA’S TOP MODEL-5 | CW | 2,441 | 1,210 | 2.02 | |
| NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL | NBC | 8,517 | 3,500 | 2.43 |
Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2008 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
I think Crusoe might be a miniseries, but I’m not sure. That’s how it was promoted on NBC at least. If it is then it probably shouldn’t be here anyway, since it will end in a few months anyway.
“The New Adventures of Old Christine” has a full 22 episode order for this season, so it likely to be on the air (albeit with some interruptions for try-out series) through May 2009 at least.
ONE QUICK QUESTION…HOW DID TERMINATOR:SCC GO MORE TOWARDS THE RENEWAL LIKELY COLUMN WHEN THE RATINGS DECREASED?
JP, it’s because FOX’s S-T-D numbers have gone down. So T:SCC looks better in relation to that. Go baseball!
Great news for Terminator. Just hope being off and on because of the baseball doesn’t hurt it further.
When AI arrives SCC and PB will drop deep into cancelation zone
Go Chuck & Prison Break:D
I disagree with the fact that Old Christine will be canceled before midseason. I know the numbers and demographics aren’t great, but it has been a very serious competitor for winning its timeslot every airing. I don’t know what more CBS could ask for… no other comedy they put in that spot would do any better, with the exception of Two and a Half Men, but that is out of the question. I could see Gary Unmarried being canceled before Old Christine. Old Christine has a dedicated following and critic and Emmy voters approval.
I guess we will have to wait it out a see.
Dave, Bill either has his head up his butt when it comes to Old Christine or simply needs to do more disclaiming via the prose.
Despite the numbers in the index, I’d predict Christine is safer than Worst Week. The question is only how patient will CBS be in trying to build the additional comedy block on Wednesdays. I’m guessing they’ll give it at least a month after daylight savings time ends to see whether that improves things. But that’s pure speculation on my part. This is the same network that has given the Katie Couric experiment a year longer than most pundits predicted, so they may stick with the Wednesday block a good long while regardless of the numbers.
color coding on Christine is wrong I will fix when back from lunch
or…the color coding was wrong
P.S. I updated the color…
bill i love your site, check it everyday and my favoirte show is Christine and for the longest time you have been saying it is down and out i am sick of it i think cbs will be very patient with the new comedy block ( evrn though gary unmaried sucks) and even if the comedy hour dose get the boot wont cbs cancel worst week befor christine ssince its getting 9 million viewers form a two and a half men 14million lead in and christine gets none?? come on!!
Boy, I learned not to post this and then leave for lunch
1. Thanks to Robert for fixing the color on Christine. It’s definitely good for an entire 2008-9 season, its reckoning will come in May. On the Worst Week / Christine comparison, I agree somewhat, but I think it could go the other way. I think that if the season ended today with the current list, not only would Christine not get renewed, but Worst Week might be one of the handful of outliers in the safe zone that don’t get renewed (ala, Big Shots).
2. Bob, you are correct that American Idol ratings completely skew all of Fox’s 18-49 numbers. That’s why in coming up with the Index last season I experimented and used Fox’s last 18-49 average *before* Idol instead of Fox’s season final STD. That allowed Fox shows to be measured pretty much on the same scale as the other networks. The reasoning was in the original post, but I should add it above and will. I will do the same thing in calculating this list this season, so the arrival of American Idol will have no effect on the Fox 18-49 average used for this calculation.
pushing daisies movied into the .70s we are getting there slowly hopefully these next two weeks are going to be good to us
Not sure if anyone noticed the top post, but Crusoe may be a miniseries, so it shouldn’t be here.
This isn’t official, but the site says its a miniseries.
http://blogs.mcall.com/tvwatchers/2008/10/nbcs-crusoe-jus.html
Rob, if only Pushing Daisies were going up due to its own strength, not ABC’s tanking numbers.
sean, I’ve never seen Crusoe designated as a miniseries anywhere else.
Rob, and everybody else, one way I think about the process is that the networks each have a stable of shows ready to go at mid-season. In some cases, the openings for those mid-season shows are planned (like Sunday Night Football ending for NBC).
In other cases, my guess is that each network will decide that some number (and that number is not zero) of their lowest performing shows are going to get cancelled and replaced. If that is the case, then the fact that Pushing Daisies is ABC’s worst performing scripted show means it’s #1 on ABC’s list to go. Unless it moves past Eli Stone (which is certainly possible).
At the risk of sounding “emotionally fragile”, I’m in fact very dismayed that a creative, fun, and original show like Pushing Daisies has been brought the brink of cancellation while many millions of people watch the instantly forgettable Dancing With The Stars, Knight Rider, and Samantha Who? But, of course, networks are in the business of giving audiences what they want. Daisies is a delicious, fancy confection- and most people clearly prefer their microwave fish sticks and Diet Coke.
At least NBC has the wisdom to stand behind the struggling 30 Rock (which had lower ratings than Daisies last season), and I’m hoping that the Rock finally achieves mainstream success this year. And if Daisies were on cable it would probably do just fine, since their lowest ratings are considerably higher than either Mad Men or Dexter- both fine shows.
yea I thought it was a full show too but during the premiere they kept saying it was a 13 episode miniseries, but i can’t find that anywhere else online either so who knows.
Julia i agree. but up is up and i’ll live with a show living due to nefarious means. But the total viewership has gone up even though the demos are only up slightly.
sorry to double post, but on tv guide matt roush says its a “13-part series”
http://www.tvguide.com/roush/crusoe-25155.aspx
heres matt roush from tv guide calling it a 13 part series, hopefully this helps…
http://www.tvguide.com/roush/crusoe-25155.aspx
Charles, please don’t misunderstand, it’s not a sign of being emotionally fragile to like Pushing Daisies, or any show. If you’re moved to cry, rant, rend your garments, etc. on the news of the cancellation of a TV show, that is emotionally fragile.
@Chareles
Don’t you really get it: just the fact you like a show doesn’t mean others can’t have other opinion. Clealy more people enjoy right now KR than PD, what’s the problem?
julia i agree. but i’ll take any sign of hope i can get for a full season of pushing daisies that i can get even if it is by nefarious reasoning.
Bill, I am reminded of this Jack In The Box commercial which my love of sports has forced me to endure far, far too many times:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA6iRc-PfK0
i might be lagging and not seeing my posts, but tvguide.com’s matt roush has it listed as a miniseries. sorry for the multiple postings if something like this comes up again.
http://www.tvguide.com/roush/crusoe-25155.aspx
crusoe is a miniseries
http://www.tvguide.com/roush/crusoe-25155.aspx
I agree, the premise behind pushing daises reminds me of Ten Feet Under a bit. But ultimately it is up to her person who owns the show which network they want to carry it to. Dexter would not have gotten an extended 2 season pick up if it were on a Broadcast Network. But the lure of the Viewership in the 10’s of millions for a show can encourage someone to give a broadcast network a try, but what a creator doen’t realize is that the life expectantcy for a Broadcast network scripted show has gone down of late. Even though the viewership is twice as much as the Cable net sees for any number of its scripted shows.
It all has to do with whether you consider the “characters” you create to be your “babies” or not. If they mean a lot to you you would want for them to go to a Network that would find support to watch them prosper and grow. But if it is just a job to you and you feel you could just dish out projects like it is nobody’s business and make a living off of the first showing then who cares if the project fails or not. I think that there in lies the dilemma. I think that is why we are seeing a lot more scripted shows going to Cable these days, because of the low numbers. If Daises went to HBO or USA, and the numbers were cut in half, it will be picked up for the rest of the season.
I feel sorry for the show Pushing Daises, I think it is always sad when a show gets exed. But I think all these cancellations will ultimatelly work against Broadcast TV as more quality shows like Dexter and The Sopranos broadcast rights go to Cable and by-pass Broadcast Networks altogether.
sean/simon, I’m not sure why your posts were getting jailed by the spam filter, they had only one URL, which is usually fine, but I have freed them!
I see that this week KR and TSCC are “on the bubble”. Maybe those numbers were what gave the execs the impetus to renew them.
Andrea, they weren’t renewed, they merely got back 9 orders. We’ll see in May which way the networks go.
http://petitiononline.com/daisies
SAVE PUSHING DAISIES! SIGN THE PETITION!
YES PLEASE SIGN IT PEOPLE!
PD must be saved. :S
Ugly Betty isnt doing super well either, PD can get renewed too.
and so it begins.
Hey, voted for PD.
Just a thought, why don’t you bring the fight to the Network? Why don’t you go on an obscure affiliate? Or of another Network. I only happenstanced onto Moonlight during the summer, I loved the show so much that I looked it up online and that is how I became privy to the campaign, alas, months later. If you were to by chance get a slot on a morining programme, being civil and professional about it, promoting such a site, it could become groundbreaking.
But you should do it now so that it will be a lead in from the election cycle and when midseason airings become the talk of the town. Networks are always on the lookout for fluff pieces, so make it become more lighthearted and fun, talk about what you love most about the show, compliment the execs for giving the show a chance. Make sure you mention the fact that it is a sort of escapeism for you and its fans and how much fun the show is to watch. I suppose it is because the show has such a dire title that the title alone turns people off especially in this type of economy.
I was a guest on Maury once, he is really nice, took pictures and stuff with the audience members. You can bring it to him, or the woman who does the medical miracles show, or even Access Hollywood?
You could quite possibly make this become a real issue if Broadcast networks pick up the piece, you know, they could do a whole piece on explaining how nielsen ratings work, how they really are a monopoly of the ratings system, and how things have changed in regards to renewals and cancellations. Email Anderson Cooper or one of those reporters like John Stossel who like doing those kind of pieces. You know when one Network higlights a subject like this, for a while you could see the equivalent segment on other news segments. Try to use the system to your advantage.
You could stimulate a world wide support of fans this way.
You feel me
Keep in mind that Snakes on A Plane started promoting their show on the Net this way, but eventually their type of rogue advertising became a fluff piece for news outlets.
Oops sorry, Not a guest on Maury!! >< I was a part of the Audience – the AUDIENCE. I was the one with the bad makeup, that melted under the bright lights and made me look like a cheap hooker.
Bill, you put DHH on as a renewal, isn’t it on it’s last leg, didn’t the creator say that this will be its last season?
funny thing, when I am away I would watch this show on ABC’s site, I never got the kind of trouble watching abc’s site tele like everyone around here does, but now that I am in the Caribbean, I don’t follow up with it in its timeslot. I like the fact that it had practically just one commercial and finished within the space of 45 mins. But the full 1hr long episode sort of turns me off. Go figure.
I’m as guilty as the next man of over abbreviating, but if by DHH you meant Desperate Housewives, this list is based only on results, it cannot possibly control for creative fatigue, inter-company spats, etc. I try and include already announced series ends in the list, but am certainly able to miss news.
Example: Oprah’s Big Give did plenty good enough to return, but Oprah didn’t want to do it anymore so poof it’s gone!
Julia,
I meant what you said
Hey, PD fans, I’m one of you, really I am, but can’t we possibly be the smart fans who don’t sink to useless petitions and campaigns? Please?
Julia – I get what you are saying. But as an aspiring author and somewhat artist, that kind of attitude can’ fly with people like me. Would you have told the Author of Harry Potter to give up on her book once she had sent it out to 99 houses to be reviewed? I never give up on a character, like I mentioned before, a character is like a child to me.
If PD fans have felt so strongly about a show that brings them joy and they don’t want to give up on it, then they should fight the extra mile to see it thruogh. You never know which door you knock on will fly wide open, never open, or shut in your face. But if you don’t knock on that door, you’ll never get a response in the first place. And the more you try, you increase your chances of succeeding in the end. So PD voices, I am with you 100%
How is PB more likely to get renewed now? Not that im complaining lol
Numbers aint changed that much have they
See, I’m watching garry unmarried right now, and the jokes are funny, I just don’t get why the show isn’t. It is so wierd, I just feel this show needs another season to iron out the kinks.
Don’t worry PD fans, my tv is back on PD, sorry to admit this though but I am a notorious channel changer.
moonlightfan, Unless you are a Nielsen family, it really doesn’t matter what channel your TV is on.
I am curious. I enjoy Numb3rs and wonder what its score was last year? Isn’t Friday night a low scoring night anyway?
Its score last year was 0.76. It is down from last year and CBS overall is doing better, so it will be lower on the list. However, networks have lower expectations for Friday shows, so Numb3rs is still not out of the running. It will definitely last the season. And I think its chances are fairly good for a new season.
SAVE PUSHING DAISIES!
I am with it 100 percent.
And should I add, I am one of those emotionally fragile people.
TO PD Fans!!!
Sorry if it gets canned, but I am rooting for “Life on Mars.”
Hoping they’re right about Life on Mars (also “Privileged”). Definetely the best new show of the season!
Yeah but LOM is on another night anyway, so you don’t have to split your loyalties Don. I know Holly, like I mentioned before in another post, I’ll wathc it but fat lot that will do a lot of PD fans out there, since I am not either Nielsen or American. Funny how when I am here even the Net telecast wont come up for people outside the US, which is weird because programmers in this region pay for syndication rights just like any other region abroad.
Anyway, I feel that they really should try to get TV’s sold with built in Nielsen boxes or something. I feel that Americans are way to self conscious about big brother watching them. You already have sets with Vchips built in and you could programme it however you want, you should also get have a chip that detects what it is you are watching. And programme it to detect what you are watching. Just a suggestion Nielsen, they could have much more of a world wide coverage that way.
Just would like to point out for anyone not watching, Greta Vas Sustrin has up on their screen that:
AP says Obama up by JUST 1%: McCain got bounce from 3rd Debat: that McCain is closing in on Obama.
Funny when all the other networks have him up by nearly 10%. And the spin IS in with nearly 12 days left to election time. Fox news really cracks me up sometimes, now that they are getting close to election they are not even trying to come off as slightly liberal anymore. I like to call them the Fairly Unbalanced network.
And you wonder why Maddow is catching up with Hannity in the ratings?
Moonlightfan, Vchips don’t send information on what you are watching to any sort of agency, so it’s hard to compare.
As for comparing a TV show to JK Rowling, it is not the same thing at all. Fans cannot bring a show to another network, or 99 other networks. If the producers of a show want to do that, good for them, but there is nothing fans can do to really impact the fate of a show, save finding every Nielsen family in the country and paying them to watch the show. Also, Harry Potter never had a chance and failed before it was finally accepted by a publishing house. Trying to convince any network to take on an expensive, yet failing show is ludicrous.
Moonlightfan,
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/10/20/daily44.html
Greta’s not spinning anything. I read an article about it earlier today and gave you a link. Obama is up by 1% in that poll, it’s a fact, get over it. Just because Fox doesn’t bash McCain and Palin all day long doesn’t make them biased…
Oh, and back to what this post is actually about. Glad to see TSCC moving up the charts. Hopefully this will continue.
I know Obama is up by 1% in a poll, the AP poll, but they just take the least likely poll that expresses what they want their conservative base to see and they make it seem factual. Morning Joe just related ALL the polling numbers, and by whom the polling results was done by. Fox news hardly reports both sides of the story anymore. People are being turned off by their negative/ conservative rhetoric. I know that O’reilly is a powerhouse, but Hannity is just annoying, and not just sometimes anymore.
And Julia – that is why I said it would be groundbreaking. And I am sure JK thought she should give up on sending out her novel at some point. I am comparing the real feeling of never giving up hope, of self-motivation behind the cause, even when the chips are down. Most certainly if fans were alerted they would get together, maybe even locate a sponsor and have the show be renewed. A couple of thousands isn’t enough when the Nielsen has Millions in their charts. Look at it this way, I was not a fan of Family Guy in the beginning, I never knew that the show was off the air for 2 yrs before it came back. If the creator of the show hadn’t had an almost life threating experience that show may never have come back as full force as it has.
I know that the creators has all to do with the show being picked up, but if Fans were to take a stand and the creators/producers were to take notice, they could start something. They could make TV about quality television instead of ratings and money. They could become groundbreakers.
I mean make someone take notice, find a fan who is an attorney, find some lame loophole in the law, and file an injuction or whatever to halt it from ceasing production. Sure it may be outrageous and may never even make it to court, but it will become a funny fluff piece for the media to grab onto. And also make people interested in seeing the show. Kind of like those lame lawsuits that spouses file against persons that have affairs with their husbands/ wives. The “Alienation of Affection” clause, I’ve never heard of it sticking up in court, maybe it has, but you must admit when you hear those things you roll your eyes at it. It is funny, but at least people take notice, and create fluff pieces for the Networks. I find they should give it a shot.
PUSHING DAISIES CANNOT BE CANCELLED ITS TO GREAT A SHOW!!!
IT’S PURE MAGIC AND PEOPLE NEED THIS AT AFTER A LONG DAY OF WOREK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ABC WOULD BE A FOOL TO CANCEL PD.
camy, it’s entirely up to the people to decide what they need. If fewer people watch PD every week, there’s no reason to keep it on the air.
I assume yesterday’s numbers will help decide whether ABC airs the Obama infomercial next Wednesday (I noticed the announcer never said “next week” at the end of the previews). If they do, I assume we won’t be seeing the next ep of PD for a very long time.
Like I said, the audience members are the consumers, not the advertisers. It is about time that Networks realize that people are important, not ratings, they should start preferring the viewers to the add revenue. PD fans should take a stand before it off the air. Networks should start working for the people for a change and stop treating them as though they are the product to sell of to the highest bidder.
Nah I dont think Prison Break will get renewed. Even the writers/actors have said this will probably be the last season.
Rob/Bill
about Crusoe being a mini series it says on nbc its a 13 part series, so it shouldnt be included in the Renew/Cancil index
http://www.nbc.com/Crusoe/about/
cancel*
There is zero chance Prison Break doesn’t get to 100 episodes.
Syndication $$$ is too big to ignore.
Mandy, fair enough, I will note that in the post.
Moonlightfan, that’s not the way the business works, and trying to pretend it is will not change anything. There is nothing that fans of any show can do except make themselves look ridiculous. There is nothing groundbreaking that can be done. Unless the fans wanted to raise millions of dollars and sponsor the show themselves, which I believe has actually been tried before and the network refused.
M-fan: You do know that ratings are a measurement of how many viewers there are, right?
SUPERNATURAL is the best show on television, so I’m glad it’s looking good for it to get a fifth year (which Kripke says will be it’s last, anyway). It’s the best written, acted, directed and filmed show–with the worst ratings. I’m hoping that more fans will find this wonderful show even though it’s up against CSI, GREY’S ANATOMY and THE OFFICE at 9 PM on Thursday nights. I’m urging intelligent friends and strangers to tape the other shows and tune in to SUPERNATURAL, and guess what? Just one look is all it takes to get them to switch! Then I’m being begged to borrow my season 1, 2 and 3 DVD’s so they can catch up. SUPERNATURAL is the best kept, amazing secret–a smart, funny, sexy, scary, thought-provoking TV show with heart!
Awww, poor Eli Stone.
I am intrigued by the possibility of “Without a Trace” being cancelled! And I thought CBS finally found something that “works” in the Tuesday at 10pm timeslot.
I think the history of Tuesday at 10 for CBS gives Without a Trace a major “intangibles” boost.
Wow, Chuck is just squeaking by. Luckily I think the numbers are starting to trend up. Last episode did well. Hopefully it wasn’t just because of Nicole Richie guest starring.
I think Terminator might be done by season’s end if they can’t get above .95. Then again, nobody thought they’d get the back nine either. Maybe Terminator should get a (***) next to it, saying something like “Stars Summer Glau, the normal rules for renewal do not apply”.
Eli Stone I doubt will be canceled. The ratings for the show are fine, and it has a bunch of no names so I think it will easily get a third season.
At this point, who cares what’s on the broadcast networks? They are all going down anyway. They don’t let shows grow. The Nielsen ratings system is so out of date. Cable is the way to go. More intelligent programing than reality crap and cheap comedies. Let broadcast networks go by the way side. They could care less who’s watching so as long the money they gather in their pocket. You can’t get invested in any show on network channels because supposedly Nielsen families dictate what we watch (whoever they are).
Thank God there will be a switch to digital next February. Hopefully that means more cable stations to see!
Tracy, It’s not like cable nets don’t cancel shows because of low ratings, just ask fans of The Dead Zone or The 4400. The expectations are much lower for cable, but they are just as quick to cancel shows that don’t meet those expectations.
Tracy, while the switch to digital broadcasting will cause some portion of the 10-15% of the US TV households that currently only get over the air TV to switch to cable or satellite, it doesn’t have anything to do with adding more cable channels. My understanding is that it’s either the technical or contractual limitations of the cable operators that limits the number of viable cable channels.
Just a quick question about The Unit. It seems to be dropping a little in the index each week, is it pretty much done after this year or does it still have a chance?
If ABC doesn’t realize that Pushing Daisies is foundering because of last year’s strike and their own lack of promotion for the damn thing and cancels it, I will finally just lose all faith in television. The show was out of the public eye for almost a year year and they expected it to start flourishing with the little, half-assed promotion they gave? They really had to effectively RELAUNCH the show and they did shit. Ridiculous.
Michael, The Unit is in effectively no danger of getting pulled before the end of this season, and it’s close enough to the “Renew” line that it could definitely cross it before the end of the season.
please please please!
do not cancel Pushing Daisies!
Pushing Daisies is being pulled from the schedule.
Also ABC spent more money promoting PD than all but 3 shows on their network. I wouldn’t call that poor promotions. I think all shows that didn’t return from the strike were hurt.
Rupert, got a link? I’m not surprise, but before I get really upset, I’d like to read it myself.
@FrankJ:
“Maybe Terminator should get a (***) next to it, saying something like “Stars Summer Glau, the normal rules for renewal do not apply”.”
Haha! Got that right.
I’m remaining optimistic that the show could possibly be renewed for another season after seeing this. Well hey, at least I can enjoy this full season for now!
Pushing Daisies is NOT, as of yet, being pulled from the schedule. ABC appears to be letting it play out to see what happens. They are broadcasting PD next week against the Obama prime time address.
And to answer the gentleman who questioned why I would put down Knight Rider- I don’t have a problem with any show being popular or watched, of course. I just have a problem when there isn’t room on the schedule for something like Pushing Daisies in addition to Knight Rider. Watch (and enjoy) KR if you want, but don’t cancel shows like PD or 30 Rock or Arrested Development (for example). There has to be some flavor. Didn’t mean to imply otherwise.
Thanks Charles. I couldn’t find anything on it, but Rupert’s comment concerned me.
Charles, they are going to air the Obama infomercial and are right now discussing the possibility of moving the show to Friday. The show is not going to be coming back on Wednesdays, and it may not be coming back at all.
Do you have a source for this, Rupert?
RachelP,
Here’s my hope for Terminator, that starting in January they pair it with a better show and the bump in viewers is enough to get the index closer to 1.2, 1.3. If it works, I think we could see a Season 3.
haha…or FOX will come to believe in the Summer Glau rule.
I doubt that Without a Trace is going to get cut after this season. Even though it loses to L&O SVU in the demos, it draws in a lot more viewers overall. I know the demos rule, but there are a lot of other shows that will get cut before it does.
Yay for Chuck! Stay strong!
Mike G, the shows like Without A Trace, in the .80-.92 range, still have plenty of time and not that far to go to move themselves into the range where they’ll get renewed. This list is presented as what would happen if the season ended today, sort of like looking at the potential baseball playoff teams on September 1.
ABC would be crazy to cancel Pushing Daisies it might not be a huge ratings winner but it scored more Emmy nominations than any ABC show that includes there big hits like Lost and Greys Anatomy. They need to give the show a lead in for heavens sake having Pushing Daisies a basically brand new show lead in to Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money isn’t really fair. The lady that won an Emmy for Samantha Who was right she thanked ABC for there wonderful time slot and lead in if it weren’t for those two things Samantha Who would be in the same predicament that Pushing Daisies is and she knew that.
Bill, Prison Break is one of my favorite shows! So the chances are good for a season five? What kind of ratings/demos does Prison Break need to keep getting in order to get a season five? PB is an amazing show!
Julia, absent contractual/production issues I know nothing about, Prison Break is looking pretty good for another season currently.
Katie, be that as it may, Pushing Daisies is not going to be around much longer. This upsets me greatly, because it is one of my favorite shows on air right now, but at most it’s going to air its 13 and that’s all.
Its such a sad world when a show that has such a great cast cant stay on the air I keep hoping that Pushing Daisies will be like the NBC comedies and get to stay on the air because of Emmy love. The cast isn’t that famous so it cant cost that much money to pay them why do I feel like its Moonlight all over again
Where do rumors start that Pushing Daisies is doing as well as 30 Rock or The Office? I’ve read this on sites like Aint It Cool and here by posters. That just isn’t true at all. 30 Rock does better in demos, and most importantly (the reason it’s still on the air) is it’s a top 5 show for people in the $100k+ demo (number 4 actually). Pushing Daisies doesn’t compare at all. It is doing poorly in the 18-49, and in the rich category too. It seems it’s watched by a lot of old poor people.
Thanks for the input on Prison Break, Bill. As far as I know, FOX also produces PB. So I don’t think the cost is too high for production and such. Also, Nick Santora, who is one of the writers, answers questions on one of the PB forums rather frequently. It sounds like the writers want to keep making PB if FOX renews it for season five. He says that as long as the network wants the show, that’s how long they all will keep making it.
What I am worried about is when American Idol comes back. Wouldn’t that skew all the shows? At least in the demos/ratings wise? As of right now, PB is looking solid. However, once 24 and American Idol come back, I wonder how FOX network will look like as a whole. Do you think PB will still have a chance at season five?
With dollhouse and 24 on monday, perhaps they will move prison break to thursday in january. Ramsay and hole in the wall ratings are just awful that night.
@FrankJ:
Yeah, sounds good to me! Thankfully though, that Summer rule seems to be working pretty well for now.
Im sorry I didnt mean that Pushing Daisies and The Office/30 Rock have the same ratings what I meant was that there not heavy ratings getters but they do get nominated for Emmys look at My Name Is Earl for example not a heavy ratings getter compared to Law and Order but it has charm and some Emmy wins. Pushing Daisies is not for everyone but I think ABC needs to try a little harder with it. Today I read that NBC is moving Life to Wednesday to try and boost its ratings why cant ABC move Pushing Daisies somewhere.
Julia,
How what are the Fox’s S-T-D numbers?
I enjoy Pushing Daisies very much, but the writing is on the wall. I think this show would have a better chance of success on cable. Perhaps airing on the ABC Family Channel or Lifetime, where the ratings pressures aren’t as great.
As for New Adventures of Old Christine, I have never liked that show. I consider that character a weaker version of Elaine Benis. I do wonder if one of the reasons that it will probably be sticking around for a while is because it is a half hour show. If it were canceled, then that would mean that hour long CBS comedy block would have to be canceled and replaced with an hour long show, or CBS would have to come up with another half hour sitcom to replace it. That being said, at this point, there just aren’t any good sitcoms on anymore.
JP, STD = Season to Date
If you meant, what are the actual numbers?, go to this link, updated weekly:
http://tvbythenumbers.com/category/nielsen-network-tv-ratings-season-to-date
I hope you are right about Chuck! I would be so depressed without it. Chuck is my favourite show of all time by far.
Thakns allot Bill!
Um… 30-something with “above average” income here and I LOVE PUSHING DAISIES!!! Unfortunately, I understand it is not mainstream. It is a shame that a show with such talent can’t find pick up speed. I agree with other posters that the advertising was minimal at best. We can only pray that it picks up more viewers. Begging the tv exec’s will not help. Get people to watch the show… talk it up at meetings and lunch dates. Word of mouth is the best weapon.
Not gonna lie, I would probably shed a few tears for “Chuck.”
I hope it stays on the “likely to be renewed list!!”
I really love Easy Money and Valentine, They have pretty good storylines, but they got stuck with a major bad night. Other established shows have a better chance with Sunday. But new shows have a tough time breaking in.
I hope they get a chance
!
i love pushing daisies
i work wednesday nights, but i watch it online at abc.com everyyyy thursday. i will cry if it gets cancelled. it’s one of the only cleverly written shows with amazing cinematography.
I don’t understand why they try to bring back shows (Knight Rider) yeah it was cool for about 2 episodes. Also ‘Terminator’ ….come one….Arnold Schwarzenegger is awesome, we all know that, now he’s governor, but I won’t watch the show for the pure and simple fact that The Terminator was awesome- don’t ruin it for me..
So…. whe have Pb sez5 or not??? please ask sombody to my question…
JP, there will not be an answer to your question until around May. Bill and Robert can ask all the insiders they want, but no one will tell them (or possibly even know) anything until May.
What I find really unfortunate about PB’s situation is that I think the 3rd season stinked, plain and simple. I was not a fan of them being chucked back in jail for the season to break some random guy we didn’t know about out. I got the feeling from looking at figures a lot of people agreed and switched off. The 4th season however is BRILLIANT, and easily second best over all behind only the first season which will never be beaten as far as I’m concerned.
What reassures me is that people consider PB a solid performer, despite its drop in ratings. What I did notice whilst watching the most recent episode online – channel 7 is behind and screening at something like 10:30 at night – was that it’s consistently the most downloaded show. Surely ratings should begin to encompass statistics like this in future? It shows that the show is popular, just that it is being watched in another medium.
And surely the statistics for most downloaded television show will become a more accurate gauge of ratings in general anyway?
Just my thoughts.
Hopefully Prison Break gets the same decency that Lost has been given and the writers get told 2 or 3 seasons in advance that they have to wrap it up. Nothing I hate more than an abrupt rush to finish a show a la OC.