Back in August 2008 when Michael Phelps was winning gold medal after gold medal, it was fun and for a TV ratings blog, it was a break from the monotony of the summer broadcast network schedule of repeats, reality shows and summer burn off.
The winter Olympics winds up being quite a bit the same: a broadcast network schedule of repeats, reality shows and crap to stuff to burn off while the Olympics are on. We’re used to that sort of thing in the summer, but we’re not accustomed to repeats of NCIS and The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family and House in February. So rather than breaking up the ratings monotony, the winter Olympics helps create it.
Thank goodness for Lost and cable shows. There were days when the only new programming on the broadcast schedule were the Olympics and American Idol.
But broadcast TV comes roaring back this week, and NBC in particular will have a new face.
Before the week is up we’ll have our first data on:
- How The Marriage Ref fared after the Olympics closing ceremony
- How NBC fares at 10pm post Jay Leno
- How Jay Leno fares at 11:35p post Conan
- How the Parenthood premiere fares
- How The Marriage Ref fares Thursday in its normal timeslot
But it’s not all about NBC. It’s also about new episodes of NCIS and The Big Bang Theory, and of course, Chuck. Up against the first hour of The Bachelor’s season finale House is actually still a repeat on Monday night, perhaps a bit of good news for Chuck.
We’re entering the home stretch. Twelve or thirteen more good weeks of broadcast television before the summer season is upon us. There will be no Olympics this summer, but plenty of repeats, reality and summer burn off.
Enjoy the next few months.
