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Ratings Clack – Should FOX switch Fringe and Lie To Me?

Brett Love — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:00:23 +0000

After the dramatic entrance of V last week, there were no similar big splash stories to lead things off this week. Then, as I was perusing the year-ago numbers, something occurred to me. It’s quite possible that FOX could improve both Monday and Thursday at 9:00 if they swapped Fringe and Lie To Me. If you look back to the initial Fringe run, it had a lot of success following House. In fact, while the House numbers are virtually unchanged from Tuesday to Monday, Fringe was holding much more of the House audience on Tuesday than Lie To Me currently is on Monday.

Example:
11/18/08: House (13.03m/5.5), Fringe (9.36m/4.2)
11/09/09: House (13.31m/5.3), Lie To Me (7.41m/3)

And that was against very similar competition. Both faced DWTS on ABC, which was pretty much a wash. NBC was greatly improved against Fringe with Biggest Loser (7.84m/3.3), as opposed to Trauma (5.35m/1.8). And CBS was mixed, with The Mentalist (15.83m/3.5) trailing the Men/Big Bang hour (13.62m/4.6) in the demo.

Now we look at where we are this season. Fringe did manage something of a rebound this week, finishing with (5.91m/2.2) on Thursday. That’s still a distant fourth place, and should find the show on the hot seat at the end of the season. It would, obviously, do better on Monday following House. The question is, would it do better than the (7.41m/3) that Lie To Me is currently offering? I think it would.

On the other side of that coin, while I’m not quite as confident about the move of Lie To Me to Thursday, I do still see the potential for it to outperform the current Fringe numbers. That bar has been set, after all, rather low. It would likely take a hit in the move, but the end result would be that Thursday at 9:00 is stronger as well. Just something to think about. The usual numbers junk is after the jump.

ABC - The bubble burst on V (10.7m/3.8) rather quickly. Sure, that’s still a very nice number, but it’s also a heck of a one week drop. Consider the jury still out on this one until we see what episodes three and four bring to the table. Earlier in the week, the return of football on NBC brought Sunday’s Extreme Makeover (10.38m/3), Desperate Housewives (13.79m/4.4), and Brothers & Sisters (9.08m/2.9) down a tad. It was still a successful start to the week.

The good news continued as Dancing With The Stars (17.62m/3.4) and Castle (9.82m/2.4) both gained viewers. The DWTS Results (16.23m/3.5) were up as well, despite the V drop. The news wasn’t so good for The Forgotten, as In The Spotlight with Robin Roberts (9.34m/2.3) finished well above what the show has been doing. Wednesday, the CMA Awards (17.18m/5.3) were a huge improvement over the usual comedies and Eastwick. FlashForward (8.28m/2.6) sunk to third in both measures to kick off Thursday, while Grey’s Anatomy (14.87m/5.6) and Private Practice (10.25m/3.9) were both up. Ugly Betty (4.45m/1.3) finished things off on Friday.

FOX - The network didn’t really gain anything with the all-Seth night, featuring Family Guy (7.26m/3.7), Seth & Alex (6.73m/3.4), Family Guy (7.99m/4.1), and Cleveland (6.44m/3.2). The news was better on Monday as House (13.31m/5.3) remained the clear demo leader on the night. So You Think You Can Dance remained steady, if not impressive, on Tuesday (5.76m/2.3) and Wednesday (5.72m/2.2), while Glee (7.53m/3.4) was tied for #1 in the demo with Criminal Minds. Thursday, Bones (10.22m/2.9) took over the #2 spot from FlashForward. And Friday, repeats again topped the recent comedy/Dollhouse combo.

CBS - The good news is that Sunday was up across the board with Amazing Race (11.62m/3.5), Three Rivers (7.99m/1.8), and Cold Case (8.16m/1.7). The bad news is that those numbers from 9:00 to 11:00 are too low. Things were better on Monday. The network was down slightly from 8:00 to 9:00 with How I Met Your Mother (8.67m/3.5) and Accidentally On Purpose (7.89m/2.9). Then, up with 2 ½ Men (14.44m/4.6) and Big Bang Theory (12.8m/4.7). At 10:00 is where the real magic started.

The big crossover CSI event led to gains for Miami (14.38m/4), NY (14.51m/3.8), and the OG CSI (17.38m/4.1). He didn’t get to be part of the big event, but Gibbs and the crew at NCIS (20.96m/4.4) easily returned to the top of the Tuesday pyramid. That was good news for NCIS: LA (16.23m/3.7) and The Good Wife (13.35m/2.8) as well. Old Christine (7.19m/2.1) and Gary Unmarried (7.3m/2.4) were both up on Wednesday, despite that CMA increase at ABC. Criminal Minds (12.77m/3.4) was solid. Although, that demo battle with Glee could prove very interesting.

Thursday, as with CSI, Survivor (12.94m/4) was up too. The Mentalist (16.17m/3.6) was off a bit in viewers, but is still having a very good second season. And Friday was another easy win for the night by Ghost Whisperer (8.01m/2), Medium (8.16m/1.9), and Numb3rs (8.16m/1.8).

NBC – The return of Sunday Night Football (21.88m/8.5) was certainly welcome. Hopefully, it softened the blow of another series low for Heroes (5.26m/2.3), and the further struggles of Trauma (5.35m/1.8). The Biggest Loser (9.65m/3.8) remains a success on Tuesday. Mercy (6.68m/1.7), on the other hand, can only claim that it is an improvement over the Knight Rider numbers. L&O: SVU (8.77m/2.8) remains a mystery. That was good for fourth place, again, but it is headed in the right direction. And that 2.8 demo is starting to look really good given the rest of the NBC schedule.

Thursday was more of the same as Community (5.09m/2.1) and Parks & Recreation (4.58m/2.1) again fell short of the Kath & Kim bar (11/06: 5.57m/2.4). By comparison, things look pretty good for The Office (8.05m/4.2) and 30 Rock (6m/3). Law & Order (7.5m/1.7) finished things up on Friday.

CW - The week got off to a very good start as One Tree Hill (2.67m/1.3), Gossip Girl (2.37m/1.3), and 90210 (2.06m/1.2) all saw gains. That was the highest rated Gossip Girl since the season premiere. Things didn’t go so well for Melrose Place (1.28m/.7). It would seem that the network is just waiting to see what difference Heather Locklear makes before pulling the plug.

Next Top Model (3.2m/1.5) was again nipping at NBC’s heels in the demo on Wednesday. As was Vampire Diaries (4.1m/1.9) on Thursday. Supernatural (2.69m/1.3) was on par as well. Finally, Smallville (2.7m/1.2) continued to defy the odds on Friday, drawing more viewers than OTH, GG, 90210, Melrose, and Supernatural.

Cable - It’s probably way too early for the folks down at Stargate HQ to be getting nervous, but concern might be in order. Friday 11/06 found the Universe dropping again, to (1.63m/.7). That didn’t do any favors for Sanctuary (1.42m/.5). It will be very interesting to see where the show levels out. Over at USA, White Collar (3.85m/.9) continues to search for a level as well. Other cable numbers to consider:

Mad Men (2.32m/.8)
Dexter (1.76m/.9)
Lincoln Heights (1.03m/.4)
Sons Of Anarchy (3.83m/1.9)
Nip/Tuck (1.75m/.9)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (.98m/.3)
Bored To Death (.63m/.3)
Californication (.76m/.4)
Rita Rocks (.48m/.2)
South Park (2.78m/1.5)
Secret Girlfriend (1.19m/.6)
It’s Always Sunny (1.87m/1.2)
The League (1.03m/.6)
Monday Night Football (16m/6.5)
The Hills (2.1m/1.3)
Top Chef (3.02m/1.7)
Mythbusters (2.13m/.9)
Ghost Hunters (2.91m/1.4)
Ghost Hunters Academy (2.07m/.9)
Project Runway (3.13m/1.4)
Keeping Up With The Kardashians (3.17m/1.7)

Photo Credit: FOX

Quotation Marks – Canadians, vegans, vampires, and Gordon Stoltski

Aryeh S. — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:37:25 +0000

I’ll take “people we got an earful from this week” for two hundred!

I was going back and forth through the quotes submitted by our writers this week, and I couldn’t quite understand why the haul seemed so light. Then it dawned on me: ABC didn’t air its new Wednesday night comedy lineup this week. Can you believe how quickly those three shows (sorry Hank!) have entered our pop-culture? Yowza.

30 Rock

“Alright hosers: I want all 12 of us fighting for every meter on all three downs. And we’re gonna make this a Boxing Day the Prime Minister will never forget.” – Danny, in his Canadian football movie

“I feel about as useless as a mom’s college degree.” – Kenneth, on his problem with Danny

“Do I look okay?” – Liz
“That’s exactly how you look.” – Cerie

“The future is like a Japanese game show; you have no idea what’s going on.” – Tracy

“Cause after all, what’s a problem but an opportunity disguised as a stripper having a seizure on your boat?” – Tracy, during his and Jenna’s closing ad for “Problem Solvers”

The Big Bang Theory

“‘Sorry’ doesn’t make up for the fact that I had to make chicken and rice with this vegan guy! Do you know what vegan chicken and rice is? Rice!” – Raj

How I Met Your Mother

“It was called the Death Star, baby — they knew what they were getting into.” – Marshall to Lily when she realizes that Storm Troopers are people, not robots

Bones

“I just need you to help me fire my gun.” – Booth
“That sounds desperately phallic.” – Gordon Gordon Wyatt

“I’m fairly certain that Iron Leprechaun is not his actual name, but his wrestling moniker.” – Bones

Criminal Minds

“Password was Cullen.” – Garcia
“Of course.” – JJ
“Colon?” – Reid
“Cullen. The vampire family from Twilight?” – JJ
“What’s Twilight?” – Reid
“Do you ever read anything other than technical books?” – JJ
“Not much in English.” – Reid

Curb Your Enthusiasm

“I’m Larry David. I happen to enjoy wearing women’s panties.”

House

“You don’t ask what I want, you ignore my wishes, and you drug me….” – Wilson
“I’m waiting for you to name something new to our relationship.” – House

The Office

“Monkey see, monkey do … monkey pee all over you.” – Michael

Saturday Night Live

“This year’s Rockefeller Center’s Christmas tree is a 76-foot-tall Norway Spruce from Easton, Connecticut. So come on down to Rockefeller Center and watch a tree slowly die.” – Weekend Update

South Park

“Then how come Gordon Stoltski got to go on for like five minutes that one day?” – Cartman
“Well, because he was being murdered.” – Mr. Mackey

Supernatural

“Ya, how original. Supernatural bringing in more creepy children. Sigh!” – German Supernatural LARP’er

Photo Credit: NBC

Bones – Gordon Gordon Wyatt opens Booth’s eyes

Ivey West — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:32:21 +0000

Sure, I’m going to get to the main point of my post here in a second (after the jump, lest I be slammed by the spoilerphobes out there), so I’ll spend some time stalling and talking about something else. I got all kinds of excited when I found the Simpsons Easter Egg, thinking I was all especially observant. Then, Keith informed me it was part of a contest that FOX was running, the Simpsons Scavenger Hunt. Talk about blowing the wind out of a guy’s sails.

So, this episode of Bones was great. There was a murder, and the team, which included guest star Stephen Fry as Gordon Gordon Wyatt, solved it in pretty short order. Brother kills brother over his cheating wife. Big whoop. The good stuff happened between Booth and Wyatt.

Booth went to Wyatt to help with a little marksmanship problem. After diagnosing it with a little Freudian flair, and prescribing a little showing off for Brennan on Booth’s part, he got down to the good stuff. Wyatt called him on his love for Brennan, and he didn’t deny it. Sure, Booth hedged that they were incompatible, and that he didn’t think Bones shared the feelings, but he didn’t tell Gordon Gordon that he was wrong, and I think that’s pretty telling.

I’ve gotten to the point where I take the little hints, winks, and nods to these two finally getting together in stride. This one, however, kind of jumps out at you, doesn’t it? I’ve said before that I think you can put these two together without ruining there dynamic, so I’m all for soon rather than later. Hopefully this is a hint that we might be seeing some real movement soon.

Other observations:

Doesn’t Angel know there’s no such thing as leprechauns? Oh, wait, same guy, wrong show.
Its always good to see Gordon Gordon Wyatt, chef or doctor.
And, for the record, you almost have to call him Gordon Gordon Wyatt; it just sounds cool.
“I’m fairly certain that Iron Leprechaun is not his actual name, but his wrestling moniker” – Bones sure does have a way with words.
The only thing better than Booth and Bones’s confrontation of the brother was the self-congratulatory bit just before.
“As long as I don’t have to shave my head.”

Photo Credit: FOX

Ratings Clack – V gets off to a great start

Brett Love — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:30:08 +0000

The World Series was the big ratings winner last week, but with New York involved, everyone kind of expected that, right? What nobody expected — most notably ABC — was the success of the V premiere. The numbers weren’t just good. It was the highest rated scripted program on the network, topping the Housewives and Grey’s. Even better, the V demo rating was the highest for a scripted show on any of the networks. Someone at ABC has to be kicking themselves for only ordering four episodes of V, while they continue to crank out more Hanks than they know what to do with.

ABC – It was the big show for the week, so we’ll start with the V (14.3m/5.2) premiere on Tuesday. Even more impressive, it did that against Biggest Loser and NCIS. Not an easy timeslot. That was obviously unexpected, or production wouldn’t have been cut to 4, for now. It makes the results of episode two very interesting. How much of that audience will be back for more? That huge leap in the 8 o’clock hour didn’t do anything for the rest of the night. The Dancing With The Stars results show (15.05m/3.1) was up just a tenth in the demo, and The Forgotten (7.27m/1.9) actually managed to lose a million viewers week-to-week.

Earlier in the week, things were pretty standard on Sunday with Extreme Makeover (10.75m/3.3), Desperate Housewives (14.08m/5), and Brothers & Sisters (9.02m/3.3). Monday, Dancing With The Stars (16.69m/3.4) and Castle (9.43m/2.4) were both off just a bit, but we’ll chalk that up to baseball. Wednesday remains a mixed bag as Hank (5.09m/1.3), The Middle (6.04m/1.8), and Eastwick (4.44m/1.5) all continue to struggle. Modern Family (8.77m/3.5) and Cougar Town (6.87m/2.8) do like solid performers, however.

FlashForward (8.57m/2.6) makes Thursday interesting. It continues to drop, and you have to wonder if the audience is just giving up on it already. It long ago lost track of Survivor, and this week was also topped by Bones. Grey’s Anatomy (13.95m/5.1) and Private Practice (9.11m/3.4) remain a successful pairing. Friday, Ugly Betty (4.76m/1.3) remained steady, but the big surprise was from the Rihana episode of 20/20 (8.18m/2.7).

CBS - It was, for the most part, another very solid week. Sunday was steady, with Amazing Race (11.22m/3.3), Three Rivers (7.7m/1.6), and Cold Case (9.02m/1.7). Of course, that steady means that Three Rivers remains a disappointment and its future prospects are not good. Monday was also solid with How I Met Your Mother (8.82m/3.5), Accidentally On Purpose (8.09m/3.1), 2 ½ Men (13.51m/4.4), Big Bang Theory (12.73m/4.7), and CSI: Miami (12.52m/3.6). Those numbers are off a bit, but we’ll give them a World Series pass as well.

Tuesday, that giant V premiere didn’t do much to slow down the NCIS (20.18m/4.3) juggernaut. NCIS:LA (15.29m/3.6) and The Good Wife (12.74m/2.7) were also on par. Wednesday brought a slightly baseball-weakened combination of Old Christine (6.68m/2), Gary Unmarried (6.29m/2), Criminal Minds (12.55m/3.4), and CSI:NY (12m/2.8).

Thursday, Survivor (12.44m/3.7) is again firmly in control of the hour. More interesting, The Mentalist (16.21m/3.6) topped CSI (15.6m/3.5) in both measures again. The troubling bit came on Friday, as Ghost Whisperer (7.93m/1.8) and Medium (7.58m/1.8) both lost to Law & Order, while Numb3rs (8.09m/1.8) was beaten by 20/20. I can’t remember the last time CBS was beaten in all three Friday hours while running all new episodes.

FOX - The World Series was the story last week. Games on Sunday (22.76m/7.8), Monday (17.09m/5.3), and Wednesday (22.34m/7.4) all did extremely well. So You Think You Can Dance (6.12m/2.4) held down the fort on Tuesday, and Bones (8.66m/2.6) and Fringe (4.86m/1.7) were back on Thursday. Bones moved to #2 in the hour, while Fringe remains a distant fourth.

The quick reaction is to blame the time slot, but compare it to what So You Think You Can Dance is up against on Tuesday at 8. ABC gains 5.73m/2.6. NBC gains 3.93m/2. CBS gains 7.74m/.6. That’s 17.3 million more viewers, and 5.2 more demo points facing SYTYCD, and it still outperformed Fringe. There is also the argument that because World Series Game 7 was scheduled Thursday, people didn’t know it was on. Unfortunately, that doesn’t explain the fact that Bones still managed 8.6 million viewers, or all those other weeks of subpar Fringe numbers. And in case you were wondering, House and Bones repeats on Friday again topped the Brothers, Til Death, and Dollhouse numbers.

NBC - With no football in prime time this week, the big success actually came on Friday. Law & Order is finally showing a little life, with episodes at 8 (7.99m/1.8) and 9 (8.41m/1.9) both winning their hours. Earlier in the week, it was more of the same on Monday from Heroes (5.86m/2.5) and Trauma (5.82m/1.9). The Biggest Loser (9.11m/3.5) remains a solid hit on Tuesday. Wednesday, Mercy (6.63m/1.7) and SVU (7.95m/2.4) were off, but it was the final game of the World Series, so let’s wait and see.

Thursday, Community (5.45m/2.3) and Parks & Recreation (4.91m/2.2) were both up. However, they do both remain below what Kath & Kim (5.57m/2.4) were doing at this time last year. The Office (8.09m/4.1) and 30 Rock (6.15m/3) continue along the same path. Leno had another rough week, falling below 4 million viewers once, and below 1.5 in the demo three times. I’m starting to think that Leno one night a week might not be a bad idea. Give him the post Biggest Loser slot, and return scripted to the other four hours. The numbers:

Monday: 3.92m/1.2
Tuesday: 5.96m/2
Wednesday: 4.81m/1.4
Thursday: 4.83m/1.6
Friday: 4.6m/1.2

CW - Nothing too exciting to report this week. One Tree Hill (2.32m/1.1) and Gossip Girl (1.98m/1) look to have taken a small hit from baseball. 90210 (1.92m/1) and Melrose Place (1.48m/.8) continue to struggle as we all wait to see what Heather Locklear will do to the Melrose numbers. Next Top Model (3.87m/1.7) was up, despite baseball. Thursday remains the strongest night of the week with Vampire Diaries (4.09m/1.9) and Supernatural (2.65m/1.2). And Smallville (2.76m/1.2) continues to grow.

CABLE - Not a lot to yell about on cable this week either. It is worth noting that the second episode of White Collar (5.075m/1.2), from 10/30, held up very well. It looks like USA has found a few more characters. Stargate Universe (1.97m/.8), from the same night, found itself falling below the 2 million viewer mark. Sanctuary (1.6m/.5) and Monk (4.69m/1) were fairly steady. Some other numbers:

Mad Men (1.78m/.7)
Dexter (1.88m/.9)
Lincoln Heights (1.11m/.3)
Greek (.66m/.3)
Sons Of Anarchy (3.52m/1.8)
Nip/Tuck (2.17m/1.1)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (.98m/.4)
Bored To Death (.72m/.4)
Californication (.82m/.4)
South Park (2.82m/1.5)
It’s Always Sunny (1.99m/1.3)
The League (1.41m/.9)
Monday Night Football (12.37m/5.1)
Kate: Her Story (3.79m/1.7)
The Hills (1.99m/1.2)
Mythbusters (1.82m/.8)
Ghost Hunters (2.73m/1.3)

Photo Credit: ABC

Will Bones fans ever accept Angela with someone beside Hodgins

Ivey West — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:00:29 +0000

The story of Angela and Hodgins is, to many fans, as integral to the overall plot as the story of Brennan and Booth. It started with a crush, was solidified with a Gravedigger, and almost ended in marriage. Despite the fact that the two have been broken up for quite some time, many fans, this one included, always suspected that the two would find a way back to each other. What if something stood in their way? Not a little bump in the road like Roxie, but something with more long term potential?

This week, we saw the first hints of a burgeoning relationship between Angela and Wendell (And by “hints,” I mean them making out in the lab, in case you missed it). Angela was coming to an end of her self imposed celibacy vow, and Wendell, whom I think has always had a thing for Angela, was in the right place at the right time. More important than the timing, though, was his fairly sweet reaction to Angela’s mission to save the piglet. Despite the fact that he professes his love for all things pork, and meat in general, he still gave up every dollar he had in his pocket.

That act of compassion ended in a kiss, but the connection was more than just one scene, and was apparent to Booth at the end. Only Cam and he caught on by the end of the episode, so Hodgins was still in the dark. I wonder how long the relationship will last, because I think the characters (though not necessarily apparent yet between the actors) could develop some nice chemistry. I think Wendell is a much bigger roadblock to Angela and Hodgins than, say, Sully was to Bones and Booth.

What do you think? Are you a Hodgins/Angela ‘shipper, or are you liking what Wendell brings to the table?

Other stuff:

How much Bones would a woodchuck annoy?
Loved the conversation between Hodgins and Wendell (actually a lot more) as a Fringe homage
When Deschanel was slimed with the syrup, you could totally see her smiling and having a good time.
I love a good chicken sandwich as much as the next guy, but I was kinda pulling for Angela’s chicken revolution.
Loved the Booth/Bones dynamic about her fight with Angela, but Sweets getting kicked under the table was classic.
“OK, if I have sex, will you donate to save my pig?”
I didn’t think I would like a possible Angela/Wendell pairing, but I was totally wrong.
“I got demoted from Plucker. Bet you didn’t think there was something worse than Plucker?”

Photo Credit: FOX

Ratings Clack – Where is FlashForward headed?

Brett Love — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:00:41 +0000

FlashForward is one of the more interesting shows of the new season where ratings are concerned. On the one hand, so far it has been a huge upgrade for the 8-9 spot on ABC. And while it has been surpassed by Survivor, it does continue to hold off Bones in the demo. On the other hand, the ratings don’t seem to be settled yet, which makes each week a new adventure. This week, the yo-yo headed back up. What will next week bring? One can only guess. I continue to think that it will eventually be passed up by the fiercely loyal Bones audience at some point, finding its place as the number 3 show in the hour. Elsewhere this week, there was good news for Dancing With The Stars, NCIS, Law & Order, So You Think You Can Dance, and Smallville. The news wasn’t so good for Hank, Parks & Recreation, Three Rivers, or Melrose Place.

ABC - Overall, it was a very good week for the network. Sunday was off a bit week-to-week with Extreme Makeover (9.81m/3), Desperate Housewives (13.42m/3.6), and Brothers & Sisters (8.97m/3), but those are still solid numbers. And there were plenty of gains through the rest of the week. Monday, Dancing With The Stars (16.79m/3.6) and Castle (9.77m/2.3) were both up. Tuesday was also up for the night with Shark Tank (5.24m/1.6), DWTS (13.96m/2.9) and The Forgotten (7.43m/2.1). The Forgotten was down in viewers, but up in demo. Wednesday was a bit of a mixed bag with Modern Family (9.35m/3.6) and Cougar Town (7.99m/3.3) both up, while Hank (6.15m/1.6), The Middle (6.77m/2.1), and Eastwick (5.08m/1.7) were all down.

In a bit of oddness, Thursday found FlashForward (9.07m/3.1) and Private Practice (10.36m/3.8) both posting gains while Grey’s Anatomy (13.79m/5) took a bit of a dip. Still, that’s a dip that still left it #1 in the demo for the night. Friday was also up with the premiere of Ugly Betty (5.01m/1.3 – 5.18m/1.3). Of course, that’s well off last season’s Ugly Betty numbers, and up over repeats. I’ve no idea what ABC is expecting from Ugly Betty on the night, but the increased competition should be worrisome for FOX.

CBS - The Tiffany network also had a good week, starting with The Amazing Race (10.52m/3.2). Unfortunately, Phil’s gains didn’t do much for Three Rivers (7.33m/1.7) and Cold Case (7.87m/1.9). Both of those should be considered on the bubble at this point. That was just a temporary setback though, as business picked back up Monday. How I Met Your Mother (8.56m/3.6), Accidentally On Purpose (7.73m/3), 2 ½ Men (14.17m/4.8), and Big Bang Theory (13.07m/5) all bounced back from an off week, gaining in viewers and demo. CSI: Miami (13.27m/4) was off just a bit in viewers, but also up in viewers. That 8-9 hour of comedy continues to be interesting. In moving Big Bang to 9:30, the 8-9 hour is down 1.1 million viewers and 4 tenths in the demo versus last year (Big Bang 9.36m/3.6, HIMYM 9.14m/3.8). Although, to be fair, the 9-10 hour is up 1.4 million viewers and .6 in the demo (2 ½ Men 14.57m/5.3, Worst Week 9.78m/3.3).

Moving on, NCIS (21.04m/4.5) continues to roll. Despite that being up, NCIS:LA (15.38m/3.5) and The Good Wife (12.98m/2.8) were both off week-to-week. The good news though is that they both remain up over last year (Mentalist 14.86m/3.4, Without A Trace 10.99m/2.6). Wednesday also saw gains with Old Christine (6.99m/2.1), Gary Unmarried (6.91m/2.3), and CSI: NY (13.4m/3.2) up in both measurements. Criminal Minds (13.92m/3.8) was off slightly in viewers, but also gained demo.

Thursday saw week-to-week gains across the board with Survivor (11.78m/3.5), CSI (15.38m/3.6), and The Mentalist (15.08m/3.5). It’s interesting to note that The Mentalist is so close to becoming the #1 show for the network on the night. Friday, as usual, was an easy win with Ghost Whisperer (8.21m/2), Medium (8.04m/1.9), and Numb3rs (7.77m/1.8) all holding up well against baseball.

FOX - A bit of a mixed bag of results in a week that was still very good. The Sunday toons, The Simpsons (7.6m/3.7), Cleveland Show (7.87m/3.9), Family Guy (8.97m/4.6), and American Dad (6.75m/3.5) were all down, but still very strong. It’s worth noting that Cleveland is building on the Simpsons audience. Monday was also down, with House (13.49m/5.2) and Lie To Me (7.87m/2.8). Not a worry for House, the #1 demo of the night, but Lie To Me should be better. Tuesday was a great result as Hell’s Kitchen (8.04m/3.8) continues to hold up amazingly well.

The really interesting bit of the week came on Wednesday. So You Think You Can Dance (7.21m/2.8) continues to grow now that the weeks (and weeks) of auditions are over. It’s now #1 in the demo for the hour. That led to a slight boost for Glee (7.65m/3.4) as well. Thursday was more of the same, with Bones (9.59m/2.8) on par, and Fringe (5.78m/2.2) continuing to struggle in the 9PM meat grinder. Friday was way up over the usual schedule with baseball. Sports are iffy for numbers, but the early results say something in the neighborhood of 7.54 million viewers and a 2.4 for the night.

NBC - How NBC did this week really depends on your glass. Is it half full, or half empty? For example, the entire Monday lineup was up in viewers and demo. But then, when you come up to numbers like Heroes (5.55m/2.4), Trauma (5.49m/1.8), and Leno (5.09m/1.6), it’s hard to really celebrate. There were similar results for Mercy (7.37m/1.9), which was up in the demo. As well as Community (5.01m/2) which gained in both over last week. The only really bad news probably comes from Parks & Recreation (4.53m/2). To give an idea of how bad that is, last year at this time Kath & Kim knocked down 6.01 million viewers and a 2.5.

There was good news to be had. As usual, Sunday Night Football (16.02m/6.2) remains a power. The Biggest Loser (9.14m/3.5) was also rather steady. The Office (8.03m/4.1) was down from the big wedding episode, but remains the best rated scripted program on the network. 30 Rock (6.39m/3), given the demo, also had a successful debut. There was also some good news on the Law & Order front. Both SVU (8.77m/2.6) and L&O (7.6m/1.6) remain down year-to-year, but they are also both gaining. That’s a trend worth watching. It could be that as people tire of the new programming, they’ll return to the old standbys.

Leno, overall, had a rough week that ended with his worst showing yet on Friday. The only victory for Leno came on Wednesday, as the show was #2, edging out Eastwick. The numbers:

Monday (5.09m/1.6)
Tuesday (5.77m/1.8)
Wednesday (6.15m/1.8)
Thursday (5.37m/1.8)
Friday (4.97m/1.2)

CW - Count the littlest network as also having a good week. One Tree Hill (2.55m/1.2), Gossip Girl (2.36m/1.2), Vampire Diaries (3.88m/1.8), Supernatural (2.58m/1.2), and Smallville (2.62m/1.1) were all up over last week. 90210 (2.25m/1.1) was off a tenth in demo, but gained viewers. Next Top Model (3m/1.4) was off over the previous week, but remains the #2 show on the network. The only really bad news continues to be Melrose Place (1.38m/.7) which has now fallen well off the pace of Privileged last season.

CABLE - The most intriguing number for me on cable this week was Nip/Tuck (2.92m/1.4). That’s not a bad number, but it’s more interesting in showing just how successful FX is with Sons Of Anarchy (3.31m/1.8). It looks like SAMCRO will be around for awhile. Let’s just hope the writer’s get this whole Oz fascination out of their system sooner, rather than later. Some other cable numbers of note:

Mad Men (1.53m/.6)
Army Wives (3.93m/1.3)
Monday Night Football (13.14m/5.4)
Top Chef (2.67m/1.4)
South Park (2.56m/1.3)
Secret Girlfriend (1.25m/.6)
It’s Always Sunny (1.61m/1)
Project Runway (2.97m/1.3)
Mythbusters (2.69m/1.2)
The Hills (1.72m/1)
Ghost Hunters (2.91m/1.3)
Real Housewives of Atlanta (2.64m/1.4)
Greek (.66m/.3)

Photo Credit: ABC

Bones – A glimpse of things to come

Ivey West — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:00:00 +0000

It wasn’t that long ago that I created a long, exhaustive list of why Seeley Booth and Temperence Brennan can’t get together (Spoiler Alert: It was one item long). Simply put, their chemistry wouldn’t change if they were in a more intimate relationship. Unfortunately, the powers that be continue to put off the inevitable.

One could actually argue that their relationship has already transcended to that level (minus the sex), but that neither of them have realized it yet. The emotional connection that these two share is already more mature that most television couples.

This week, another obstacle was thrown in the way. Bones went out with one of Booth’s bosses, Andrew Hacker (Diedrich Bader). Thankfully, I doubt we’ll see him again, not like the multi-episode arc that was the Bones/Scully relationship (I hated Scully … so much so, that it took me a while to warm up to Eddie McClintock on Warehouse 13). This week’s story actually drove them closer together

“What goes on between us is ours.” When Booth admonished Bones for letting personal info about him slip to Hacker, I think she realized how much they do mean to each other, and showed that by inviting him to the event. Too bad they were interrupted, just as things were about to get interesting. I think, though, that we were just thrown a … well … bone because of the baseball playoff related hiatus. Despite that, anything to see those two almost kiss is worth a couple weeks off.

Other stuff:

I was surprised to see Daisy come back, but I like her (and may be the only one), so there’s that
Bones is often gross … But the Hannibal homage may have been as big of a gross out moment
Funny that the Jeffersonian team that Intern Clark thinks to talk too much about their personal lives
Sweets and Daisy really do make a cute couple
Though, I can do with out … “Lancelot’s” Grrrrr
When are Angela and Hodgins getting back together

Photo Credit: FOX

Ratings Clack – Favre and Baseball create havoc

Brett Love — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:00:43 +0000

It was a strange week for ratings. Brett Favre playing against Green Bay made for a huge Monday Night Football (21.84m/9) audience on ESPN. And then the baseball playoffs ran through the rest of the week, calling a lot of the seemingly odd drops in viewers into question. Despite that increased competition, there was some good news to be had. The Biggest Loser, Bones, The Office, Lie To Me, Castle, and The Simpsons all managed to make gains week-to-week. Dollhouse also got in the game, stopping a four episode streak of series lows. On the other side, it’s starting to look like ER took all of it’s viewers with it when it left. The premiere numbers for Three Rivers were not good, and NBC’s dueling medical dramas continue to struggle.

FOX - Animation Domination got the week off to a great start, with The Simpsons (9.38m/4.4), Cleveland (8.86m/4.4), Family Guy (9.86m/5.1), and American Dad (7.14m/3.6). Food for thought: In the demo, that makes Family Guy the #1 comedy of the week. On Monday, House (13.74m/5.4) looks to have taken a hit from football. The good news though, is that Lie To Me (8.06m/3.1) was up, despite the drop from House.

Tuesday and Wednesday were fairly steady with Hell’s Kitchen (7.43m/3.3), So You Think You Can Dance Tuesday (5.47m/2.5), SYTYCD Wednesday (6.22m/2.5), and Glee (7.28m/3.3). Thursday was another example of just how solid the Bones (10.29m/2.9) audience is. No matter the night, or the competition, it gets its numbers. And it is getting very close to passing up FlashForward in the demo as well. Unfortunately, Bones being up, and the appearance of Nimoy, didn’t help Fringe (5.83m/2.1). For now, let’s blame a special episode of The Office and see what happens next week.

Friday brought very similar results, with Brothers (2.35m/.8), Til Death (2.36m/.8), and Dollhouse (2.25m/1). If your glass is half full, those Dollhouse numbers are a win, because the streak of series lows that stretches back four episodes to last season was ended. If your glass is half empty … it was still the second lowest rated episode the series has had.

CBS - The Amazing Race (9.8m/2.8) was down to start the week, which didn’t offer much help to Three Rivers (8.97m/1.9). That’s really not good for the premiere. Cold Case (10.05m/2.2) was steady, if not impressive. Monday was down across the board with How I Met Your Mother (8.08m/3.4), Accidentally On Purpose (7.16m/2.8), 2 ½ Men (13.3m/4.4), Big Bang Theory (12.52m/4.7), and CSI: Miami (13.43m/3.9). I’m willing to chalk that up to football, but the AOP demo is something to keep an eye on.

Tuesday’s lineup, NCIS (20.7m/4.3), NCIS:LA (16.31m/3.6), and The Good Wife (13.69m/2.9) was also down every hour, but still far and away #1 for the night. There were gains on Wednesday as Old Christine (6.86m/1.9) and Gary Unmarried (6.84m/2.2) were both up. Criminal Minds (14.05m/3.6) and CSI:NY (12.43m/2.9) were both down slightly, but Criminal Minds did take back the number one spot in the demo from ABC.

Thursday was another night of decreases, with Survivor (11.69m/3.4), CSI (14.89m/3.5), and The Mentalist (14.7m/3.3) all down. On the plus side, all were the most watched programs in their slots. Friday was again a cake walk, with Ghost Whisperer (8.6m/2.1) and Medium 8.3m/1.9) up week-to-week. Numb3rs (7.13m/1.6) was slightly down in viewers, but did win the hour.

NBC – As always, Sunday Night Football (18.42m/7.4) is solid. The Biggest Loser (9.25m/3.7) also did well, gaining week-to-week and winning the 9PM hour in the demo. More good news came from the big wedding episode of The Office (9.42m/4.8). That is higher in viewers and demo than every episode from last season. Elsewhere, it was a very NBC week.

Heroes (5.46m/2.4) continues to explore new lows. And that isn’t helping Trauma (5.37m/2.7). Mercy (7.43m/1.8) is doing slightly better, but that’s still not what you would call a real success, given the weak Wednesday competition. Community (4.87m/1.9) made the big move to 8, and managed less viewers than SNL Thursday. It did, at least, provide a boost for Parks & Recreation (4.75m/2.1). Things were slightly brighter for L&O SVU (8.29m/2.6) and Law & Order (7.23m/1.5), but both are not even close to doing what they once did.

Leno? He had a tough week. The numbers continue to slowly grind down to a level, with this week finding two nights dropping below 5 million viewers. Tuesday remains his most successful night. The only nights where he isn’t last in both measures are Tuesday (2nd in demo) and Wednesday (2nd in viewers).

Monday (4.45m/1.5)
Tuesday (6.22m/2.1)
Wednesday (5.72m/1.7)
Thursday (4.84m/1.7)
Friday (5.33m/1.4)

ABC – Things got off to a nice start Sunday as Extreme Makeover (11.63m/3.4), Desperate Housewives (14.64m/5), and Brothers & Sisters (9.46m/3.2) were all up. A return to the 5s in the demo is very encouraging for Desperate Housewives. With Monday, the network started suffering many of the same drops the other networks saw. Dancing With The Stars (16.35m/3.5) was down, but still strong. On the plus side, despite that drop, Castle (9.23m/2.2) was up just a bit.

DWTS (12.42m/2.6) was down on Tuesday as well, while Shark Tank (5.15m/1.5) and The Forgotten (7.55m/1.9) both saw small viewer gains. Wednesday was one of those very curious nights, with Hank (6.45m/1.6), The Middle (6.79m/2.1), Modern Family (8.82m/3.4), Cougar Town (7.84m/3.2), and Eastwick (5.14m/1.8) all suffering large losses. We’ll have to wait for next week to see how much of that sticks. The best news there is probably for Castle, which is now well above The Forgotten and Eastwick.

Thursday remains a strong night for the network with FlashForward (9m/3), Grey’s Anatomy (14.13m/5.4), and Private Practice (9.5m/3.6). Those numbers still have FlashForward ahead of where Ugly Betty was last season, but it has now fallen to third in viewers and second in the demo. It will be interesting to see where it plateaus. Private Practice is notable because it remains ahead of The Mentalist in the demo, which is an unexpected win.

CW - One Tree Hill (2.13m/1.1), Gossip Girl (2.08m/1.1), and 90210 (2.09m/1.2) were all down in viewers this week, with 90210 gaining a tenth in demo. Melrose Place (1.6m/.9), on the other hand, was up in both measures. I believe the gains come from starting the episode with Katie Cassidy in her underthings, and look forward to the network taking that into account as they film new episodes.

With Next Top Model (3.15m/1.5), Wednesday was down just a touch in viewers, and up a whole bunch in WTF? Seriously, why is there a repeat of Melrose following the number two show on the network? The spot is open, and Smallville would obviously do better Wednesday at 9. Thursday, Vampire Diaries (3.52m/1.7) continues to lead the network, and Supernatural (2.47m/1.2) had a small drop in viewers. Friday, Smallville (2.3m/1) was down year to year, but still managed more viewers than OTH, GG, 90210, and MP.

Cable - Monday Night Football (21.84m/9) took full advantage of all of the Favre craziness, topping everything on the broadcast networks for the week in viewers and demo. Other highlights this week included the Entourage finale (2.49m/1.5), Sons Of Anarchy (3.67m/2), and Project Runway (3.22m/1.5). Also of note, the Seinfeld reunion was able to add an extra half million viewers to Curb Your Enthusiasm (1.56m/.7). In really crazy drop numbers, remember that Jon & Kate premiere with 10 million viewers? All of their shenanigans have resulted in the latest episode managing just 1.71 million. Some other cable numbers to peruse:

Army Wives (3.33m/1.1)
Drop Dead Diva (2.79m/.9)
Dexter (1.37m/.6)
Californication (.77m/.4)
South Park (2.67m/1.3)
Secret Girlfriend (1.55m/.8)
WWE RAW (4.71m/1.6)
The Ultimate Fighter (2.76m/1.6)
It’s Always Sunny (1.51m/.9)
Mad Men (1.91m/.7)
Bored To Death (1.08m/.5)
The Hills (2.3m/1.4)
The City (1.61m/.9)
Lincoln Heights (.75m/.2)
Greek (.72m/.3)
Top Chef (2.76m/1.5)
Mythbusters (1.89m/.9)
Ghost Hunters (2.74m/1.3)
Destination Truth (2.04m/1)
Sherri (.44m/.1)
Rita Rocks (.28m/.1)

Photo Credit: FOX

What was the point of the accent story on Bones?

Ivey West — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:15:25 +0000

We have talked about the intern carousel on Bones a couple of times now. While most people are enjoying the change of pace each week, I actually would appreciate a little consistency. The storyline tonight with Arastoo Vaziri proves my point. His secret came out of nowhere, and really didn’t feel necessary.

Mr. Vaziri — if IMDb is correct — has been a member of the team for four episodes now. He has, until now, claimed an Iranian background, having (relatively) recently moved to the States. Creating a story that he had been faking his accent really serves little purpose other than just to confuse the background of a secondary character.

Don’t get me wrong; the story that explained why Vaziri lied to his co-workers was logical. Constantly having to justify his religion to his scientist colleagues would get old, very quickly. Hiding behind a persona that would seemingly be more protected from that scrutiny makes sense. Unfortunately, the whole storyline just felt out of place.

I like that we are getting to know the interns better. Wendell got the spotlight, and now with Vaziri’s storyline, I’m sure that we’ll be learning more about each of the group. I am all for back story and character development, but I think the writers swung and missed on this try.

On a lighter note, Parker’s quest for a new girlfriend brought the funny. Angela and Booth does not make a lot of sense to me, but it was obviously going to end with Parker sitting with his dad and Bones. Of course Bones was really going to get to the bottom of things, and helping out when it turned out Parker

Other stuff:

Parker had the best entrance of the night
Was anyone thinking that Parker’s mom is now a lesbian doctor in Seattle now? No? Just me, huh …
I stopped counting the number of Desperate Housewives shout-outs
The Anthropology vs. Psychology smack down was Hill. Larry. Us.
I liked therapist giving Bones back the “She’s an anthropologist … she talks like an anthropologist”

Photo Credit: FOX

How Thursday night made me a crybaby

Julia Hass — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:00:20 +0000

I’m still thinking about Thursday night’s TV. Partially because it took me until yesterday to finish watching all of it, and partially because it made me cry. Twice.

For the sake of full disclosure I should admit that it’s around that time of the month where I’m feeling a little more weepy than usual. (Other things that have recently made me cry: a poem, watching Dan in Real Life, watching America’s Sweethearts.) I mean, I’m not exactly bursting into tears left and right, I’m just… pre-disposed. And Thursday night’s television took that pre-disposition pony and rode it all around the park until I was sitting on my couch, swiping my eyes and going, “What the hell just happened?”

And why was it so awesome?

The fact that this Thursday’s Bones made me cry is kind of sort of understandable. I mean, Bones I don’t think has made me cry since the season finale where Zach was Gormagon’s apprentice, but it was a sad episode. This poor Amish kid just loved music! Not drugs or hookers, music. And he was torn up between everything he loved and knew and this gift. If his gift was for, like, entrepreneurship but on the flip side he destroyed the environment while realizing his full potential, that would not be tragic, and would understand why his Amish upbringing would frown on that. But his love was music. How can music hurt? His parents watching that video of their son, killed just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, was it for me. It was past midnight and I was sitting alone in my dark living room because everyone else was asleep, sobbing.

But what really surprised me was this week’s Community making me cry. Community! That show with Joel McHale on NBC’s comedy block! And I cried because of Abed and his dad, who’s played by the guy who plays Principal Figgins on Glee! Biggest disconnect ever! Abed’s video broke my heart, stomped on the pieces, and then ran away giggling. And on top of that, I liked Jeff and Brita together. In fact, I was rooting for them together. I think I have severely underestimated Community by a factor of roughly a bazillion.

I don’t even want to know what I’m going to do with myself this Thursday during the Jim/Pam wedding episode on this Thursday’s Office if this trend continues, but I would advise you, in these tough economic times, to invest in Kleenex, because I will probably be using a lot of them.

Photo Credit: FOX

TV on DVD for October 6th

Brett Love — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:00:46 +0000

It’s another slow week for the big network series releases, but that just might be a good thing. There are season releases from Bones, Medium, and Nip/Tuck. If none of those are on your radar though, there might be enough left in the DVD buying budget to take a look at a couple of Complete Series collections. After years of battling over music clearance, you can now watch every last episode of Ally McBeal, any time you want. Ally and the gang are joined in the Complete Series world by the new Stargate Atlantis collection. Other highlights this week include the new Red Dwarf, Get Smart, Mary Tyler Moore, and Masterpiece Theatre. The complete list is after the jump.

Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Series Collection
Bones: Season 4 (Blu-ray)
Red Dwarf: Back to Earth (Blu-ray)
Medium: The Complete 5th Season
Nip/Tuck: Season 5, Part 2
Ally McBeal: The Complete 1st Season and The Complete Series
Get Smart: Season 4
The Hills: Season 5, Part 1
Blood Ties: The Complete Season 2
Man vs. Food: Season 1
The Mary Tyler Moore Show: The Complete 5th Season
Mister Ed: The Complete 1st Season
Murphy’s Law: Series 1
Van der Valk Mysteries: Set 1
Scare Tactics: Season 3, Part 1 Uncensored
Rodney: The Complete 1st Season
Prototype This!: Season 1
Lark Rise to Candleford: The Complete Season 1
My Pet Monster: The Complete Series
The Lola Falana Show (AKA Lola!)
Masterpiece Theatre: Paradise Postponed/Titmuss Regained
Chop Socky Chooks: Volume 1
Zorro: Generation Z Volume 4

Photo Credit: Syfy

Ratings Clack – Is Dollhouse about to get pulled?

Brett Love — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:00:39 +0000

Week two of the full-tilt-boogie season brought with it some interesting things, including premieres for Animation Domination, The Amazing Race, Trauma, Hank, and The Middle. We also saw more huge numbers from House, NCIS, and Grey’s. But after all of that, the most interesting story again comes from the show with the worst ratings on all of the big four networks, Dollhouse. After season two premiered to a series low last week, things got even worse. Episode two just barely cleared the 2 million viewer bar, while falling below a 1 in the demo. Reached for comment, my BFF Jill said, “OMG! RLY!?”

Yes, really. The situation is dire. Even the hardcore Whedonites are now at DEFCON 1. Someone has got word that the show could be in danger of being pulled from the air. I don’t know anything more than they do about that, but I would expect it to get one more shot this Friday, before baseball takes over. If episode three doesn’t show some sort of improvement though, I wouldn’t be surprised if baseball makes way for a series of House and Bones repeats on Fridays at 9.

FOX - Since Dollhouse (2.09m/.8) led things off, let’s start there. That is absolutely terrible. To put it in perspective, 6 of the 7 new hours on the CW last week beat it in viewers and the demo. And the 7th, Melrose Place, still managed to tie it in the demo. It also again fell short of its Friday partners, Brothers (2.42m/.8) and ‘Til Death (2.29m/.8). Fortunately for FOX, while the end of the week was a disaster, the beginning was the complete opposite.

Things got off to a great start with the premiere of Animation Domination. The Simpsons (8.31m/4.3) was off just a touch from last season’s premiere, but The Cleveland Show (9.51m/4.9), Family Guy (10.11m/5.2), and American Dad (7.14m/3.6) all brought year-to-year increases to their spots. The good news continued Monday, with House (14.71m/5.8). That is more than 2 demo points above second place Dancing With The Stars. From there, things were more mixed.

Lie To Me (7.73m/2.9) was a solid third in viewers and demo, but those numbers are all too close to where it was while airing at 8 last season. I expected more of a boost, given the post-House slot. Wednesday and Thursday were a mixed bag, with Hell’s Kitchen (6.64m/3.1), So You Think You Can Dance (5.18m/2.4 – 6.81m/2.7), and Glee (7.4m/3.3). Hell’s Kitchen and Glee are solid, but SYTYCD could be doing better. I’m curious to see what happens when the all too-long audition episodes end. Finally, Thursday was a repeat of last week with Bones (9.43m/2.7) holding strong, and Fringe (6.03m/2.3) getting crushed by the heavyweight Thursday competition.

CBS - The Dollhouse kerfuffle trumped NCIS (21.37m/4.8) for my before-the-jump spot, but just barely. Surprising just about everyone, NCIS not only held on to all of the demo from the premiere, but also increased in viewers. That led to a great Tuesday. Combined with NCIS: LA (17.39m/4.1) and The Good Wife (13.69m/3.2), the network was up in viewers and demo in every hour year-to-year. Earlier in the week, The Amazing Race (10.4m/3.4) returned to solid numbers on Sunday, followed by Cold Case (9.19m/2.1).

Monday was also a big success, overall. How I Met Your Mother (8.71m/3.6), 2 ½ Men (13.86m/4.8), Big Bang Theory (13.27m/5.3), and CSI: Miami (13.96m/4.1) all did great. We’re getting very close to Big Bang taking over as the outright #1 comedy on television. The only real misstep was Accidentally On Purpose (8.03m/3.1). That’s not bad, but it does stand out compared to the rest of the night.

The rest of the week proceeded as expected. Old Christine (6.65m/1.9) and Gary Unmarried (6.65m/2.2) remain the weak spot in the lineup, while Criminal Minds (14.24m/3.8) and CSI: NY (13.16m/3.3) own the rest of Wednesday. CSI (15.94m/4.1) narrowly edged Grey’s in viewers, but is now getting hammered in the demo. The other two hours on Thursday have much more intriguing battles shaping up. Survivor (11.54m/3.7) and FlashForward are very close, and that one could go either way each week. And at 10, The Mentalist (15.75m/3.8) couldn’t match the Private Practice premiere demo, but the two should be very interesting to watch going forward. Finally, it was another easy win on Friday; despite everything being down, the perfect combination of Ghost Whisperer (7.63m/1.7), Medium (7.72m/1.8), and Numb3rs (7.73m/1.6) won every hour.

ABC - Things were a little less exciting on ABC. There was some good news. Grey’s Anatomy (15.69m/6.1) remains huge, and led to a great premiere for Private Practice (11.58m/4.6). Desperate Housewives (13.64m/4.7), while down, is still a legitimate hit. And Brothers & Sisters (9.38m/3) is solid following it. The network also has to be excited about the week two performances of Modern Family (9.99m/3.8), Cougar Town (9.25m/3.8), and FlashForward (10.73m/3.7). All three held up very well and look to have greatly improved their places on the schedule.

Things weren’t quite as good elsewhere. Dancing With The Stars (17.03m/3.7 – 13.02m/2.7) is still a viewer machine on performance night, but it was more than two full demo points behind House. The results show has now fallen to second in viewers and third in the demo. The show is still strong, but not nearly what it once was. Elsewhere, Castle (9.15m/2.2) remains rather soft, although comparisons with The Forgotten (7.45m/2), and Eastwick (6.57m/2.3) may help it. Finishing the week, Hank (8.33m/2.1) and The Middle (8.71m/2.6) had disappointing numbers, considering they were premieres in a fairly weak hour. They’ll have their hands full with Gary and Christine in coming weeks. And finally, Shark Tank (4.75m/1.5) has now fallen below Opportunity Knocks from this time last year. And we all know how that ended.

NBC – The good news, as usual, comes from Sunday Night Football (17.47m/6.8), The Biggest Loser (9.18m/3.7), and The Office (7.41m/3.9). The bad news starts with Heroes (5.72m/2.5), and continues to SNL Thursday (5.02m/1.8), Parks & Recreation (4.67m/2), and Law & Order (6.68m/1.2). Somewhere in the middle, we find the dueling medical dramas, Trauma (6.68m/2.2), and Mercy (7.39m/2.1). Those are iffy demos, especially considering Mercy’s competition, but the fact that they are both getting more viewers than Heroes, and three of the four Thursday comedies, is at least a small positive.

Community (5.86m/2.9) rebounded slightly after the Grey’s and CSI premieres last week, but those numbers don’t bode well for its debut at 8 next week. I’d be shocked to see it match Earl from this time last season (7.09m/2.7). Finally, the most curious result of all has to be Law & Order SVU (8.09m/2.5). The show has been a huge winner for the network for years, and I really expected a battle with Criminal Minds. Getting beaten by 6 million viewers and 1.3 demo points has to come as a surprise.

CW - Overall, you’d have to call it a positive week. One Tree Hill (2.51m/1.1) and Gossip Girl (2.36m/1.2) were both up after last week’s big House special delivered quite a blow. Likewise, 90210 (2.21m/1.1) and Next Top Model (3.28m/1.5) were both up as well. Vampire Diaries (3.53m/1.6) and Supernatural (2.6m/1.2) were both down slightly, but continue to be the strongest night in viewers and the adult demo for the network. Monday remains strongest among younger viewers. Smallville (2.39m/.9) even got in on the game; despite being obviously down from last season, it did manage to beat both hours on FOX on Friday. The real problem on the schedule is now Melrose Place (1.42m/.8), which has fallen behind where Privileged was at this time last season.

Cable – The shocking stat from the cable list this week is that I managed to turn up at least 13 shows with more viewers than Dollhouse. Really, those numbers are that bad. The real standout on cable though, was The Ultimate Fighter (5.31m/3.1) on Spike. Sons Of Anarchy (3.76m/1.9) also remains very strong for FX, especially considering it is airing during the regular network season. Some other cable numbers to ponder:

Stargate: Universe (2.35m)
Mad Men (1.73m/.6)
Entourage (1.87m/1.1)
It’s Always Sunny (2.02m/1.2)
Drop Dead Diva (2.52m/.8)
Project Runway (2.8m/1.3)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (1.05m/.6)
Bored To Death (.71m/.4)
Army Wives (3.38m/1.1)
WWE RAW (4.5m/1.6)
Monday Night Football (15.7m/6.6)
The Hills (2.36m/1.5)
The City (2.03m/1.3)
Ghost Hunters (2.89m/1.2)
America’s Best Dance Crew (2.25m/1.2)
Lincoln Heights (.86m/.3)
Greek (.74m/.4)
Kourtney & Khloe (2.23m/1.3)
Real Housewives of Atlanta (2.72m/1.5)
Destination Truth (2.33m/1)

Photo Credit: FOX

Quotation Marks – Van Halen, vampires, and vamps

Ivey West — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:52:41 +0000

Dollhouse

“The human mind is like Van Halen. If you just pull out one piece and keep replacing it, it just degenerates.” — Topher

Big Bang Theory

“I’m not crazy, my mother had me tested.” — Sheldon

“Just fine … ah dude, the fourth Harry Potter movie was just fine!” — Raj
–
“[fine is] a perfectly good word. You put in front of wine or dining and you’ve got something!” — Penny
“Let me ask you this: How was last night for you?” — Leonard
“It was … OK” — Penny
“OK?” — Leonard
“Its a perfectly good word … If you put in front of dokey and you’ve really got something!” — Penny

“Sex is never the way I dream it’s gonna be.” — Howard
“It’s because in your dreams you’re a horse from the waste down.” — Raj

Quotes from the Ether

“Yeeesh. Our numbers weren’t good last night… ” — @MoTancharoen

That’s the positive spin. The negative spin comes from TheHollywood Reporter’s James Hibberd.

“Dollhouse punches through rock bottom, finds Fox ratings netherworld” — @TheLiveFeed

“Take it slow,in the Dao. Easy skankin. good vibes into the ether. Tonight watch my balls burst into FLAMES SUNNY FX @ 10 PM est” — @Danny_Devito, with your weekly words of wisdom

Mercy

“OK, I’m just going to throw this out there … Do you think we might actually win sometimes if we didn’t drink during the game?” — Garcia [during a softball game]
“That is the dumbest thing you have ever said.” — Callahan

Cougar Toun

“You know, people can’t unhear the things you say.” – Grayson to Jules

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

“I like vampires I can be afraid of, not some douchebag with his hat on backwards.” — Craig Ferguson on the Twlight kids

Grey’s Anatomy

“Nice pin.” — Meredith
“His name is Mr. Bear. He eats children.” — Cristina

Vampire Diaries

“What’s so special about this Bella girl? …. I miss Anne Rice.” — Damon

Modern Family

“Am I attracted to her? Yes. Would I act on it? Absolutely not! As long as my wife was alive.” — Phil, on his feelings for a new neighbor

“My dad’s great with tools. He can get the wheels off a car in less than a minute.” – Manny

“In my culture, we take great pride in doing physical labor.” — Gloria
“I know, that’s why I hire people from your culture.” — Jay

“I know, tone down my natural gifts, dance like a straight guy.” — Cameron
“No slapping your own butt.” — Mitchell
“But that’s how I make my horsey go!” — Cameron

“We’re gonna drink some wine, eat some good food…. Y’know, we would do something like this a lot more often if it wasn’t for, y’know, Manny.” — Jay
“He’s good. He keep us grounded.” — Gloria
“Yeah … like fog at an airport.” — Jay

Glee

“You guys look like the world’s worst Benetton ad.” – April to Glee club

“I want you to be in the Glee club. We’ll get you sobered up … Buy you some underwear.” — Will

“Do I have to put my fingers in the holes? Couldn’t there be diseases in there or something?” — Rachel
“Aw, no, ball-sharing’s half the fun.” — Fin

“When I heard Sandy wanted to write himself into a scene as Queen Cleopatra I was aroused …And then furious.” — Coach Sylvester

Castle

“You know, if this one of those super sciency forensics shows, we’d stick some electrodes in this fish’s brains. Get a fish eye view of whatever they saw.” — Castle

How I Met Your Mother

“I once fantasized about that silhouette chick you see on a truck’s mudflaps. It took me less than a mile.” – Barney

Bones

“When did teenager’s start having sex?” — Cam, asking about her adopted daughter Michelle
“Hello!” — Angela
“If they could, they’d start in the morning and go ’till they dropped.” — Hodgins

Community

“Hey man. My name’s Jeff. I’m trying to lock down the rest of my schedule before the deadline. I heard this class was a cakewalk. Are you passing it?” — Jeff
“…” — Student
“Do you like Dane Cook?” — Jeff
“Yeah he’s awesome.” — Student
“So far so good.” — Jeff

“Choo!” — Troy
“Hey Troy sneezes like a girl!” — Jeff
“And how ’bout I pound you like a boy – that didn’t come out right.” — Troy

“I’ll have to make some adjustments to my film. Jeff, I think you should play the role of my father.” — Abed
“… I don’t want to be your father.” — Jeff
“That’s perfect, you already know your lines.” — Ahmed

The Mentalist

“Its not like we killed him, his neck was broken in the crash.” — Lisbon
“We got a confession.” — Jane
“Suppose you didn’t. Suppose you’d been wrong. Have you any idea of the vastness of the crapstorm that would follow?” — Minelli

Greek

“Old people having old people sex.” –Rebecca’s summation of Private Practice

“What’s with the pink bowtie?” — Rusty
“Oh, just feeling fancy today.” — Cappie

House

“Who’s the broad?” — House’s Asian cooking partner
“Missionary.” — House
“If she’s a missionary, why does she dress like a hooker?” — partner
“I meant the position.” — House

“Bed is for sissies. Unless you’re having sex, in which case… no, bed is still for sissies.” — House to Wilson, on staying up all night cooking obsessively

“How hard are you trying not to make a ball joke right now?” — Wilson
“They’re smoking.” — House
“…?” — Wilson
“Your balls.” — House
“Oh! No no no! They’re browning way too fast.” — Wilson
“Blue’s the color you have to watch out for.” — House
“Enough! They’re still raw inside. By the time they cook through the outside will be burnt.” — Wilson
“I think there’s a medicated powder for that.” — House

“House, you’ve got no reason to …” — Cuddy [with Wilson, accusing House of still using]
“Et tu, bootay?” — House

the Simpsons

“Sufferin Steve Ditko!” — Comic Book Guy

“So, do you want to see me naked” — Homer
“There’s no nudity in this movie” — Hollywood Executive
“What movie?” — Homer

Supernatural

“Hoard toilet paper. Hoard it like it’s made of gold.” — Future Chuck’s investment advice for Present Dean

“Rhonda Hurley. She made us try on her panties. They were pink … and satiny … and we kind of liked it.” — Present Dean convincing Future Dean that he’s from the past

Photo Credit: FOX

Why can’t Booth and Brennan get together?

Ivey West — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:52:14 +0000

Bones has been flirting (pun certainly intended) with the Tempe and Seely relationship for a while now. They’ve got great chemistry, which is honestly one of the best parts of the show (and probably my favorite pairing on television).

Somewhere along the way, the heart of the show became the big “will they/won’t they” question that hounds a lot of TV shows these days. Well, I’m here to take a stand and proclaim that I’m tired of it. Writers who talk about how letting certain couples get together kills the chemistry, well I say to you (politely, because that’s the way that I roll): stop being lazy. In fact, I’ve even put together a collection of reasons after the jump that define exactly why these two in particular should hook up.

Reason Number One (And, well, the only reason): There’s no good damn reason not to.

Seriously! Do you think the banter dies because they’re having it in the living room instead of the diner? No! Do you think that Booth will stop being goofy next to the more serious Dr. Brennan? Heck no! Do you think that I’ll stop obsessing about how great these two are together anytime soon? Well, um, yeah, probably not that either.

The characters are so well crafted, and the actors have so much chemistry, that Hart Hanson needs to trust the writers room and the actors to show us the great story that we all (OK, at least that I) know it will be.

So get over it and put these two together!

The end of tonight’s episode was a little weird for Bones. I was not liking that it was looking like it might be Karin, but the final misdirection of it being a random crime was odd. I’m not sure that they’ve ever pulled the murder out of thin air like that. Also, the final shot of just fading away on an image of Levi was also unusual.

Other stuff:

I hate it when shows recast characters midstream … Especially when I like the original actress (in this case Dana Davis)
Clark’s aversion to talking about sex is quickly becoming unfunny
Bones sure did take the Rumschpringe abuse seriously
“Inference, not conjecture” sure, Tempe, sure
Seeley giving Perry the business was classic; loved the “I’m a trained sniper” bit

Photo Credit: FOX

Ratings Clack – Greg, Anthony, and Meredith rule

Brett Love — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:00:44 +0000

Holy smokes. After a summer without a lot of numbers to really be excited about, last week was just stuffed to the gills. There were season and series premieres everywhere, bringing in ratings that ran the gamut from outstanding to horrible. The big winners were House, NCIS, and Grey’s Anatomy. On the other end of the scale? The Beautiful Life, Brothers, Dollhouse, and just about all of NBC.

FOX - We’ll start here, as they had the best — and worst — ratings story of the week. Things got off to a great start with the two hour return of House (17.13m/6.7). It was just edged out in viewers by Dancing With The Stars, but tied with Grey’s Anatomy for the best demo of the week.

The middle of the week was what I would call successful. No records set, but no real damage done. Hell’s Kitchen (6.78m/3.2 – 6.98m/3.5) held strong, despite facing DWTS and the NCIS tandem. So You Think You Can Dance (5.5m/2.5) and Glee (6.64m/3.1) were close to last week, even with one time appearance of DWTS. And Bones (9.11m/2.8) remained solid against the premiere of FlashForward. Fringe (5.73m/2.3) did fall to a series low, but it remains to be seen how much of that had to do with the dueling premieres from CSI and Grey’s. This week should be much more telling.

And then, there’s Friday. Brothers (2.82m/1) got off to a horrible start, placing a distant fourth in viewers and tied for fourth in the demo. However, it did do better than Dollhouse (2.56m/1). Seriously, that’s horrible. Some people were quick to go to the excuses on that one, noting that DVRs will be a big deal, and there is revenue from streaming and iTunes to think of, etc. I’m quick to say: fuck that. The premiere was down over 30% in viewers and demo from the season one averages. And the season two premiere is down 50% in the demo and 44% in viewers from the season one premiere. There aren’t enough DVRs in the world to not make those numbers horrible.

CBS - While House and Grey’s tied for the week’s demo crown, the most watched show was NCIS (20.6m/4.8). That kicked off what was a great Tuesday night, also featuring the premieres of NCIS: LA (18.73m/4.4) and The Good Wife (13.71m/3.1). Earlier in the week, Monday was also successful. How I Met Your Mother (9.09m/3.6), Accidentally On Purpose (8.91m/3.3), 2 ½ Men (13.63m/4.5), Big Bang Theory (12.96m/4.7), and CSI: Miami (14.2m/4.3) all performed well. Two things to note: I’m not convinced AOP is going to maintain those numbers, and things are looking very good for Big Bang Theory becoming the #1 comedy on TV this season.

The only real stumble of the week came Wednesday, with Old Christine (7.17m/2.2) and Gary Unmarried (6.86m/2.3). Both were on pace with last season, but it does remain the weakest hour on the CBS schedule, and you have to wonder how much longer the experiment is going to last. Things picked up again at 9, with Criminal Minds (15.84m/4.4) and CSI: NY (15.06m/4).

Thursday brought Survivor (11.66m/3.7), CSI (16.01m/4.1), and The Mentalist (15.07m/3.6). Surprisingly, Survivor was actually up for the week, even while finishing second to the FlashForward premiere. I would expect it to be back to number one in the hour before too long. It will be interesting to see what The Mentalist does facing Private Practice instead of the extended Grey’s. Finally, as has become the norm, CBS easily won Friday night with Ghost Whisperer (8.58m/2.2), Medium (8.78m/2), and Numb3rs (7.92m/1.8). For the record, that Medium viewer number is higher than every non-football hour on NBC for the week.

ABC - Dancing With The Stars led off the first three nights, and proved that, while down year to year, it’s still a huge draw on Monday (17.79m/4.1), Tuesday (15.37m/3.5), and Wednesday (15.36m/3.3). Castle (9.27m/2.3) and The Forgotten (9.54m/2.6) both took advantage of the boost, and landed in second place. The real winners in the DWTS sweepstakes though, were Modern Family (12.61m/4.2) and Cougar Town (11.28m/4.4). We’ll have to see what happens when Hank and The Middle enter the picture, but it could be then end of the ABC comedy black hole. Eastwick (8.5m/3) followed, also putting up decent premiere numbers.

It wasn’t the highest rated show of the week, or the night, but the most impressive premiere might have been FlashForward (12.47m/4). It won the hour against Bones and Survivor, which is no small feat. That led to the huge return of Grey’s Anatomy (17.03m/6.7), which totally dominated the night.

NBC - The good news is that Sunday Night Football (24.82m/9.8) is still huge. The bad news, is pretty much everything else. To give an idea, not only did Medium have more viewers than everything but football … the most viewed series of the week (Mercy (8.38m/2.3) was below every new episode on ABC. Yikes. Heroes (6.11m/2.8) didn’t do very well kicking things off. The Biggest Loser (7.56m/3.1) was better on Tuesday, but is down a fair bit from where it finished in the spring.

Mercy (8.38m/2.3), surprisingly enough, was the most watched show on the network, and that was with the one-time appearance of DWTS. Law & Order (8.36m/2.5) followed, and did increase the demo, but the premiere was off a good two million viewers and a full demo point from what it was regularly doing last season.

There was one more bright spot on Thursday, with The Office (7.46m/3.9). Holding at nearly a 4 in the demo against the CSI and Grey’s premieres is great. Unfortunately, the rest of the Thursday comedy block is imploding. SNL (4.54m/1.7), Parks & Recreation (4.09m/1.8), and Community (5.39m/2.7) were all off. Did the Grey’s and CSI premieres sink Community? Or did people get a look last week and not come back?

Friday, Law & Order (6.29m/1.3) got off to what was a slow start, placing third in the demo behind Ghost Whisperer and a repeat of FlashForward. And Leno? The week averaged 5.98 million viewers and 1.9 in the demo. That’s not great, but good enough for the network, given the costs. The real story will be told when the show goes up against repeats.

CW - It was a bit of a mixed bag this week. One Tree Hill (2.29m/1.1) actually stood up well to the premiere of House. Gossip Girl (1.97m/1) didn’t. The good news is, of course, that Gossip Girl won’t be facing House after this. So it looks like that schedule change is already working out.

Tuesday remains an issue as the weakening 90210 (2m/1) leads in to the sinking Melrose Place (1.44m/.8). Heather Locklear can’t show up soon enough. The news was slightly better Wednesday, with Top Model (2.82m/1.3). That made for the second best hour of the week for the network, but Top Model does remain curiously down year to year. Still, that was worlds better than The Beautiful Life (1.05m/.5). That’s so bad that the show has been canceled.

The night of the week was again Thursday, as Vampire Diaries (3.79m/1.7) and Supernatural (2.66m/1.2) remained relatively steady despite the premieres from FlashForward, CSI, and Grey’s. The news was also good for Smallville (2.5m/1) on Friday. Those numbers are well below what the show was doing on Thursday, but also an improvement over last season’s Friday lineup. And really, the show should be knocking Fox into last place sooner, rather than later.

Finally, a few cable numbers from the week.

Mad Men (1.57m/.6)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (1.12m/.5)
Bored To Death (1.03m/.5)
Entourage (1.83m/1.1)
Drop Dead Diva (3.06m/.9)
Army Wives (3.28m/1)
Warehouse 13 (2.23m/.7)

Photo Credit: FOX; CBS; ABC

Quotation Marks – Singles, Snipers, and Zimas

Ivey West — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:31:59 +0000

We’re in the midst of it all now. This week the Emmy’s (un)officially kicked off the new fall season with an outstanding performance by host Neil Patrick Harris, Glee turned in a killer episode, and we saw the first cancellation of the season. One more week and most of the new fall shows will have premiered, and this post will be exploding with quotey-goodness.

Quotes from the Ether

“If you’re having trouble with somebody on the set, learn how to tell them to go to hell in such a way they’ll want to go.” – Emmy nominated director Rod Holcomb (ER), on how to handle troubles on the set

“After Miss Guided, Opportunity Knocks, Gameshow In My Head, and True Beauty, I thought someone taking another shot on one of his shows was him getting a break. Apparently, when Ashton grows up he wants to be Tim Minear.” – Clacker Brett Love, on the cancellation of The Beautiful Life

“That’s right, sofa-monkeys, no more corporate entertainment. No more self-congratulatory awards shows with athletic, yet luminous, hosts….” – Dr. Horrible at the Emmys, on amazingly similarly looking host Neil Patrick Harris

Castle

“Beckett, how come you don’t wear a uniform like that?” – Esposito
“Because I don’t want to get paid in singles.” – Beckett

“I don’t think she’s gonna make it. She’s got that “Scanners” look, you know, right before her head’s about to explode.” – Compton about Beckett, as she’s being interviewed about Castle

“Somebody hated his guts.” – Castle, on the victim who was de-organed

“Is it just my imagination, or did you change?” – Castle to Beckett, when she got a little sleezy for the Russian club

NCIS

“You remember when I said my boss was a sniper?” – Tony, reminding us that the whole NCIS team wasn’t in the room

Cougar Town

“Hey, you want to stay in, hang out on the couch, maybe watch a movie?” – Jules
“Are you hitting on me?” – Travis

“This wine’s for Ellie. She’s been looking so hot lately, I thought I’d get her drunk and try to hit that.” – Jules
“Lesbian mom jokes … awesome.” – Travis

“Home by midnight, and if I ever catch you two drinking and driving, I’m going to show everyone that baby picture of you two holding each others’ penises … so small.” – Jules
“You know, Ryan’s mom just says goodbye.” – Travis

Modern Family

“If Haley never wakes up on a beach in Florida half naked, I’ve done my job.” – Claire
“Our job.” – Phil
“Right. I’ve done our job.” – Claire

“May I take your multi-colored coat and bejeweled cap?” – Mitchell to Jay

“Lily? Isn’t that going to be hard for her to say?” – Phil

“Let me see the little potsticker.” – Jay, about meeting his adopted Vietnamese granddaughter

Psych

“[Computers] are just another passing fad, like rap music, Madonna, and LA Law.” – Henry

“What grown man doesn’t own a black suit?” – Gus
“Besides me? The Joker, Colonel Sanders, Matthew McConaughey.…” – Shawn
“McConaughey doesn’t count; he doesn’t own a shirt.” – Gus

“Man, I wish I could have known you when you were black….” – Shawn to Gus

“So they can, or cannot, lift the parental lock off my laptop?” – Shawn
“That was me Shawn; trust me, it was for your own good.” – Gus

Bones

“Shouldn’t we be honest with each other?” – Brennan
“We’re honest! I mean, aren’t you? I mean, I am.” – Booth
“So you have no problem with me making so much more money than you.” – Brennan
“No. [Brennan makes a face] Well, yeah, but it’s — it’s a little weird. I mean, you’re loaded. You’re really loaded, and you still don’t even have a flat screen. That’s just kind of weird, to be honest. It’s a little French, if you ask me.” – Booth

“We weren’t supposed to date! I guess it’s not like the FBI. We’re not allowed to sleep with someone we’re working with.” – Mandy
“Is she talking about us?” – Brennan
“We’re not.” – Booth
“No!” – Brennan
“Oh, it’s okay. I’m CIA. My lips are sealed.” – Mandy

Community

“We could have a candlelight vigil like lesbians have on the news!” – Annie

“My knowledge will bite your face off!” – Senor Chang

“The woman I kind of like is out there in the moonlight caring about something stupid. And this is my chance to show her that I care enough about her to act like I care about it, too.” – Jeff

“Did you guys know there’s an ethnic cleansing in Burma?” – Annie
“We’d better bust out that brownie mix.” – Shirley

Glee

“No … No … No. Giving birth is not like how it is in the movies. It is bloody, and bestial, and you get poop all over your cowboy boots.” – Kendra

“You know, caning has fallen out of favor in the United States. But ask anyone that’s safely walked the immaculate sidewalks of Singapore, after winning an international cheerleading competition, and they’ll tell you one thing: Caning works!” – Coach Sylvester

“The more times she [Rachel] storms out of rehearsal, the less impact it has.” – Artie

“Hey, ankle grabber! I had sex with your mother. No, seriously … I cleaned your pool, and then I had sex with her in your bed. Nice Star Wars sheets.” – Puck

Parks and Recreation

“You know my code. Hos before bros. Uteruses before duderuses. Ovaries before brovaries.” – Leslie

Photo Credit: ABC

Bones – Wendell has become my favorite intern

Ivey West — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:00:55 +0000

Not too long ago, Rich asked which of the rotating interns should stick around. Should it be Clark Edison, who was the first to try to replace Zack? Or possibly Vincent Nigel-Murray, who is, frankly, the funniest of the bunch? For the longest time, I was a big fan of Daisy Wick, who is easily the most annoying of the bunch. After this week’s episode, however, I’ve finally come to the conclusion that Wendell Bray is the student I’d like to see stick around most.

Everyone still misses Zach, both on the show and in the audience. Finding a permanent replacement is difficult for Brennan (Though less so, you would think, than the producers of the show). I think Zack and Wendell have something in common that gives him a leg up.

Zack was certainly an interesting character. More socially inept than his boss (And, likely, most of the people on the planet) and seemingly innocent, I doubt few couldn’t help but like Zack. To this day, I still don’t get the choices that were made with his character in connection to the Gormagon story line, and wish Zack were still around. The rest of the Bones team still does to, because Dr. Addy was not just a part of the team, but a member of the family.

Wendell Bray is too. He’s got that air of innocence about him that reminds me of Zack a little, but comes from a different background. He’s a ‘pull himself up by the bootstraps’ type that appeals to Booth, who’s joined a recreational hockey team with him. The rest of the Jeffersonian team obviously cares for him too, as they all pitched in to ensure that he was able to continue his work. While Rich stated that he’s dull, I actually like how he has integrated himself into the group.

Other Stuff:

Loved the plumbing stuff between Booth and Brennan, especially how it allowed for a small role reversal
Clarence Wiedman works for the CIA now?
Is it a rule that guys have to geek out over all things Bond (because I still do)?
I’ve been trying to figure out where I know the actress who played the girlfriend from without the use of IMDb … It’s really bugging me.

Photo Credit: FOX

Ratings Clack – Heeere’s Jay Leno

Brett Love — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:00:00 +0000

After a summer of wondering what the result of NBC just giving up on the 10 PM hour would be, we now have our first look at the numbers. Jay Leno started with a bang (over 18 million viewers), and then quickly started the slow grind to reality. The week also saw the premieres of One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, Biggest Loser, The Beautiful Life, SNL: News, Parks & Rec, The Office, Community, Bones, and Fringe. Some of those were more successful than others.

NBC - Jay Leno really was the big story of the week. Something that won’t happen again until NBC pulls the plug on the show. It is too early to call just when that might be though. The premiere certainly got some attention. Here are all the numbers for the week:

Monday (18.42m/5.3)
Tuesday (11.09m/3.4)
Wednesday (13.36m/3.5)
Thursday (8.82m/2.7)
Friday (7.69m/2.1)

That’s a huge drop, but not one that was unexpected. It’s hard to say where bottom is at this point, but we should know more this week. Monday will have Jay facing off with CSI: Miami and Castle. Elsewhere for NBC, there was more good news. Sunday Night Football (21.1m/8.6) is still a winner, as is America’s Got Talent (13.9m/3.3 – 15.79m/3.5). The Biggest Loser (9.9m/3.8) also returned with strong numbers.

Things were a bit more mixed on Thursday. The combination of the SNL: News special (5.47m/2) and Parks & Recreation (4.89m/2.1) left much to be desired. To put that in perspective, last season Earl (7.01m/2.8), and even Kath & Kim (7.46m/2.3), premiered better. Unfortunately for SNL, there’s no election this year. And unfortunately for Parks & Rec, it’s just not very good.

Things did pick up at 9. The Office (8.21m/4.1) was off from last season’s premiere, but those are still great numbers. Community (7.88m/3.8) was also down over the spot last year (SNL election news), but was above where 30 Rock finished the season. It will be curious to see what happens when the show moves to 8.

FOX - Things weren’t quite as exciting for FOX, but they do still have some heavy hitters yet to debut. Unfortunately, what was thought to possibly be one of the heavy hitters kind of fouled one off. Fringe (7.81m/3) came out from behind Paula’s skirt, and House’s lab coat, to stand naked under the guise of the squints. That’s not a great result. It dropped 2.5 million viewers from the Bones (10.36m/3.1) audience. Worse, at the end of last season, Hell’s Kitchen was beating that demo number while facing off with new episodes from Grey’s and CSI. That’s something the Fringe folks will try their hand at this week.

In other FOX news, So You Think You Can Dance (5.67m/2.4) and Glee (6.69m/3.2) were down week to week, but I don’t think it’s time for real concern. They were against the AGT finale, and I still expect the SYTYCD audience to grow once it gets into the competition. For Glee, the demo is solid, but it remains to be seen how loyal the Gleeks are. If they stick around, the show will be just fine. Three finales wrap up the FOX week, as we say goodbye to King Of The Hill (6.26m/3 – 6.04m/2.9), More To Love (4.2m/1.7), and Fifth Grader (5.02m/1). Great numbers for KOTH, and I’m now setting the over/under for Dollhouse at the Fifth Grader numbers. Take the under in viewers, and the over in the demo.

CW - Well, we’ve now seen 80% of the new CW schedule, and it’s really not looking like a good year. One Tree Hill (2.31m/1.2) and Gossip Girl (2.55m/1.4) premiered. The network was quick to point out how these are the best numbers since December. Hopping in the wayback machine, that was with no DWTS on ABC, and the Terminator/Prison Break trainwreck on FOX. This week, DWTS, House, and Lie To Me come online. Good luck!

Things actually got worse after that. 90210 (2.31m/1.2) is also off from last year, but did remain close to the week ago numbers. Melrose Place (1.81m/1), on the other hand took a sharp dip. That’s approaching the kind of numbers that got Privileged canceled. And, it gets worse. Next Top Model (2.79m/1.4) was above all of those shows, but that’s as low as a new Next Top Model has ever been. That didn’t offer any help to the premiere of The Beautiful Life (1.38m/.6). Yikes.

The good news, came on Thursday. It would appear that this will once again be the strongest night of the week for the network. Vampire Diaries (3.77m/1.6) and Supernatural (2.78m/1.2) took the expected drop from premiere week, but have the best average night for the network.

CBS - With the whole thing set to get rolling this week, the week belonged to the finish of Big Brother (6.59m/2.1 – 7.78m/2.8). The only premiere the network rolled out early was Survivor (11.66m/3.6). That’s down year to year, but the show still looks to be the #1 show in the 8 o’clock hour.

ABC - Nothing exciting to report this week. No premieres, just the end of the summer programming slate, including Shaq Vs (4.43m/1.7), Wipeout (6m/2.1), Crash Course (3.51m/1.4), and Primetime: Family (4.11m/1.4). Shark Tank (4.2m/1.4) had another iffy outing that makes it’s fall prospects look all the more shaky. And Defying Gravity managed to go up in the ratings (2.45m/.8 – really, it went up to get to that), but still disappeared from the schedule.

Finally, here are a few of the big numbers from cable for the week:

Mad Men (1.8m/.6) – It’s the 30 Rock of cable. Lots of awards, but nobody watches.
True Blood (5.11m/2.9) – Solidified as HBO’s new crown jewel.
Hung (2.9m/1.5) – Season 2???
Drop Dead Diva (3m/.9) – Cute, and a surprising success.
Army Wives (3.91m/1.3) – ??? I’ve never watched, but good viewer numbers.
VMAs (8.97m/4.6) – I hope they sent Kanye a thank you card.
Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins (6.11m/1.3) – Live action works on the cartoon network.
Monday Night Football (11.95m/5.7) – Great for ESPN, not in the ballpark of the OG MNF.
Sons Of Anarchy (3.71m/1.9) – Big drop, but still solid.
Warehouse 13 (2.93m/1) – Winding down a great first season.
Top Chef (2.67m/1.4) – Still the king of cooking shows.
The Ultimate Fighter (4.11m/2.5) – Featuring the bloodiest fight ever on the show. Just grisly.
Ghost Hunters (2.45m/1.1) – Uh… boo?
Dark Blue (1.61m/.6) – Without Leverage, this one sinks.
It’s Always Sunny (2.25m/1.4) – How does this show not get crazy Emmy consideration? It’s funny, and has low viewer numbers….
Project Runway (3.62m/1.6) – Different network, still a cable hit.

Photo Credit: NBC

Quotations Marks – Bones, Devito, and Dick Cheney

Ivey West — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:00:40 +0000

The fall season is not yet in full effect, but I could barely tell that from the way my mailbox blew up this week with tons of quotes. With so much fresh content, and so many great quotes, we’re back to limiting the amount of quotes per show … but that means we’d like to hear more from you about which quotes you liked this week.

Bones

“Well, they gave me medication. So, I imagine I feel how people of average intelligence feel all the time.” — Bones, asked how she’s feeling while on pain medication

“And that ladies… that is why they call me king of the lab.” — Hodgins
“Nobody does that but you.” — Angela

Quotes from the Ether

“Not at the show? Watch it tonight on FX. At 10:00! Balls heating up big time!!!” @Danny_Devito being … uh … Danny Devito

“The singalong audience is families and gay guys dressed up as nuns. My idea of heaven. Christian right’s idea of Sodom and Gomorrah.” — @TheAmyBrenneman talking about going to a Sound of Music singalong showing

“good morn…I’M SORRY BUT BEYONCE HAD THE BEST VIDEO OF ALL TIME. THE BEST VIDEO OF ALL TIME.” — @psychwrites (the Psych writer’s feed) … I guess they were interrupted trying to say Good Morning :)

“Web-surfing on my iphone [sic] and just noticed the talented (and extremely handsome) Nathan Fillion won an Emmy. Congrats!” — @WriteRCastle … The twitter feed of Richard Castle from Castle (and not the least bit humble)

Glee

“I’m going to ask you to smell your armpits. That’s the smell of failure, and it’s stinking up my office. I’m revoking your tanning privileges for the entire semester.” — Coach Sylvester

“If I don’t get some sleep, I could miscarry.” — Terri

“My life is a disaster with no creative outlet, other than writing my Desperate Housewives fanfiction.” — Sandy

Greek

“You’re like Dick Cheney, and she’s a quail.” — Rebecca to Rusty, about his chances of killing Jordan

“We haven’t had a debate this lively since, ‘What’s the difference between a chipmunk and a squirrel?’.” — Cappie to Heath, on whether Rusty should have chosen to kill, or have sex with, Jordan

Mad Men

“It’s better to have a bit of Don Draper than no Don Draper at all.” — Lane, on Don being late to a meeting
“I’d like that in writing.” — Don

“Let me put it in account terms. Are you aware of how many hand jobs I’m going to have to give?” — Roger, to Pete on his screwing up an account

Top Chef

“It’s terrible. It tastes like I just sucked on a piece of chlorine.” — Chef Tim Love, who was not a fan of Robin’s offering

Parks and Recreation

“Derek is gay, but he’s straight for me, but he’s gay for Ben, and Ben’s really gay for Derek … and I hate Ben.” — April, describing her relationship with her boyfriend Derek and Derek’s boyfriend Ben.

The Office

“People tell me things. I guess I have a face you can trust. Must be my low cheekbones.” — Dwight

“The point is to get from point A to point B as creatively as possible. So technically, they are doing parkours, as long as point A is delusion and point B is the hospital.” — Jim

“I hate, hate, hate being left out. Whether it’s not being picked for a team, or being picked for a team and showing up and the team doesn’t exist… or the sport doesn’t exist.” — Michael

“Did you pee on a stick?” — Micheal
“I did, but it was inconclusive.” — Jim

Psych

“Besides, it’s not that impressive. I solve a case every week … and usually one right around Christmas.” — Shawn

“Indian giver!” — Shawn
[Music stops. Everyone stares]
“Oh! Nononono … I meant to insult an entirely different group of Indians.” — Shawn

Shawn: “I’m sorry, was the chicken seasoned with molten lava?”
…
Shawn: “Dude, I can’t see out of my left eye!”
Gus: “I see dead people!”
Shawn: “Oh God, the water’s spicy!”
Gus: “Who does that?”

Monk

“I think we’re supposed to share the armrests.” — Natalie
“What are we, in Russia?” — Monk

Photo Credit: FOX

The Annie Le case is ripe for a procedural drama

Richard Keller — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:00:10 +0000

I would like to speak to you in two voices: that of a normal citizen of the world, and the other as a network/program executive. As the normal citizen of the world, the murder of Annie Le by suspect Raymond Clark III is a tragedy on all sides. Annie was a young woman, full of promise, about to get married, whose life was snuffed, allegedly, by a man who seemed so nice to others but was an apparent tyrant in the labs that Le worked in. It’s just another example of a society that doesn’t respect life on this planet.

As the network/program executive, the Annie Le murder is a perfect case for a procedural drama!

It has all the elements that you would find in a procedural on television today. There’s the victim, whose life was taken just as she was about to be married; the suspect, who seemed all white bread and innocent, but was allegedly an obsessive, angry individual; and a number of friends and family who feel that the suspect could have never performed such a heinous act. If it all sounds familiar to you, it’s because you’ve seen it on one, or many, television shows over the years.

I guess the most obvious question is when one of the dramas is going to rip this from the headlines, and which one it will be. The scenario would fit in any of the Law & Order or CSI series, as well as The Closer. It would also fare well on Criminal Minds. It wouldn’t work on Bones because the story would have to be manipulated in order to provide a unrecognizable body for the Squint Squad to put back together. It would work on NCIS only if it had a Naval or Marine focus.

That’s what I think as the network/program executive. As the normal citizen I find the last two paragraphs disgusting to even think about. And yet, there’s no doubt that the executives are thinking about this already and getting their writers working on a plot. So goes the world.

Photo Credit: Yale Police Department

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