The surprise deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett made for a strange week in the numbers, as the networks quickly moved things around to get news programming on the air. The results were improved numbers, but that’s not saying much, given how a lot of the summer programming is going. There were some notable premieres this week. America’s Got Talent, The Superstars, Merlin, and The Philanthropist met differing fates. The big news on cable was either Jon & Kate’s breakup episode, or the return of The Secret Life Of The American Teenager, depending on your particular point of view. Both did big numbers. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s really starting to look that way, and I find it rather surprising. Did anyone  see it coming? I like Mark Feuerstein and everything, but my best guess was that the show would enjoy modest success and work as a nice companion to the bigger hit, Burn Notice. So far, that’s just not the case. Last week, Burn Notice (5.8m/1.9) was back to usual levels, but Royal Pains (6.5m/2.1) was up, again. Where will it stop? Meanwhile, on the broadcast networks, it was more of the same. Lots of repeats, and much of the original programming left something to be desired where the numbers were concerned. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s Tuesday. Only three more months till the fall TV season begins. Yes, that sound you heard was the collective sigh of depressed television viewers everywhere.

• It’s Crimetime Tuesday on CBS (though, isn’t every night on CBS Crimetime?) with repeats of NCIS, The Mentalist, and 48 Hours Mystery. Antonio Sabato Jr. and Traci Scoggins guest star on NCIS.
• It’s House and Prefab House (also known as Mental) on FOX. This week’s repeat of House begins the ‘Cuddy Wants a Baby’ epic.
• Comedy returns to the ABC schedule tonight with repeats of According to Jim, Scrubs and Better off Ted. One of these shows (According to Jim) is not like the others as both Scrubs and Ted are returning in 2010.
• It’s Crimetime Tuesday on NBC with two episodes of Law & Order:SVU and a new I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, which is a crime to viewers sense of good taste.
• I’d mention the Tuesday night schedule for The CW, but the site I’m using isn’t even listing it. That says something about the network, doesn’t it?

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That didn’t take long. When Conan debuted on the Tonight Show, his premiere soundly defeated Letterman. Of course, as expected, the curiosity of the premiere wore off immediately, and the numbers began to drop. Things really got interesting last week as we started seeing the first signs that the late night war is back on. In week 2 for Conan, Letterman actually managed to win a couple nights in the overnight household ratings. NBC is quick to point out that Conan is still tops in the younger demos.

While that is true, it’s worth noting that the last time Letterman managed to top Leno in the overnights was some eight months ago. Considering that the late night shows operate on scales of years, it’s way too early to declare a winner. However, it all does serve to make the late night ratings race, one which Leno had pretty much owned for years, very interesting again. Elsewhere this week, more good news for cable, from The Closer, Burn Notice, and Royal Pains. Back on the networks, The Bachelorette and I’m A Celebrity squared off again, the dancing kids were winners for FOX, and even without Lebron, the NBA was very good to ABC. Read the rest of this entry »

Okay, we’re in the times which bring about a bad reputation for the entire reality television genre. I’ll admit it. The reality genre has its losers as well as its winners. The genre definitely has some mind-rotting shows aboard the hot tamale train. And they tend to show up between the spring and summer seasons, well after the May sweeps so that the ratings mean diddly-squat.

For me, right now there is only one really entertaining reality show — So You Think You Can Dance. As a summer show, it’s a ratings winner. I’m not sure how well a second season come fall will go against the new scripted and existing hit reality shows like Survivor. Now, if FOX were to stop local newscasts at 10 PM, push ‘em back an hour and air SYTYCD five nights a week against Jay Leno, I’d be doing a happy dance!

Read the rest of this entry »

Yes, the boys over at USA earned the headline this week. There just really wasn’t that much to talk about where the networks were concerned. For example, CBS was the most watched network on three different nights, with a combination of repeats and one episode of Million Dollar Password.  It was much more interesting seeing the press release from USA that revealed Burn Notice had 6 million viewers for the season premiere. Royal Pains was right on pace with 5.6 million. It will be interesting to see if Royal Pains can stay that close as the weeks progress. After the jump, it’s the NBA vs the NHL, So You Think You Can Dance vs Wipeout, and I’m A Celebrity vs the basic common sense of viewers. Read the rest of this entry »

Hey did you get outside and enjoy this beautiful weather this week? Don’t worry if you did, we’ got your back. Here’s some of what went down in the world of television:

• The TCA (Television Critics Association) Awards nominees were announced, with NBC and The Shield leading the pack. But I still want BSG to take home “Program of the Year.” Winners to be announced Aug. 1.
• Susan Boyle didn’t win Britain’s Got Talent, which of course has lead to some controversy about the voting on that show as well, and a clinic stay for Boyle.
• Conan O’Brien debuted on Monday as the new host of The Tonight Show with huge ratings, in what some are unhappily saying is a subdued iteration of himself.
• We spent way too much time talking about Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Bruno” character landing ass-bare on Eminem’s face at the MTV Movie Awards.
• Tell your children not to worry, Miley Cyrus has signed on for a fourth season of Hannah Montana, which will feature her and her father moving out of the beach house.
• Octomom Nadya Suleman is going to film a reality show, but has no networks to air it in the US.
• Actor David Carradine dies, and his death may be more colorful than his career was; I’m sure some sleazy network is looking for the rights.
• Prison Break’s “T-Bag,” Robert Knepper is cast in Heroes, where he’ll play a sleazy villain … that’s a stretch. But still great casting!
• Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag contiue to annoy everyone on and off the set of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!

Kind of makes me want to take my television outside and just throw it in the garbage… except that I just got a 52″ plasma and video games and Blu-Rays look amazing on it!