Saturday, April 30, 2011

RATINGS RECAP: 4/29/11

ABC
8:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 20/20
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

CBS
8:00 The Royal Wedding: Modern Majesty
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
9:00 CSI: NY
Viewers: 9.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
10:00 Blue Bloods
Viewers: 10.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

NBC
8:00 Friday Night Lights
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7
9:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

FOX
8:00 Kitchen Nightmares
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Fringe
Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

ABC was all new on Friday night. At 8pm, Shark Tank was down two tenths in viewers and the demo. Despite the second consecutive week of dropping, it is still getting better ratings than Supernanny and may indeed receive another midseason renewal. At 9pm, a two hour edition of 20/20 focusing on the Royal Wedding was up a big 2.3 million viewers and four tenths in the demo from last week's episode, which just aired in the 10pm hour.  

CBS was all new as well now that May Sweeps is here. At 8pm, a special about the Wedding was above average for the timeslot this year, especially recently. Canadian import Flashpoint will begin its season in this timeslot starting next week. At 9pm, CSI: NY was down six tenths in viewers and even in the demo from its last new airing three weeks ago despite the better lead-in. The viewer total is a season low for this on-the-bubble veteran show. If CBS decides to ax one of the three CSI series, this will probably be it. At 10pm, Blue Bloods was down six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from its last new airing. This show is also on the bubble, but will probably see a renewal due to it stabilizing the 10pm hour on Fridays, which is very difficult to program.

NBC was barely on the map on Friday night. At 8pm, Friday Night Lights was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for series lows. Of course it doesn't matter much for this show since its in its final season and already available on DVD after the DirectTV airing. At 9pm, Dateline NBC was down nine tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo as people seemed to choose 20/20's coverage of the Royal Wedding rather than Dateline's. 

FOX was all new as well starting with Kitchen Nightmares which was down half a million viewers and three tenths in the demo from its last new airing two weeks ago, hitting season lows. This show is not nearly as strong as it was earlier this spring (case in point: its season premiere got a 1.9 demo). At 9pm, Fringe was up two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week;s series lows perhaps thanks to a new lead-in. Its season finale is next week.

Friday, April 29, 2011

RATINGS RECAP: 4/28/11

ABC
8:00 20/20 Special
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Grey's Anatomy
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7
10:00 Private Practice
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory
Viewers: 10.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
8:30 Rules of Engagement
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
9:00 CSI
Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 The Mentalist
Viewers: 13.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6

NBC
8:00 Community
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 The Office (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 The Office
Viewers: 8.4 million, 18-49 demo: 4.2
9:50 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:30 30 Rock
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 19.6 million, 18-49 demo: 5.7
9:00 Bones
Viewers: 9.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8

ABC was all new on the first night of May Sweeps. At 8pm, a special on the Royal Wedding was old-skewing. Those most interested in this special may have been getting ready for bed for an early wakeup call! At 9pm, Grey's Anatomy was down a big 2.4 million viewers and 1.2 in the demo from the last new episode three weeks ago, which was the big music episode. It was basically on par with the episode before that which is ok because the competition was fierce on broadcast networks and from the NFL Draft. At 10pm, Private Practice was down seven tenths in viewers and half a point in the demo. The demo is a season low for an episode airing in its regular timeslot. Will ABC give another show a chance on Thursday at 10pm next season?


CBS was all new as well. The Big Bang Theory lead off the night and was down seven tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo from its last new airing three weeks ago, hitting season lows. This show has certainly taken a hit in the 8pm hour and against American Idol but if CBS keeps it here, it will likely go back up in the fall. At 8:30pm, Rules of Engagement was down eight tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo from its last new airing. The demo was a season low and the viewers tied a season low as this is getting hit by the much-stronger second half-hour of Idol. At 9pm, CSI was down a big 2.3 million viewers and half a demo point from its last new airing, easily hitting season lows. This was quite a disappointing performance for the veteran show and may convince CBS to move it elsewhere next fall. Finally at 10pm, The Mentalist was down 1.7 million viewers and four tenths in the demo. While it was down a fair amount, it did not hit season lows and built heavily from CSI to put an ok end on a rough night for the Eye network.

NBC was all new except for 8:30pm where a repeat of The Office replaced the cancelled Paul Reiser Show. At 8pm, Community was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo, remaining terribly low for a series that got an early renewal. At 9pm, the extended finale of series star Steve Carell on The Office helped the show jump 1.5 million viewers and nine tenths in the demo. While the jump was nice, the number was below most expectations and below the season opener this year. Still, it was one of the few shows to go up on Thursday. It was followed by an extended episode of Parks and Recreation which was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week's regular episode. For an episode that ran from 9:53-10:30, a 2.3 demo is not too bad. At 10:30pm, 30 Rock aired at a special time and was down six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo from last week's one hour episode. NBC's real problem on Thursdays in the 8pm hour, not the 10pm hour.

FOX was all new with its regular lineup. At 8pm, the results hour of American Idol was down seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, tying a season low but still dominating the 8pm hour. At 9pm, Bones was down 1.3 million viewers and four tenths in the demo, hitting a low for 9pm - where it started airing in January. Considering it was up against new dramas on ABC & CBS, Steve Carell's final episode, and the NFL draft after having almost no competition last week, this drop is not too surprising.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/27/11

ABC
8:00 The Middle (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
8:30 Better With You
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:30 Cougar Town
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 Happy Endings
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:30 Modern Family (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 11.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
9:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

NBC
8:00 Inside the Royal Wedding
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 The Voice (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 22.3 million, 18-49 demo: 7.1
9:30 Breaking In
Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4

ABC was partially new on Wednesday night with mixed results. After a repeat of The Middle, Better With You was down six tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, hitting a series low in viewers. This came after a great sampling on Monday night following Dancing with the Stars but the fact that audiences didn't follow it to its regular timeslot kills any revival this show might have been getting. A repeat of Modern Family was a tenth away from being the best demo performer of the night. At 9:30pm, Cougar Town was down six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Though it had a much weaker lead-in, it was handily beat by FOX's Breaking In. This needs to find a new timeslot since it was already renewed. At 10pm though Happy Endings was up six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo from last week which is a nice turnaround for the young season. These 10pm numbers are definitely acceptable at this point and ABC decided to double pump episodes for the remainder of the season in the hour, which is a good sign. Like 30 Rock on NBC, a comedy getting over a 2 in the demo at 10pm, an hour where comedies never air, is not bad at all.


CBS was only new in the 8pm hour on the last night before Sweeps. At 8pm, Survivor was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo as it seems to be slowly building towards the finale. Repeats of the Criminal Minds shows rounded out the night. NBC started things off with a special on the Royal Wedding which was modestly rated but an improvement over Minute to Win It. A night-after encore of The Voice was quite impressive for a show that had just aired as it managed a 2.2 in the demo. It's clear that the buzz surrounding the show was positive and led many more to check out the show's second night. It will be very interesting to see the ratings for this show next Tuesday, but they might even go up.

FOX started things off as usual with American Idol which was down just two tenths in viewers and even in the demo with last week. It was followed by Breaking In, which was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo. The retention out of Idol remains terrible but the overall numbers are still decent enough. If FOX does indeed renew this show, it should probably follow Idol again (or maybe X-Factor) because it's likely it would tank on its own.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

RATINGS RECAP: 4/26/11

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars Special
Viewers: 13.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
9:00 Dancing with the Stars Results
Viewers: 18.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6
10:00 Body of Proof
Viewers: 11.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

CBS
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 10.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 The Mentalist (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:00 The Voice
Viewers: 11.8 million, 18-49 demo: 5.1

FOX
8:00 Glee
Viewers: 8.6 million, 18-49 demo: 3.4
9:30 Raising Hope
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

On a busy Tuesday night, ABC was all new starting with a Dancing with the Stars special that was well above the numbers that Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution has been getting in this slot. Should ABC consider moving the results edition back to 8pm next fall? At 9pm, the results edition of Dancing with the Stars was up a nice 2 million viewers and six tenths in the demo. Despite the competition from The Voice, this was the best results number since the first results show perhaps thanks to the many big names that appeared. At 10pm, Body of Proof was up half a million viewers but down two tenths in the demo. This is sure to get renewed and the total viewer number is very strong but it appears to be skewing older as the weeks go by as it went up in viewers and down in the demo for a second straight week. CBS was in repeats with a lineup of dramas that performed decently considering the competition.

NBC was all new and had a great night thanks to a big premiere from The Voice. At 8pm, The Biggest Loser was up eight tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo from last week's two hour episode. Maybe it's time for this show to scale back to an hour next year as it would make the 8pm hour stronger. At 9pm, the premiere of the heavily hyped The Voice did not disappoint. The total viewer numbers was about as expected but the demo was an incredibly strong 5.1. In fact, it was the best demo premiere of any new show this season on any network. NBC has to be thrilled with this performance as it also had gains in the 10pm hour and received lots of positive buzz online during the airing and today in the press. NBC may finally have a much needed hit on its hand but we should wait to see how Week 2 does.

FOX was hit hard by ABC's gains and NBC's big premiere. At 8pm, a 90 minute episode of Glee was down a rough 1.2 million viewers and four tenths in the demo despite only airing against The Voice and the results edition of Dancing with the Stars. These are more season lows for Glee and the novelty appears to be wearing thin quicker than expected as it is nowhere near what it was getting in the early fall. At 9:30pm, Raising Hope felt the pressure of the competition and was down eight tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo from last week's 9pm episode for series lows. This show is also slipping badly in recent weeks but has already been renewed for next season.

PILOT REVIEW: The Voice

THE VOICE










Hosted by Carson Daly
Judges: Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton
Created by John De Mol, Directed by Alan Carter

The Voice is the heavily hyped new NBC reality competition that is American Idol with a few twists. Four very successful current artists serve as judges and they have to pick singers for their "team" unseen. They simply listen to the voice of the singer and if they like them enough, they turn their chair around to campaign for them. It doesn't matter if they're young or old, beautiful or ugly. The pilot dealt with this first round - once the judges have their team of 8, they winnow it down to 4 and then American votes.

This is a really fun show and probably worth the hype so far. It's hard to tell if it will morph into an American Idol clone but the first round is far more interesting than Idol's audition rounds. At first the show seemed a bit overproduced, but once it got into the actual competition, it was highly campaigning. The contestant stories were short and sweet and Carson Daly was likable enough as the backstage cheerleader during the initial round. But the real strength of this show was the actual performances. What may have seemed like a gimmick during promotion with the judges and their chairs actually made for suspenseful and interesting performances. It also doesn't hurt that all the voices are talented - there were no joke or bad contestants.

The judges at this point seem to be a strength. They are comfortable in this setting and, for those who weren't already aware, they proved that they have the credibility with a strong performance to open the show. Adam Levine was funny in his campaigning for contestants, Cee Lo Green had his funny moments, Christina Aguilera was not nearly as obnoxious as she seemed in the promos, and Blake Shelton was earnest and interesting. All the judges seemed to know what they were talking about and have some interesting critique and ideas. Another nice feature in this show is the contestants having the say in deciding who they want to work with. This gives the judges some vulnerability and allows for some good competition.

It's hard to tell what this show will look like in later rounds. In some ways, it seems like it will lose its uniqueness when this first round ends. On the other hand, maybe the gimmick and twist will last just long enough to be interesting and not be overdone. It's different enough from American Idol to be a success. And the talent is better vocally. I'll be back for more.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

RATINGS RECAP: 4/25/11

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 22.4 million, 18-49 demo: 4.7
9:30 Better With You
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
10:00 Castle (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:30 Mad Love
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:30 Mike & Molly (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
10:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

NBC
8:00 Chuck (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 The Event
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
10:00 Law & Order: LA
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 House (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 The Chicago Code (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

ABC had a good Monday night. At 8pm, Dancing with the Stars was up a nice 2.3 million viewers and seven tenths in the demo. Part of may have been due to less competition but this is still a nice rise and it will probably continue to grow as the finale nears. At 9:30pm, a special airing of struggling freshman comedy Better With You performed above expectations and above last week's airing in this slot by the more established Cougar Town. If this series high leads to any additional viewers and Wednesday's airing sees a rise, it may have a chance after all, but for now it remains to be seen. A Castle rerun at 10pm was above recent repeat airings of the drama.

CBS was in repeats except for Mad Love which was down just a tenth in viewers and even in the demo despite being behind a repeat. This proves that the show has its own audience even though that audience is small. It may still have an off chance of renewal. A special airing of The Big Bang Theory aired at 9pm and was above last week's Two and a Half Men repeat numbers. Will CBS move Big Bang back to Mondays next fall? A Hawaii Five-0 repeat beat a repeat of Castle and a new Law & Order: LA at 10pm.


NBC was new from 9-11pm after a low-rated repeat of Chuck. At 9pm, The Event was up seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. The viewer total is its best since its return on March 7 but that doesn't mean it stands a chance. At 10pm, Law & Order: LA was up seven tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo from last week's low. While the rise is good, it probably should have gone up more considering both CBS and ABC were in repeats. Finally, FOX was in repeats and low as expected.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/24/11

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Desperate Housewives
Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
10:00 Brothers & Sisters
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9 

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 10.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
8:00 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 9.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
9:00 Movie: Beyond the Blackboard
Viewers: 8.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

NBC
7:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
8:00 America's Next Great Restaurant
Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Celebrity Apprentice
Viewers: 8.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0

FOX
7:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
7:30 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
8:00 Movie: The Simpsons Movie
Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

ABC was all new from 8-11pm on Sunday night following a repeat of America's Funniest Home Videos (and it doesn't seem to matter ratings-wise if this show is a repeat or not). At 8pm, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was up two tenths in viewers and the demo from last week. It's still paling in comparison to Secret Millionaire in this slot. At 9pm, Desperate Housewives was up a nice 1.1 million viewers and four tenths in the demo, rebounding from last week's troubling numbers. At 10pm, Brothers & Sisters was up three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo, not posting as good retention. This show is likely to be cancelled or renewed for one final half season.

CBS had its regular lineup from 7-9pm. At 7pm, 60 Minutes was down three tenths in viewers but up two tenths in the demo. At 8pm, The Amazing Race was up six tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo. Despite the Easter holiday, most network shows were up on Sunday. At 9pm, a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie was below normal levels and skewed incredibly old, which is not too surprising. Sometimes these movies are successes and sometimes not, this one was not.


NBC was all new on Sunday night with its regular lineup. At 7pm, Dateline NBC was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, remaining uncompetitive against 60 Minutes. At 8pm, America's Next Great Restaurant was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. Celebrity Apprentice closed out the night and was up six tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo, rebounding from last week's drop. Still, Donald Trump's presence all over the news with his possible presidential bid doesn't seem to be affecting this show one way or another. FOX was not very competitive with repeats of The Simpsons and the second airing of The Simpsons Movie.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

WEEKEND REWIND: Steve Carell on "The Office"

This Thursday will mark the end of an era as The Office will air its final episode with star Steve Carell. I am not going to use this space to speculate on whether The Office will or will not be able to survive but rather to reflect on one of the greatest characters ever seen on a sitcom - Michael Scott - and the layered and dynamic performance delivered by Carell.

The character of Michael Scott should be a character the audience doesn't like - he's incompetent, sexist, racist, selfish, and obnoxious. Yet somehow he became someone you rooted for, someone you occasionally felt sorry for, and someone who you wanted to succeed. Part of it was due tot he writing but a great deal of it was due to Carell's portrayal of Michael Scott. His Michael Scott was earnest, someone who genuinely wanted to please everyone even if he had no idea how to do it. He wanted to be good at his job and wanted people to like him and despite how often he annoyed them, it's clear there was some love and respect for the boss from the employees of Dunder Mifflin. Michael also had a parade of women who he didn't know how to handle but from the minute he met Holly, we wanted them to end up together. And end up together, they will (at least it seems). Michael got his happy ending and he deserves it.

There were very few episodes where Michael did not have a redeeming moment, and sometimes it came when we (the audience) or the characters on the show were at their wit's end. After he ruins the "booze cruise" with obnoxious behavior, he tells an upset Jim to "never ever ever give up" in such an earnest way that it pulls at the heart strings. After he storms out of Ryan's business class with a completely unprofessional meltdown, he shows up at Pam's art show and brings her (and us) nearly to tears because he was the only one who cared enough to show up.

Of course, those factors are what made Michael Scott such a dynamic and classic character in sitcom history. He was also hilarious and no one could ever play the role the way Steve Carell could in that respect either. He had a gift for comedic timing that was seen in his attacks on Toby, his adventures with Dwight, and his many awkward office interactions. Dunder Mifflin will never be the same without Michael Scott and The Office will never be the same without Steve Carell. Thanks for the memories, world's best boss.

By the way, it's a crime that Steve Carell hasn't won the Emmy for this role. Even though this season wasn't his strongest, he should win this year just to fix that glaring error.

THE TOP 15 STEVE CARELL EPISODES OF "THE OFFICE"
These are not my Top 15 favorite episodes of the show, but the best Michael episodes. Each includes a quote from him in the episode.

"Diversity Day"
15. #2 "Diversity Day" (first aired: March 29, 2005)
We get an early glimpse of Michael making a fool of himself when he decides to take over "diversity training" despite the fact that it was Michael's racist joke that brought on the training. "How come Chris Rock can do a routine and everybody finds it hilarious and groundbreaking and then I go and do the exact same routine, same comedic timing, and people file a complaint to Corporate? Is it because I'm white and Chris is black?"

14. #121 "Happy Hour" (first aired March 25, 2010)
We are introduced to "Date Mike" in this episode when Michael tries to impress a date set-up for him by Pam. And unfortunately, Date Mike is even more annoying than Michael Scott. "Hi I'm Date Mike. Nice to meet me. How do you like your eggs in the morning?"


13. #100 "Company Picnic" (first aired May 14, 2009)
Michael and Holly are reunited at a Dunder Mifflin company picnic. They put on a hilariously awkward skit and bond all day but Holly is with someone else, leading Michael to speculate on their future. "I didn't find that perfect moment, because I think that today was just about having today. And I think we are one of those couples with a long story, when people ask how they found each other. I will see her every now and then, and maybe one year she'll be with somebody and the next year, I'll be with somebody, and it's gonna take a long time... and then it's perfect. I'm in no rush."

12. #56/57 "Dunder Mifflin Infinity" (first aired October 4, 2007)
Ryan is Michael's new boss and instituting many technology changes which Michael resists. His attempts to prove that the old-fashioned way of doing business is still the best leads to him driving his car into a lake and angrily demanding the return of a gift basket from former clients. "I drove my car into a ****ing lake. Why you may ask did I do this? Well, because of a machine. A machine told me to drive into a lake. And I did it! I did it because I trusted Ryan's precious technology and look where it got me."

"The Deposition"
11. #65 "The Deposition" (first aired November 15, 2007)
In another episode in the long and disastrous relationship of Michael and Jan, Michael must testify at a deposition after Jan has been fired by Dunder Mifflin. While he eventually supports the company and not his girlfriend, it is an uncomfortable process full of hilarity including the reading of Michael's diary. "You expect to get screwed by your company, but you never expect to get screwed by your girlfriend."

10. #48 "Safety Training" (first aired April 12, 2007)
Much like in "diversity day," the office is required to go through safety training after Michael has an incident. But when the group doesn't seem to take things seriously, he takes to the roof with a planned mock suicide jump (to a bounce house castle). This episode also has a great sight gag when they test the jump to a trampoline by using a watermelon that hits Stanley's car. "I saved a life. My own. Am I a hero? I really can't say. But yes."

9. #7 "The Dundies" (first aired September 20, 2005)
We are introduced to a great tradition at Dunder Mifflin - Michael Scott's disastrous emceeing of the Dundies. As expected, his brand of humor does not go well in a slightly offensive and off-color awards show. "Was this year's Dundies a success? Well let's see, I made Pam laugh so hard, that she fell out of her chair, and she almost broke her neck. So I killed. Almost."


8. #145 "Garage Sale" (first aired March 24, 2011)
In a very recent episode, Michael proposes to Holly in a beautiful set-up. This was the happy ending that we all wanted Michael to have and that he got. Even though it means he has to leave Dunder Mifflin, he gets to be with the love of his life. "This is where I fell in love with you. And this is where I ask you to marry me... Holly Flax, marrying me will you be?"


"A Benihana Christmas"
7. #38/39 "A Benihana Christmas" (first aired December 14, 2006)
Michael's Christmas is ruined when he pushes too hard with girlfriend Carol and she breaks up with him. After trying to cancel Christmas, he drowns his sorrows at Benihana and thinks he finds a new soulmate in an Asian waitress, only to get her confused with another Asian waitress he brings back, which lead to the hilarious moment of Michael marking her arm with marker to tell them apart. "Bros before hos. Why? Because your bros are always there for you. They have got your back after your ho rips your heart out for no good reason. And you were nothing but great to your ho and you told her that she was the only ho for you. And that she was better than all the other hos in the world. And then suddenly, she's not yo' ho, no mo'"


6. #28 "Casino Night" (first aired May 11, 2006)
This is my all-time favorite episode of The Office for many reasons and Michael is one of the many. Though not the central character in the episode, he has many hilarious lines and moments. But most of all is his perfect chastizing of Toby, one of the best lines in the entire show. "Why are you the way that you are? Honestly, every time I try to do something fun or exciting, you make it... not that way. I hate so much about the things that you choose to be."


5. #29 "Gay Witch Hunt" (first aired September 21, 2006)
Michael finds out that there is someone gay in the office and, with right-hand man Dwight, he tries to figure out who it is. When its discovered that it's Oscar, Michael "raises the stakes" (an unscripted moment from Steve Carell) and kisses Oscar during a meeting. "I'm glad that today spurred social change. That's part of my job as regional manager. But you know what? Even if it didn't, at least we put this matter to bed. That's what she said. Or he said."
 

4. #18 "The Injury" (first aired January 12, 2006) 
Michael burns his foot on a George Foreman grill and spend the rest of the episode at the office exaggerating the injury and basically being a big baby about it. Only Michael would burn his foot on a grill in his bedroom. "I don't want any special treatment Pam. I just want you to treat me like you would some family member who's undergone some sort of serious physical trauma. I don't think that's too much to ask." 


3. #71/72 "Goodbye Toby" (first aired May 15, 2008)
Michael is on cloud nine because nemesis Toby is leaving for Costa Rica. But it gets even better for him when he meets Holly, Toby's replacement. From the very beginning when Michael and Holly bond on the floor of the office, it's clear that Holly is the rarest of women - one who's perfect for Michael Scott. "I'm downloading some N3Ps for a CD mix tape for Holly and I'm looking for perfect songs that work on two levels... the two levels being 'Welcome to Scranton' and 'I love you.'"


"The Convict"
2. #37 "The Convict" (first aired November 30, 2006)
Perhaps Steve Carell's funniest moment came in this episode when Michael discovers one of the new employees from the merger with Stamford spent time in jail. This leads to the best of Michael's many characters - "Prison Mike" - lecturing the staff on why Dunder Mifflin is better than prison. It's comedy gold. "Close your eyes. Picture a convict. What's he wearing? Nothing special, baseball cap on backwards, baggy pants... he says something ordinary like 'yo that's shizzle.' Okay now slowly open your eyes again. Who are you picturing? A black man? Wrong. That was a white woman. Surprised? Well, shame on you."


1. #45 "Business School" (first aired February 15, 2007)
As mentioned above, this is the best example of Michael being a redeeming character. He spends the episode bombing as a guest speaker in Ryan's business class and then throwing a tantrum. But he is the one staff member who shows up to support Pam at her art show, and he is genuinely impressed with her work. No quote could convey how great a scene this is so I won't use one but this scene is what makes us love Michael so much. He has a clear desire to make people happy and be a good person. However flawed he may be in carrying that out, this great character will be missed tremendously.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/23/11

ABC
8:00 Movie: The Ten Commandments
Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5

CBS
8:00 CSI: NY (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 CSI: Miami (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 48 Hours Mystery
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0

NBC
8:00 Chase
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
9:00 Law & Order: LA (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6
10:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

FOX
8:00 Cops
Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 America's Most Wanted
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4 

Saturday, April 23, 2011

RATINGS RECAP: 4/22/11

ABC
8:00 Shark Tank
Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
9:00 Primetime: What Would You Do? 
Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 20/20
Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

CBS
8:00 CSI: NY (Repeat)
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Girls Night Out: Superstar Women of Country
Viewers: 8.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

NBC
8:00 Friday Night Lights
Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3

FOX
8:00 Kitchen Nightmares (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
9:00 Fringe
Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2

ABC was all new on Friday night with middling results. At 8pm, Shark Tank was down half a million viewers and a tenth in the demo but was the high point of ABC's evening. While not overly impressive, it is doing better than Supernanny and will probably earn a third season with these numbers. At 9pm, Primetime: What Would You Do? was down two tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo which is well below the 1.7-1.9 it was getting back in November as this concept is wearing thin. At 10pm, 20/20 was down six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. CBS started things off with a repeat of CSI: NY which pulled roughly the same numbers as the now-pulled Chaos which aired in this time period last week. A country music special followed and delivered decent numbers for a sleepy Friday.

NBC was all new starting with Friday Night Lights which was down two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. It was followed by Dateline NBC which was down a tenth in viewers and the demo. Dateline will probably stay put next season but what will NBC air at 8pm? FOX aired a low-rated repeat of Kitchen Nightmares at 8pm followed by a new Fringe which was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for series lows. Why did this get renewed?

Friday, April 22, 2011

CANCELLATION ALERT: The Paul Reiser Show

In an unsurprising move, NBC has cancelled the ratings-challenged The Paul Reiser Show after just two very pathetic airings on Thursday night. It debuted to a paltry 3.4 million and 1.1 demo and then dropped in Week 2 to 2.4 million and a 0.9 demo. The semi-autobiographical sitcom was also a flop with critics and the first two episodes were very unfunny despite Reiser's past success on NBC with the great Mad About You. I said it when I reviewed this show - but he needs to be in a more traditional sitcom, that's where his brand of humor fits. Repeats of The Office will fill the space for the rest of the season, which is just a few weeks. The Paul Reiser Show is the third freshman show to get yanked after just two airings - joining FOX's Lone Star and ABC's My Generation.

Reiser joins fellow official NBC cancellations Outlaw and Undercovers as well as the ending Friday Night Lights. Other shows that have not been officially cancelled but stand absolutely no chance of coming back next season are Chase, The Cape, Perfect Couples, and School Pride. Shows that have next to no chance of coming back but are still airing include The Event, America's Next Great Restaurant, and Outsourced. On the bubble are Chuck and Law & Order: LA while Parenthood, Harry's Law, and Law & Order: SVU are likely or certain to join the already-renewed The Biggest Loser, 30 Rock, Community, The Office, Parks and Recreation, The Sing Off, and Who Do You Think You Are? next year.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/21/11

ABC
8:00 Wipeout (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 Grey's Anatomy (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
10:00 Private Practice (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8

CBS
8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
8:30 Rules of Engagement (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5
9:00 CSI (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
10:00 The Mentalist (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

NBC
8:00 Community
Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:30 The Paul Reiser Show
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
9:00 The Office
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3
9:30 Parks and Recreation
Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 30 Rock
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 20.3 million, 18-49 demo: 5.8
9:00 Bones
Viewers: 11.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2

ABC and CBS were in repeats on Thursday night with CBS having better repeat numbers, particularly The Mentalist's 2.1 demo at 10pm. NBC was all new with its comedy lineup and saw dismal results in the 8pm hour. Leading off, Community was down three tenths in viewers to a season low and even in the demo. Why did this show get renewed? It was followed by the second week of The Paul Reiser Show which was down a million viewers to a pathetic 2.4 million and two tenths in the demo. The demo has already slipped lower than the terrible numbers for Perfect Couples. Will NBC leave this on the air through May? At 9pm, The Office was down a rough 1.1 million viewers and seven tenths in the demo which is somewhat surprising since it is Steve Carell's penultimate episode. It was followed by Parks and Recreation which was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, posting better retention than last week. To round out the night, a one hour episode of 30 Rock - the 100th episode - was up a tenth in viewers and even in the demo from last week's half hour episode. A 2.2 demo at 10pm is not bad and it wouldn't be surprising to see 30 Rock stay in this slot next season.

FOX was also all new. At 8pm, the results edition of American Idol was down 1.6 million viewers and six tenths in the demo as it appears to be suffering from the 8pm problems that have been plaguing nearly every show on every network. It still dominated the hour though. At 9pm, a Bones episode that served as a potential backdoor pilot to a spinoff was down half a million viewers and three tenths in the demo, but posted better retention than last week. Critical reaction and fan reaction will be more indicative to whether the spinoff turns into a series than these numbers. 

Thursday, April 21, 2011

RATINGS RECAP: 4/20/11

ABC
8:00 The Middle
Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
8:30 Better With You
Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
9:00 Modern Family
Viewers: 9.9 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8
9:30 Cougar Town
Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 Happy Endings
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8
10:30 Happy Endings
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6

CBS
8:00 Survivor
Viewers: 11.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1
9:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat)
Viewers: 8.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9
10:00 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior
Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

NBC
8:00 Minute to Win It
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
9:00 Minute to Win It (Repeat)
Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8
10:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat)
Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4

FOX
8:00 American Idol
Viewers: 22.5 million, 18-49 demo: 7.1
9:30 Breaking In
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5

ABC had mixed results with its three hour block of comedy. At 8pm, The Middle was up seven tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week's lows but it remained well below its season average thanks to the 8pm doldrums and competition from American Idol. At 8:30pm, Better With You was up three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week's lows. A renewal still seems very unlikely though it will get a shot in the post-Dancing with the Stars slot on Monday. At 9pm, Modern Family was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo as it remained the easy demo standout on the night. At 9:30pm, Cougar Town returned to its regular slot and was down three tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo from its last airing in this slot on February 2. That last airing followed a repeat of Family so it appears the hiatus did no favors to this show which has a loyal but limited audience. The demo was a season low. At 10pm, ABC had back to back episodes of new sitcom Happy Endings. The 10pm episode was down 1.1 million viewers and half a demo point from last week's 10pm episode and the 10:30pm one was below that. ABC has given this show a ton of promotion but it doesn't appear to be catching on as the competition was very limited in the 10pm hour and it still saw big drops.

CBS started the night off with Survivor which was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo. I've said it all spring, but this is quite an impressive performance given the competition and the 8pm hour troubles lately. It was followed by repeats of Criminal Minds and Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior which did fine - the repeat numbers for Suspect Behavior are strong enough to help its renewal chances as it beat a Law & Order: SVU repeat. NBC was barely on the map as usual. A new Minute to Win It was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week. NBC has really given up on 8-10pm on this night.

FOX was all new with its regular lineup. At 8pm, American Idol was down half a million viewers and two tenths in the demo. These are season lows for Wednesday but still dominating. At 9:30pm, week three of Breaking In was down three tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo, posting better retention. It appears this show has already stabilized (at least with a powerful lead-in) and despite the poor retention out of Idol, it might earn a second season if these numbers stay steady in the next couple weeks. It managed to beat Cougar Town in both categories.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

RATINGS RECAP: 4/19/11

ABC
8:00 Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
9:00 Dancing with the Stars Results
Viewers: 16.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
10:00 Body of Proof
Viewers: 11.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4

CBS
8:00 NCIS (Repeat)
Viewers: 13.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 11.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
10:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat)
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1

NBC
8:00 The Biggest Loser
Viewers: 6.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3
10:00 Parenthood
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5

FOX
8:00 Glee
Viewers: 9.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.8
9:00 Raising Hope
Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:30 Traffic Light
Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3


ABC had a solid Tuesday night but the 8pm hour continues to be a problem as Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution dropped seven tenths in viewers and a rough four tenths in the demo from its season premiere last week. This show just won't cut it on a night other than Friday and ABC is pulling it for a week next week for a Dancing with the Stars recap show, which is never a good sign. At 9pm, the results edition of Dancing with the Stars was up three tenths in viewers and down a tenth in the demo. At 10pm, Body of Proof has definitely stabilized as it was up three tenths in viewers and down just a tenth in the demo. A renewal seems a sure bet at this point which is not good news for the other freshman dramas.


CBS was in repeats on Tuesday night but still delivered solid numbers. A special repeat of NCIS: Los Angeles at 10pm delivered a better demo number than a first run episode of The Good Wife last week. NBC had mixed results. The Biggest Loser started things off and was down eight tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo for season lows. This should be building as the finale nears but it seems to be going in the wrong direction. At 10pm though, the season finale of Parenthood was up 1.1 million viewers and four tenths in the demo, delivering its best numbers since the second episode of the season last September. This happened despite a weaker lead-in and probably all but assures a third season for this critically acclaimed drama.

FOX was all new for the first time in several weeks. At 8pm, Glee returned to season lows as it was down 1.4 million viewers and four tenths in the demo from its last new airing. This isn't too surprising given the troubles 8pm shows have had lately and the fact that it had been in repeats for a month. Still, this show got over 13 million viewers and a 5.9 in the demo earlier this season so it may have peaked at this point. At 9pm, Raising Hope was down four tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from its last new airing, hitting series lows but posting better retention this week. At 9:30pm, Traffic Light was up nine tenths in viewers and four tenths in the demo from last week, when it followed a repeat. It's still a dead show walking at this point.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

RATINGS RECAP: 4/18/11

ABC
8:00 Dancing with the Stars
Viewers: 20.1 million, 18-49 demo: 4.0
9:30 Cougar Town
Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
10:00 20/20 Special
Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

CBS
8:00 How I Met Your Mother
Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5
8:30 Mad Love
Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 Two and a Half Men (Repeat)
Viewers: 7.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1
9:30 Mike & Molly
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6
10:00 Hawaii Five-0
Viewers: 11.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8

NBC
8:00 Chuck
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3
9:00 The Event
Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
10:00 Law & Order: LA
Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1

FOX
8:00 House
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2
9:00 The Chicago Code
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8

ABC was all new on Monday night with mixed results. At 8pm, Dancing with the Stars was down eight tenths in viewers and half a demo point from last week for a season low. This month has been disastrous for the demo across the board so a 4 is still solid despite the bigger than usual drop. It was followed by the return of Cougar Town, which hasn't been on since early February. Despite the huge lead-in, Cougar returned to lower numbers than it left with. This show has its audience, but there seems to be very little room for growth at this point. It returns to its regular slot on Wednesday. A 20/20 special on the Royal Wedding was old-skewing at 10pm. 


CBS had a decent Monday night but it did not start off great. At 8pm, How I Met Your Mother was down four tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo for more season lows. This show seems to be getting hit hard by Daylight Savings and the 8pm blues. At 8:30pm, Mad Love was up a tenth in viewers and the demo, posting better retention from last week. Its chances still seem slim for next season but it's not a done deal yet. Mike & Molly returned to its 9:30pm slot after a 9pm trial run last week and was up a big 2.1 million viewers but just a tenth in the demo. Returning to its regular timeslot and not airing against Dancing with the Stars helped it rebound, but the demo still seems low. At 10pm, Hawaii Five-0 also rebounded and was up 1.9 million viewers and three tenths in the demo. In fact, its total viewer numbers were its best since November 22 (not counting its Sunday airing after the AFC Championship Game).

NBC was a disaster on Monday night across the board. At 8pm, Chuck was up two tenths in viewers and even in the demo. There's no way NBC should give this cult favorite another renewal. At 9pm, The Event fell further as it was down two tenths in viewers and the demo for series lows. At this point, its loyal fans are sticking around for the conclusion and that's about it.  Keep in mind this show premiere to over 10 million viewers and a 3.6 in the demo. At 10pm, Law & Order: LA was down a million viewers and a rough four tenths in the demo from last week's two hour return, collapsing to series lows. Unlike Harry's Law, this show apparently cannot stand on its own. NBC needs to go back to the drawing board on this night. Their problem from the very beginning was leaving the weak Chuck as the lead-off to the night and the problems have only increased since then.

FOX was all new on Monday night as well. At 8pm, House was suffering from the 8pm troubles as it was down a tenth in viewers and even in the demo from last week's lows. As this show is in a precarious renewal position, these numbers aren't helping its case though a 3.2 is still solid. At 9pm, The Chicago Code was up half a million viewers and even in the demo. I still wouldn't be surprised to see this show get a midseason renewal as it has been steady for the most part this winter, sometimes against tough competition.

RATINGS RECAP: 4/17/11

ABC
7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos
Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6
8:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Viewers: 7.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
9:00 Desperate Housewives
Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7
10:00 Brothers & Sisters
Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7

CBS
7:00 60 Minutes
Viewers: 10.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4
8:00 The Amazing Race
Viewers: 8.8 million, 18-49 demo: 2.4
9:00 Undercover Boss
Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0
10:00 CSI: Miami
Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2

NBC
7:00 Dateline NBC
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9
8:00 America's Next Great Restaurant
Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2
9:00 Celebrity Apprentice
Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6

FOX
7:00 The Cleveland Show (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0
7:30 American Dad! (Repeat)
Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1
8:00 The Simpsons (Repeat)
Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7
8:30 American Dad!
Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2
9:00 Family Guy
Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0
9:30 The Cleveland Show
Viewers: 4.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3

ABC was all new on Sunday night and the April doldrums continue to set in for the networks. America's Funniest Home Videos started off the night and was down four tenths in viewers and even in the demo from its last new episode. At 8pm, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition returned after a seven week break but it was down 2 million viewers and four tenths in the demo from its last airing on February 20. It was also well below the numbers that Secret Millionaire was pulling. It wouldn't be surprising to see Millionaire take this slot next fall and Makeover shipped elsewhere (Fridays?). At 9pm, Desperate Housewives was even in viewers but down two tenths in the demo, tying a season low in that category. This show has slipped badly this spring. At 10pm, Brothers & Sisters was down two tenths in viewers and a tenth in the demo from last week's two hour episode, tying season lows. It seems like its time for ABC to part with this drama. 


CBS did not have great news either as the downward trend across networks continued. At 7pm, 60 Minutes was down 2.2 million viewers and eight tenths in the demo from last week when it aired immediately after the Masters Tournament. At 8pm, The Amazing Race was down a rough 1.7 million viewers and half a demo point for its lowest numbers not counting the night it aired against the Oscars. The biggest problem though was Undercover Boss which was down 2.2 million viewers and 1.1 in the demo from last week for series lows. This was a huge drop and somewhat surprising since the rest of the shows weren't down that much. This concept appears to be wearing thin quickly and CBS should save next year's episodes (it is already renewed) for midseason and perhaps retool it as bit. It had gotten a 4 in the demo earlier this season so that's a dramatic drop. At 10pm, CSI: Miami was even in viewers and down just a tenth in the demo despite a much weaker lead-in. That should help its ever rosier renewal outlook.

NBC did not have a great Sunday night. At 7pm, Dateline NBC was up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo. It was followed by America's Next Great Restaurant which was also up three tenths in viewers and even in the demo but still very low. At 9pm, Celebrity Apprentice didn't perk things up as much like usual as it was down half a million viewers and four tenths in the demo. Despite Donald Trump's increasing presence on the news and in Republican polls for President, his show dropped to a season low.

FOX was in repeats for the first half of their night but had new animated shows for the last half. At 8:30pm, American Dad! aired at a special time and was up 1.3 million viewers and six tenths in the demo from last week's episode, which aired at 7:30pm. Not surprisingly, this show does better when it is not airing in its regular slot. At 9pm, Family Guy was down six tenths in viewers and three tenths in the demo. While the demo is a season low, it was still the best of the night on any network. At 9:30pm, The Cleveland Show was down three tenths in viewers and two tenths in the demo.  

Sunday, April 17, 2011

WEEKEND REWIND: Rhoda

RHODA












September 9, 1974-December 9, 1978
110 episodes
Starring: Valerie Harper, Julie Kavner, David Groh, Nancy Walker, Harold Gould, Ron Silver, Ray Buktenica, Kenneth McMillan

Before Frasier, Rhoda was arguably the most successful spinoff in TV history. Based on a wildly popular character from the wildly popular The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda was a show that started off on the right track the first season with a highly publicized and widely watched wedding but lost its way later in its run and fizzled out during its fifth season.

At the beginning of the run, the show focused on Rhoda's (Valerie Harper) return to her hometown New York City after living in Minneapolis. Almost immediately (to ensure that people would be watching as it aired against Monday Night Football), Rhoda met and fell in love with a man named Joe (David Groh). The perpetually single girl was finally getting married and her wedding was viewed by the second biggest audience (at the time) in tv history. Soon Rhoda and Joe settled into an apartment in the same building as sister Brenda (Julie Kavner), who was basically Rhoda four years ago - slightly overweight and jumping from one bad date to the next. A popular guest star from Mary Tyler Moore, Nancy Walker was a regular here as Rhoda's overbearing and very Jewish mother Ida. Rounding out the original cast was Rhoda's loving father Martin (Harold Gould).

Rhoda went on for two solid seasons under this premise but then the creators and writers made an inexplicable decision. They felt that the Rhoda character had better stories to tell single and so they decided to divorce Rhoda and Joe. The third season was one long season about their separation and then divorce, making Rhoda one of tv's first main divorced characters. There was nothing inherently wrong with this idea as Joe was good but not great on the show. The problem was that they never really recovered and the show began to get weaker and weaker. Lame characters were added like Brenda's boyfriend Benny (Ray Buktenica), her cranky boss (Kenneth McMillan) who was a poor man's Lou Grant, and the swinger bachelor upstairs Gary (Ron Silver).

By the end of its run, Rhoda was a shell of what it once was. But at its best, it was a spinoff that worked - an extremely likable character from a popular show who was strong and developed enough to carry her own sitcom. It will never be in the same category as its parent series, but it was certainly good in its own right... at least for awhile.

THE TOP 10 EPISODES OF "RHODA"
As always, this is based on personal opinion

10. #30 "The Party" (first aired October 6, 1975)
Rhoda and Joe throw a party and a psychiatrist runs a group session there. It's a plot right out of The Bob Newhart Show but it works here to see some unique party guests and their quirks, including Rhoda and Joe.

9. #74 "The Return of Ida" (first aired October 2, 1977)
After a season off the show, Nancy Walker makes a great return to Rhoda to find Rhoda divorced and other surprises. This episode shows how badly she was missed during her season off the show.

8. #2 "You Can Go Home Again" (first aired September 16, 1974)
Rhoda can't find a place to live and decides to move back home but it's not long before she and Ida cannot live under the same roof. This is a great mother/daughter episode and part of Rhoda's strong start to its run.

7. #55 "Two Little Words: Marriage Counselor" (first aired October 25, 1976)
The separated Rhoda and Joe decide to visit a marriage counselor and it does not go very well. There's a great sight gag of Rhoda and Joe's poor attempt at a trust fall and a deep secret revealed. The separation and divorce was a muddy storyline but this was a good episode.

6. #14 "S Wonderful" (first aired December 2, 1974)
Rhoda suspects that the man Brenda is dating is married and tries to go about proving it in a disastrous double date. This is a great performance by Valerie Harper as Rhoda is snarky and suspicious about the man and his background. 

5. #1 "Joe" (first aired September 9, 1974)
Most shows take awhile to get going but Rhoda came out of the gate really strong with this pilot episode. She moves to New York and we get to meet her sister and a new boyfriend in an episode that really sets up the series well. 

4. #50 "The Separation" (first aired September 20, 1976)
This episode was the beginning of the end for Rhoda but it started on a strong episode. The big fight that leads to the separation of Rhoda and Joe is heartbreaking and well-acted by Valerie Harper and David Groh. It's an attempt at a serious episode that plays really well.

3. #37 "Friends and Mothers" (first aired November 24, 1975)
This episode features a great guest starring role by a much older Vivian Vance. When Rhoda becomes friends with Vance's character, Ida is jealous that Rhoda can be friends with someone her age and tries to be Rhoda's friend herself. This is a great episode all around but particularly when Ida tries to be "hip" at a dinner party.

2. #25 "Along Came Mary" (first aired March 10, 1975)
Any episode that reunites Mary and Rhoda is bound to be towards the top and this is a standout episode. Rhoda and Joe's planned weekend getaway is crashed by Mary, who shows up on a surprise visit. Seeing Mary blindly be unaware of Joe's frustration and Rhoda's attempts at peacemaker makes for a great premise and episode.

"Rhoda's Wedding"
1. #8/9 "Rhoda's Wedding" (first aired October 28, 1974)
Of course this episode would be at the top. There are so many classic elements to this episode - the WJM staff coming with Mary for the wedding, Phyllis forgetting to pick up Rhoda, and Rhoda running through the streets of New York in her wedding dress. It's a classic episode all the way around with many great performances from the actors of Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. It was a must see TV event and it holds up well today.