Benjamonster's TV

Weeks after the Upfronts, NBC has finally made a decision on freshman drama Hannibal . The show debuted in April to decent numbers by NBC Thursday 10pm standards. However, it has quickly fallen apart so this renewal is somewhat of a surprise. That being said, it is a solid DVR gainer and it has gotten decent critical acclaim so it looks like NBC will give it another try with a 13 episode midseason order. I could see it on Fridays if they end up using the planned Crossbones elsewhere. I would actually try Crossbones at 8pm in midseason leading into Grimm and then Hannibal , but time will tell.

ABC 8:00 The Middle (Repeat) Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 8:30 Family Tools Viewers: 3.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 9:00 Modern Family (Repeat) Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4 9:30 How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life) Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4 10:00 The Lookout Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 CBS 8:00 The American Baking Competition Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 9:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat) Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9 10:00 CSI (Repeat) Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2   NBC 8:00 Dateline NBC Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5 9:00 Healing in the Heartland Benefit Concert Viewers: 8.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9 10:00 Chicago Fire (Repeat) Viewers: 3.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8   FOX 8:00 Masterchef Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1   On Wednesday night, CBS aired The American Baking Competition premiere but it was another swing and miss for a new summer show a...

ABC 8:00 Extreme Weight Loss Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 10:00 Body of Proof Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 CBS   8:00 NCIS (Repeat) Viewers: 8.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat) Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 10:00 Brooklyn DA Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 NBC 8:00 The Voice Recap Viewers: 6.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7 9:00 The Voice Viewers: 10.4 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2 10:00 The Office (Repeat) Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 FOX 8:00 So You Think You Can Dance Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9 Tuesday night had the season premiere of Extreme Weight Loss for ABC but it delivered low numbers. At 10pm, the series finale of Body of Proof was down 1.1 million viewers and two tenths in the demo. The show was cancelled after three seasons on ABC and will not be picked up by a cable network as originally rumored. On CBS, the series premiere of documentary series Brooklyn DA was soft as well....

ABC   8:00 The Bachelorette Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9 10:00 20/20 Special Edition Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 CBS 8:00 How I Met Your Mother (Repeat) Viewers: 3.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9 8:30 Rules of Engagement (Repeat) Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9 9:00 2 Broke Girls (Repeat) Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 9:30 Mike & Molly (Repeat) Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 10:00 Hawaii Five-0 (Repeat) Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 NBC 8:00 The Voice Viewers: 11.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2 10:00 Revolution Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9   FOX 8:00 Raising Hope (Repeat) Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo; 0.7 8:30 The Goodwin Games Viewers: 1.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 9:00 New Girl (Repeat) Viewers: 1.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 9:30 The Mindy Project (Repeat) Viewers: 1.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6   Memorial Day had a fair amount of new programming. On ABC, The Bachelorette had its lo...

ABC   7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat) Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 8:00 Wipeout (Repeat) Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8 9:00 Motive (Repeat) Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5 10:00 Rookie Blue (Repeat) Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5 CBS 7:00 60 Minutes (Repeat) Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 8:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat) Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5 9:00 The Good Wife (Repeat) Viewers: 3.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4 10:00 The Mentalist Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 NBC 7:00 The Voice (Repeat) Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5 9:00 Smash Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5 FOX 7:00 NASCAR Racing Viewers: 7.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9

ABC   8:00 Bet on Your Baby Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5 9:00 Ultimate BBQ Cookout Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 10:00 Body of Proof (Repeat) Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4 CBS 8:00 The Mentalist (Repeat) Viewers: 3.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4 9:00 48 Hours Viewers: 4.1 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 10:00 48 Hours Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9 NBC 8:00 NHL Hockey Playoffs Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 FOX 8:00 MLB Baseball Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5  

ABC   8:00 Shark Tank (Repeat) Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 9:00 Shark Tank (Repeat) Viewers: 4.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6 10:00 20/20 Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 CBS   8:00 Undercover Boss (Repeat) Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8 9:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat) Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7 10:00 Blue Bloods (Repeat) Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7 NBC 8:00 Dateline NBC Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 10:00 Rock Center with Brian Williams Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9 FOX 8:00 Bones (Repeat) Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8 9:00 Brain Games Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0  

ABC 8:00 Wipeout Viewers: 4.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 9:00 Motive Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 10:00 Rookie Blue Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 CBS   8:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat) Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2 8:30 Two and a Half Men (Repeat) Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8 9:00 Person of Interest (Repeat) Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 10:00 Elementary (Repeat) Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9 NBC 8:00 Save Me Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7 8:30 Save Me Viewers: 2.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7 9:00 The Office (Repeat) Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 9:30 Parks and Recreation (Repeat) Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7 10:00 Hannibal Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0   FOX 8:00 Hell's Kitchen Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.2 9:00 Does Someone Have to Go? Viewers: 3.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 On the first night of summer, numbers were predictably low. FOX had a decent sh...

SAVE ME Starring: Anne Heche, Michael Landes, Alexandra Breckenridge, Madison Davenport, Heather Burns Created by John Scott Shepherd Written by John Scott Shepherd, Directed by Scott Winant Save Me is a new sitcom about alcoholic Beth Harper (Anne Heche) who nearly chokes on a sandwich during a drunken night. When she lives, she suddenly seems to have a direct connection to God and sets about changing her life for the better. That means reconnecting with her estranged husband Tom (Michael Landes) and rebellious teen daughter Emily (Madison Davenport). Also in the main cast is her husband's mistress Carly (Alexandra Breckenridge) and an estranged friend Jenna (Heather Burns). THE GOOD: I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed Save Me . It won't become appointment viewing for me but it was better than I thought it would be. Anne Heche is interesting and enjoyable in the lead role and manages to carry a bizarre concept pretty well. The supporting cas...

ABC 8:00 The Middle Viewers: 7.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0 8:30 Modern Family (Repeat) Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.6 9:00 Modern Family Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7 9:30 How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life) Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1 10:00 Nashville Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9 CBS 8:00 Two and a Half Men (Repeat) Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 8:30 Mike & Molly (Repeat) Viewers: 5.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 9:00 Criminal Minds Viewers: 11.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.8   NBC 8:00 Dateline NBC Viewers: 6.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4 9:00 Law & Order: SVU Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7 10:00 Chicago Fire Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7 FOX 8:00 Masterchef Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1 9:00 Masterchef Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3   Wednesday night was the final night of the TV season and featured several finales. On ABC, the season finale of The M...

ABC 8:00 The Bachelor's Funniest Moments Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 9:00 Dancing with the Stars Viewers: 15.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.7 CBS 8:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (Repeat) Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 9:00 NCIS (Repeat) Viewers: 7.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 10:00 NCIS (Repeat) Viewers: 7.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.4 NBC 8:00 NBC News Special: Devastation in Oklahoma Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0 9:00 The Voice Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2 10:00 Grimm Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7   FOX   8:00 So You Think You Can Dance Viewers: 4.7 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0 Tuesday night had the season finale of Dancing with the Stars . Though it was up 3.3 million viewers and nine tenths in the demo, it was down three tenths in the demo from its finale last fall and had its lowest finale show ever. It's good that ABC is reducing this to one night in the fall but the better move would have been giving it a cycle off. On NB...

On this final day of the season, I am handing out some miscellaneous awards to shows from the season as I did last year and in 2011 ! Just a side note, this summer will be quiet on the blog as every summer is but I will continue to post the rundown, ratings recaps, and pilot reviews of unscripted shows. They just won't be as detailed as they are during the season and I won't have the random other features. BEST RETURNING COMEDY - New Girl (FOX) The new comedies were very disappointing this year but returning comedies had a nice season. From the always reliable Modern Family and The Middle to the (somewhat) rebounding The Office to the stellar Parks and Recreation . But my favorite returning comedy was season two of New Girl . The hip comedy followed up a strong first season with an even better second season. The cast gels together so nicely and it is one of TV's best ensembles right now. The decision to hook up Jess and Nick (Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson) was a...

ABC 8:00 Dancing with the Stars Viewers: 15.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6 10:00 Motive Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 CBS 8:00 2 Broke Girls (Repeat) Viewers: 4.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2   8:30 Rules of Engagement Viewers: 6.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.8 9:00 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat) Viewers: 7.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1 9:30 Mike & Molly (Repeat) Viewers: 7.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1 10:00 Hawaii Five-0 Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0   NBC 8:00 The Voice Viewers: 10.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5 10:00 Revolution Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9 FOX 8:00 Raising Hope (Repeat) Viewers: 1.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7 8:30 The Goodwin Games Viewers: 1.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 9:00 New Girl (Repeat) Viewers: 1.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 9:30 The Mindy Project (Repeat) Viewers: 1.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 On Monday night, ABC had the final performance night of Dancing with the Stars which jumped a strong 1.7 million viewers ...

ABC   7:00 America's Funniest Home Videos Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7 8:00 2013 Billboard Music Awards Viewers: 9.5 million, 18-49 demo: 3.5 CBS 7:00 60 Minutes Viewers: 10.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 8:00 60 Minutes Viewers: 8.2 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 9:00 ACM Presents: Tim McGraw's Superstar Summer Night Viewers: 6.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 NBC 7:00 The Voice (Repeat) Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 9:00 Celebrity Apprentice Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5 FOX 7:00 The Cleveland Show Viewers: 2.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 7:30 The Cleveland Show Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 8:00 The Simpsons Viewers: 4.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9 8:30 The Simpsons Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1 9:00 Family Guy Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6 9:30 Family Guy Viewers: 5.2 million, 18-49 demo: 2.5 Sunday had some finales and a surprising performance from the Billboard Music Awards which surged nearly a full demo ...

Yesterday, I did some final awards for the new comedies of the year. Today I will look at dramas. While not as strong as last year's class which featured several new dramas I loved, this year's dramas were better than this year's comedies. And more successful as five will return ( Nashville on ABC, Elementary on CBS, Chicago Fire and Revolution on NBC, and The Following on FOX). Also check out my drama awards from last year and 2011 . BEST NEW DRAMA The Following (FOX) - While it sometimes stretched believability, The Following was easily the most thrilling show on TV this season. It seemed like they accomplished things that take other shows half a season in one episode. With a first rate cast led by Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy, the midseason serial killer thriller kept the twists and turns coming while being extremely creepy. No characters ever seemed safe and they killed off characters that seemed like they would be in it for the long haul. It was a perfect way to s...

MOTIVE Starring: Kristin Lehman, Louis Ferreira, Brendan Penny, Roger Cross, and Lauren Holly Created by Daniel Cerone Written by Daniel Cerone, Directed by Bronwen Hughes Motive is a new Canadian drama airing on ABC this summer. The twist to this otherwise by the book procedural is that the killer and victim are revealed at the very beginning of the episode. Then the rest of the episode is centered on finding the killer and figuring out the, you guessed it, motive. The lead characters are homicide detectives Angela Flynn and Oscar Vega (Kristin Lehman and Louis Ferreira). Also in the cast is a rookie detective (Brendan Penny), staff sergeant (Roger Cross), and chief medical examiner (Lauren Holly). THE GOOD: I guess it's an interesting twist on the procedural format - finding out the killer and victim within the first couple seconds could make for a real psychological drama, I stress could . It's not a bad way to keep the procedural fresh. The performance...

THE GOODWIN GAMES Starring: Becki Newton, Scott Foley, TJ Miller, Melissa Tang, Kat Foster Created by Carter Bays, Craig Thomas, & Chris Harris Written by Carter Bays, Craig Thomas, & Chris Harris, Directed by Peyton Reed The Goodwin Games is a summer burnoff sitcom from FOX that was originally slated as a midseason replacement. When eccentric millionaire Benjamin Goodwin (guest star Beau Bridges) dies, his last will makes his children duke it out for the inheritance in "The Goodwin Games" and become closer in the process. Estranged from their father and each other, the children return home to play the games. Oldest child Henry (Scott Foley) is a successful doctor, middle child Chloe (Becki Newton) has never quite lived up to her potential, and youngest Jimmy (TJ Miller) is just getting out of jail. Rounding out the main cast is Henry's ex and now a minister Lucinda (Kat Foster), and the estate executor April (Melissa Tang), who is running the ...

As I did last year and in 2011 , I will be doing a Season in Review on Comedies today, Dramas tomorrow, and miscellaneous awards on Wednesday to cap off the 2012-13 season. Because this blog focuses on new shows, that will be the focus of today and tomorrow. The 2012-13 season was not a good one for comedies. Only two modestly rated newbies were renewed ( The Neighbors, The Mindy Project ) and none were all that impressive but I had to find some superlatives so here we go. BEST NEW COMEDY Go On (NBC) - Matthew Perry made another return to sitcoms with Go On , which followed a grief support group. I thought it had the chance to be terribly unfunny or a niche comedy like Community . Instead, it surprised me as it was quite funny and had a whole lot of heart. The camaraderie between the group members and the real touching moments in the midst of humor were the best parts of this series. It had a wacky ensemble filled with very solid performances but it tugged at emotional heartstrin...

ABC   8:00 Bet on Your Baby Viewers: 2.0 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4 9:00 20/20 Viewers: 3.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7 CBS 8:00 Elementary (Repeat) Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.3 9:00 Criminal Minds (Repeat) Viewers: 3.2 million, 18-49 demo: 0.5 10:00 48 Hours Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8 NBC 8:00 Grimm (Repeat) Viewers: 1.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.4 9:00 Law & Order: SVU (Repeat) Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6 10:00 Saturday Night Live (Repeat) Viewers: 2.3 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7 FOX 8:00 Cops (Repeat) Viewers: 2.4 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7 8:30 Cops (Repeat) Viewers: 2.8 million, 18-49 demo: 0.8 9:00 Cops (Repeat) Viewers: 2.6 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9 9:30 Cops (Repeat) Viewers: 2.7 million, 18-49 demo: 0.9

ABC   8:00 Shark Tank (Repeat) Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 9:00 Shark Tank Viewers: 6.7 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9 10:00 20/20 Viewers: 5.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5 CBS 8:00 Undercover Boss Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 9:00 Undercover Boss (Repeat) Viewers: 5.1 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 10:00 48 Hours Viewers: 4.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 NBC 8:00 Dateline NBC Viewers: 5.3 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 10:00 Rock Center with Brian Williams Viewers: 5.0 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 FOX   8:00 Kitchen Nightmares (Repeat) Viewers: 1.9 million, 18-49 demo: 0.7 9:00 Bones (Repeat) Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 0.6

ABC 8:00 Wipeout Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 9:00 Grey's Anatomy Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.1 10:00 Scandal Viewers: 9.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.2 CBS 8:00 The Big Bang Theory Viewers: 15.5 million, 18-49 demo: 4.8 8:30 The Big Bang Theory (Repeat) Viewers: 11.8 million, 18-49 demo: 3.3 9:00 Elementary Viewers: 9.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0   NBC 8:00 The Office Retrospective Viewers: 4.4 million, 18-49 demo: 2.1 9:00 The Office Viewers: 5.7 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0 10:15 Hannibal Viewers: 2.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1   FOX   8:00 American Idol Viewers: 14.3 million, 18-49 demo: 3.6 The competition was fierce on Thursday night. NBC aired the final episode of The Office after nine seasons. It was up 1.1 million viewers and seven tenths in the demo for its best numbers in a year and a half. While it didn't spike a huge amount, there are a couple things to consider - there was a ton of competition and the show has been flounde...

Check below this post for a Special Commentary on the end of The Office ! ABC 8:00 The Middle Viewers: 6.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.9 8:30 Family Tools Viewers: 4.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.2 9:00 Modern Family Viewers: 10.0 million, 18-49 demo: 3.7 9:30 How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life) Viewers: 6.1 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0 10:00 Nashville Viewers: 5.6 million, 18-49 demo: 1.7 CBS 8:00 2 Broke Girls (Repeat) Viewers: 3.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.0 8:30 2 Broke Girls (Repeat) Viewers: 3.9 million, 18-49 demo: 1.1 9:00 Criminal Minds Viewers: 10.6 million, 18-49 demo: 2.6 10:00 CSI Viewers: 9.5 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0 NBC 8:00 Dateline NBC Viewers: 5.8 million, 18-49 demo: 1.3 9:00 Law & Order: SVU Viewers: 6.5 million, 18-49 demo: 1.5 10:00 Chicago Fire Viewers: 6.9 million, 18-49 demo: 2.0 FOX 8:00 American Idol Viewers: 12.1 million, 18-49 demo: 3.0 9:00 So You Think You Can Dance Viewers: 7.0 million, 18-49 demo: 2.3 ...

The Office , a little sitcom that could, is closing up shop tonight after nine seasons and 201 episodes. The mockumentary about a midsize paper company in Scranton, PA was based on the short-lived British series of the same name starring Ricky Gervais. It premiered to little fanfare as a midseason NBC replacement in the spring of 2005 with Steve Carell in the lead role, best known at the time from The Daily Show and Anchorman . Eight seasons later, it helped make Carell a household name, led to the single-cam comedy explosion in recent years, won an Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy Award, made "that's what she said" popular again, created a great TV romance, and gained legions of die-hard fans. Even though the show faltered towards the end and especially after Carell left the show in 2011, it leaves behind a great legacy as a truly excellent comedy series of this generation. When The Office premiered, Friends had just left NBC the previous season. There were very few ...