Skip to main content

GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK: October 5, 2013

GOOD WEEK: "SCANDAL"
After spending the 2012-13 season constantly on the ascent, Scandal returned to series highs in both viewers and the demo. The show has gone from being the top 10pm drama on network TV to the top network TV drama, period. It's 3.6 demo is better than the always popular NCIS and the hot new hit The Blacklist. Considering it only had a 2.1 demo a year ago and the massive buzz it's receiving (not to mention extra exposure as repeats will air on Tuesdays at 10pm in place of the cancelled Lucky 7), it seems like it could continue to grow to crazy good numbers as the season goes on.

BAD WEEK: NBC THURSDAY COMEDIES
After several declining years, NBC decided to revamp its Thursday lineup by pairing new family comedies with Parks and Recreation. Well this week was the first time it was fully intact and the results were not good as the results in the demo were 1.2 (Parks), 1.1 (Welcome to the Family), 1.4 (Sean Saves the World), and 1.7 (The Michael J. Fox Show). Starting fully new or almost new comedy blocks can work as it did for ABC in 2009 but that lineup had a major breakout hit with great writing and acclaim (Modern Family) as well as two other shows that have developed a loyal audience and are regarded as quality shows (The Middle, Cougar Town). Yes, critics love Parks but it has never been able to find a mass audience and the only three shows are disappointing. That's not a recipe for kick-starting a new block.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Five

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Five (the final season) of  Rhoda ! RHODA: SEASON FIVE 1978 13 episodes Rhoda' s final season was a truncated one as the show was cancelled in December 1978 after only 13 episodes had been produced (and only nine had aired). This feels like a continuation from season four in many ways except with the ill-advised split between Ida and Martin (more on that below). While  Rhoda  has an occasional good moment and even a couple decent episodes, it is a show that seems so wildly different from season one and not in a good way.  Rhoda  could never figure out what it fully wanted to be and only made it four and a half seasons as a result. Starring Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin  (11 episodes) Kenneth McMillan as Jack Doyle  (9 episodes) Nancy Wa...
Post a Comment
Read more

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1995-1996 Thursdays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1995-96 season! ABC 8:00 8:30 9:00 10:00 Sep Charlie Grace The Monroes Various Programs Oct Murder One Nov Various Programs Dec Various Programs Thursday Night Movie Jan Feb World’s Funniest Videos Before They Were Stars! Mar Apr May NBC was the powerhouse on Thursday nights but ABC still gave it the old college try in the Fall of 1995 with a trio of new dramas that they hoped would help them cut into the Peacock's dominance. Headlining their night was Murder One , a high profile new show from Steven Bochco that received much of the network's attention before the season started. The series focused on one murder case for an entire season, whi...
Post a Comment
Read more

DECADE IN REVIEW: The Best Comedies of the 2010s

During the month of December, I will be looking back at the decade that was the 2010s on TV. I will be sharing my favorite sitcoms, dramas, the best episodes, the best performances and the worst shows of the decade. To be eligible for this list, a show had to air the majority of its episodes in the 2010s. However, for the rankings and determination, all episodes were taken into account, including ones that may have aired before 2010. I will also preface that there are comedies that have aired this decade that I haven't watched yet so this is the best of what I have watched. To be fair, that preface is more true for dramas. There's not a ton of unwatched comedies sitting in my Netflix or Amazon watchlist. So here are my Top 10 comedies of the 2010s! Close Calls:  Master of None (Netflix) - An inconsistent but occasionally fascinating commentary on many life issues done so with innovative storytelling. The Good Place (NBC) - A show that aims high with a fascinating premis...
Post a Comment
Read more