> It was ABC’s turn for some post-preemption malaise. ABC:  The network’s Wednesday schedule returned from its CMA Awards break to drops across the board.  The 2 new shows were hit hardest, as SUBURGATORY dipped 0.3 and REVENGE 0.4.  Neither of the declines were anything to worry about (Revenge still tied for 1st place in […]

> This isn’t the way Flex Time was supposed to work. NBC:  As part of its multi-billion dollar deal with the NFL, NBC is supposed to have the right, during the last few weeks of the regular football season, to change the designated Sunday night game and choose one that’s more valuable, usually in terms […]

  BH90210 had another dip. DEMOGRAPHIC DETAIL: For each broadcast program (or hour segment), the chart below displays preliminary live+same day key advertiser demographics (adult 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 ratings), audience skews (women 18-49, men 18-49 and adults 50+ shares) and total viewership (thousands of people over the age of 2). Ratings analysis and comparisons follow […]

> America is willing to follow FOX behind bars. FOX:  The 2-hour launch of ALCATRAZ went very well, with a solid 3.3 that held throughout the broadcast.  That put the network squarely in 2d place for the night behind CBS’s blockbuster line-up.  If the show can manage not to collapse the way Terra Nova did, […]

>Some new arrivals didn’t get anyone excited. NBC: This year’s CELEBRITY APPRENTICE freak-show made its entrance onto the scene, down 0.2 from last year’s premiere despite the boosted lead-in of a Voice repeat. Still, that was enough to win both of its hours. CBS: The network’s schedule was somewhat disrupted by a golf overrun (which […]

  Wrestling returned to broadcast TV in a big way. DEMOGRAPHIC DETAIL: For each broadcast program (or hour segment), the chart below displays preliminary live+same day key advertiser demographics (adult 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 ratings), audience skews (women 18-49, men 18-49 and adults 50+ shares) and total viewership (thousands of people over the age of 2). […]

> HBO has just announced the abrupt end of production on LUCK, which will not be back for the ordered second season.  The announced cause of the cancellation is the recent death of a horse involved with the show, the 3d horse to die in the course of Luck‘s production.  A veterinarian’s statement didn’t suggest […]

> Today Mitch Metcalf, veteran programming executive Ted Frank and I continue our week-long pre-Upfronts look at the challenges facing each of the broadcast networks and their potential strategies for next season.  We’ve covered FOX and ABC, and today the time has come to consider NBC. NOTE:  to the extent specific pilots are discussed or […]