This post was written in Fall, 2007. If you are wondering about the current status of Pushing Daisies, click here.
The WGA strike has thrown this new season for a loop, but the TV execs will still make decisions on the future of existing new shows. Up today, ABC's Pushing Daisies, Wednesday 8PM Eastern.
With ABC's new shows on balance doing better than any other network's, will the action at "The Pie-Hole" continue into another season? Once again we ask, Renew or Cancel?
Pushing Daisies' Ratings Rank among New ABC Shows, All New Shows
| Date | Viewer Rank among New ABC shows | Viewer Rank among all new shows |
|---|---|---|
| 10/3 | #1 of 6 | #1 of 23 |
| 10/10 | #3 of 7 | #4 of 24 |
| 10/17 | #3 of 8 | #3 of 24 |
| 10/24 | #3 of 8 | #3 of 24 |
| 10/31 | #4 of 6 | #4 of 22 |
| 11/7 | no show | no show |
In a strong stable of new ABC shows, Pushing Daisies' ratings have consistently been #3 or 4 among not only new ABC shows, but all new shows. A powerful performance.
How is it doing against its competition on Wednesday?
Pushing Daisies' Viewership and Rankings @ 8PM Wednesday
| Date | Viewers (Rank) | Adults 18-49 (Rank) | Adults 18-34 (Rank) | Adults 25-54 (Rank) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/3 | 13.03m (1) | 5.70m (1) | 2.21m (1) | 6.63m (1) |
| 10/10 | 10.26m (2) | 4.91m (1) | 2.19m (1) | 5.21m (1) |
| 10/17 | 9.86m (2) | 4.80m (1) | 2.22m (1) | 5.03m (1) |
| 10/24* | 9.10m (2) | 3.79m (2) | 1.41m (2) | 4.43m (2) |
| 10/31 | 8.57m (1) | 3.48m (1) | 1.46m (1) | 4.08m (1) |
| 11/7 | no show | no show | no show | no show |
| 11/14** | 8.88m (1) | ?m (1) |
Pushing Daisies' ratings show real demographic power, winning the age demos in each week except vs. the World Series on 10/24. For a new show with no lead in, it started on top and stayed there.
All is not positive though, Pushing Daisies has continued to lose audience each and every week, in [nearly] all categories. Not a dramatic amount all at once, but drip, drip, drip and all of a sudden you've lost 39% of your 18-49 debut audience.
11/15 UPDATE: I have included the Fast Overnight data from 11/14, and Pushing Daisies did see some bounce back from the Halloween night low.
There's no national lead in audience for Pushing Daisies to keep or lose. It got where it is entirely on its own.
Conclusions
Negatives
- Across the board, audience keeps slowly bleeding away.
Positives
- Pushing Daisies ratings are very strong compared to new Fall 2007 shows.
- Pushing Daisies ratings dominate its timeslot age demos.
- All accomplished with no lead in help.
Verdict: Solid Renew.
This is the first Renew or Cancel? since the writer's strike, and I think Pushing Daisies is the perfect example of a promising new show that could be extinguished by the strike.
After the Nov 14 episode, there are only 3 fresh episodes left. Has its audience developed enough of a viewing habit to come back to it next year after a long strike? Only time will tell.
March 19 Update: As Rob reminded me below, Pushing Daisies will return in Fall 2008.
Wondering about other shows? Check our all our Renew or Cancel? posts.
________________________________________________________
*10/24 data is Live, all other data is Live+SD
** From fast overnight data
Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2007 Nielsen Media Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
PUSHING DAISIES IS FANTASTIC! i can’t get enough of the cast and the stories have a tim burton kind of storytelling to them. PLEEEEEEAAAASE don’t cancel it! i look forward to Wednesday just because of this show!
keep this show, i agree wih creampuff
keep this show, i agree wih creampuff
keep this show, i agree wih creampuff
keep this show, i agree wih creampuff
How can anyone say this show needs more advertising?
Other than possibly Bionic Woman, it was the most advertised and hyped-up show this season.
And frankly I found it almost as bad as Bionic Woman, albeit in an entirely different way.
Where Bionic Woman went directly to bad quality with bad casting and awful pseudo-directing, Pushing Daisies went for “originality” but spread the “look at me I’m creative” shtick so thick as to give viewers an indigestion.
But the fact that the show got such a huge push means the trove of potential viewers who haven’t tried or heard of the show is much thinner than with a show like Life which hasn’t been advertised properly.
How can anyone say this show needs more advertising?
Other than possibly Bionic Woman, it was the most advertised and hyped-up show this season.
And frankly I found it almost as bad as Bionic Woman, albeit in an entirely different way.
Where Bionic Woman went directly to bad quality with bad casting and awful pseudo-directing, Pushing Daisies went for “originality” but spread the “look at me I’m creative” shtick so thick as to give viewers an indigestion.
But the fact that the show got such a huge push means the trove of potential viewers who haven’t tried or heard of the show is much thinner than with a show like Life which hasn’t been advertised properly.
How can anyone say this show needs more advertising?
Other than possibly Bionic Woman, it was the most advertised and hyped-up show this season.
And frankly I found it almost as bad as Bionic Woman, albeit in an entirely different way.
Where Bionic Woman went directly to bad quality with bad casting and awful pseudo-directing, Pushing Daisies went for “originality” but spread the “look at me I’m creative” shtick so thick as to give viewers an indigestion.
But the fact that the show got such a huge push means the trove of potential viewers who haven’t tried or heard of the show is much thinner than with a show like Life which hasn’t been advertised properly.
How can anyone say this show needs more advertising?
Other than possibly Bionic Woman, it was the most advertised and hyped-up show this season.
And frankly I found it almost as bad as Bionic Woman, albeit in an entirely different way.
Where Bionic Woman went directly to bad quality with bad casting and awful pseudo-directing, Pushing Daisies went for “originality” but spread the “look at me I’m creative” shtick so thick as to give viewers an indigestion.
But the fact that the show got such a huge push means the trove of potential viewers who haven’t tried or heard of the show is much thinner than with a show like Life which hasn’t been advertised properly.
Rena, we don’t agree on everything, but I’m with you 100% on this one!
Daisies would’ve made a good 2 hour movie, but the premise itself doesn’t seem to have the legs to support the weekly “look at me I’m creative” schtick.
Rena, we don’t agree on everything, but I’m with you 100% on this one!
Daisies would’ve made a good 2 hour movie, but the premise itself doesn’t seem to have the legs to support the weekly “look at me I’m creative” schtick.
Rena, we don’t agree on everything, but I’m with you 100% on this one!
Daisies would’ve made a good 2 hour movie, but the premise itself doesn’t seem to have the legs to support the weekly “look at me I’m creative” schtick.
Please cancel this show. It is STUPID!!! I really thought I’d enjoy it but the narrator… I just want to KILL him!!! SHUT UP ALREADY.
Please cancel this show. It is STUPID!!! I really thought I’d enjoy it but the narrator… I just want to KILL him!!! SHUT UP ALREADY.
Please cancel this show. It is STUPID!!! I really thought I’d enjoy it but the narrator… I just want to KILL him!!! SHUT UP ALREADY.
Please cancel this show. It is STUPID!!! I really thought I’d enjoy it but the narrator… I just want to KILL him!!! SHUT UP ALREADY.
Have any of you naysayers actually sat down and watched this show? Or do you stick with shows like Grey’s Anatomy and CSI, where the show has to work to be different? The thing about shows like that is that they have to fish around and try really hard to bring something new to the table.
Obviously, if you watched past the first episode, you would see that the show has had no problems sustaining its premise. Pushing Daisies has consistently been original, different, and creative every week.
And since the publishing of this article, their viewership has seen an upswing in viewers. They must be doing something right.
RENEW!
Have any of you naysayers actually sat down and watched this show? Or do you stick with shows like Grey’s Anatomy and CSI, where the show has to work to be different? The thing about shows like that is that they have to fish around and try really hard to bring something new to the table.
Obviously, if you watched past the first episode, you would see that the show has had no problems sustaining its premise. Pushing Daisies has consistently been original, different, and creative every week.
And since the publishing of this article, their viewership has seen an upswing in viewers. They must be doing something right.
RENEW!
Have any of you naysayers actually sat down and watched this show? Or do you stick with shows like Grey’s Anatomy and CSI, where the show has to work to be different? The thing about shows like that is that they have to fish around and try really hard to bring something new to the table.
Obviously, if you watched past the first episode, you would see that the show has had no problems sustaining its premise. Pushing Daisies has consistently been original, different, and creative every week.
And since the publishing of this article, their viewership has seen an upswing in viewers. They must be doing something right.
RENEW!
Ramona : Please cancel this show. It is STUPID!!! I really thought I’d enjoy it but the narrator… I just want to KILL him!!! SHUT UP ALREADY.
Do you not realise how pathetic you are? Just because you dont like the show doesn’t mean it will be cancelled. The world doesn’t revolve around your silly brain. I have a simple solution for you : Change the channel, kiddo.