Comments on: Nielsen Ratings Wed, Feb 13: Another Idol Moment

By: Marc Meisels

Marc Meisels — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 20:58:41 +0000

Bring Back “the UNIT” there are 11 million + viewers waiting. There is NO show out there like it A+ for originality

Col. Ryan – Robert Patrick Kicks serious ___!

By: Marc Meisels

Marc Meisels — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:58:41 +0000

Bring Back “the UNIT” there are 11 million + viewers waiting. There is NO show out there like it A+ for originality

Col. Ryan – Robert Patrick Kicks serious ___!

By: Maggie

Maggie — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:06:51 +0000

I have been a bb fan since the first show but this year is so bad I won’t be watching. CBS has the wrong idea of what people want – they don’t want to see forced showmances. I know people loved Janelle/Will and Eric/Jessica but CBS didn’t plan those showmances they happened naturally. CBS get a new producer for BB!

By: Maggie

Maggie — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:06:51 +0000

I have been a bb fan since the first show but this year is so bad I won't be watching. CBS has the wrong idea of what people want – they don't want to see forced showmances. I know people loved Janelle/Will and Eric/Jessica but CBS didn't plan those showmances they happened naturally. CBS get a new producer for BB!

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:46:35 +0000

Big Brother always starts off slowly. I myself pay half attention the first few weeks until the houseguests settle in. I am also a subsriber to 24/7 feeds….I would be curious how AI made out on that idea (not well I’m willing to wager). Oh but I do record American Idol for the uneventful moments in ther BB House!

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:46:35 +0000

Big Brother always starts off slowly. I myself pay half attention the first few weeks until the houseguests settle in. I am also a subsriber to 24/7 feeds….I would be curious how AI made out on that idea (not well I'm willing to wager). Oh but I do record American Idol for the uneventful moments in ther BB House!

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 03:27:09 +0000

This is by far the most boring season of BB yet, I’m not suprised that the ratings are so low.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 02:27:09 +0000

This is by far the most boring season of BB yet, I'm not suprised that the ratings are so low.

By: Maddie

Maddie — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 19:59:48 +0000

I do agree. They always cater to a young crowd and forget that older adults would really enjoy seeing their own age adults mixed with young ones. This is like watching a school play along with sex parties

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 19:21:28 +0000

Angus, I have no doubt nepotism being what it is #2 keeps the show from getting yanked. But wouldn’t you want to stick your hot wife’s show somewhere more people would actually watch it just the same?

By: angus

angus — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 19:07:08 +0000

A couple of things to consider:
1. BB has several revenue streams including the 24/7 feed and the Big Brother After Dark block on showtime…not to mention easy brand integration opportunities.

2. Julie Chen is also know as Mrs. Leslie Moonves.

By: Maddie

Maddie — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:59:48 +0000

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:21:28 +0000

Angus, I have no doubt nepotism being what it is #2 keeps the show from getting yanked. But wouldn't you want to stick your hot wife's show somewhere more people would actually watch it just the same?

By: angus

angus — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:07:08 +0000

A couple of things to consider:
1. BB has several revenue streams including the 24/7 feed and the Big Brother After Dark block on showtime…not to mention easy brand integration opportunities.

2. Julie Chen is also know as Mrs. Leslie Moonves.

By: gina

gina — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 10:40:48 +0000

I personally love BB and I believe that Idol you can expect the same thing people trying to see who could tell the best tear jerker story. Instead of focusing on pure talent. Like the boy they just found out he had won star search or something like that before. But he was going to be the next Sanjaya for sure. I’d rather see strangers in a house making a bunch of fools of themselves on national televison. So I am one of those people obsessed with BB and am so happy for this winter edition.

By: debb

debb — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:56:56 +0000

Big Brother is actually better this season. Last season was chock full of little babies too afraid to boot the Donato father/daughter “team”. Plus America’s Player messed up everyone’s game. This time they got some HG’s with backbone, they won’t be walked on. So, I’m afraid those into EvelDick’s abuse won’t have that kind of thing to slobber over on BB9. Although this season’s players are 99% young, and terribly hyperactive in EVERY way, they seem to be quite bright, and not bad kids. For the most part. Those offended by the HG late night live feed “antics” can just watch their recordings of Kid Nation instead, or yet another version or rerun of Law and Order.

By: gina

gina — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:40:48 +0000

I personally love BB and I believe that Idol you can expect the same thing people trying to see who could tell the best tear jerker story. Instead of focusing on pure talent. Like the boy they just found out he had won star search or something like that before. But he was going to be the next Sanjaya for sure. I'd rather see strangers in a house making a bunch of fools of themselves on national televison. So I am one of those people obsessed with BB and am so happy for this winter edition.

By: debb

debb — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:37:13 +0000

Big Brother will be fine, it has very loyal fans, even if they don’t agree all the time with the producers. CBS knows the results of the writers being back at work won’t show up for a couple of months… right about when Big Brother 9 ends. How convenient. It will take at least that long to write and produce new episodes of all the shows. And I am so sick of American Idol. I am a musician, and it’s just too painful to listen to most of the time. But since I watch Big Brother, it doesn’t really matter, does it?

By: debb

debb — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 08:56:56 +0000

Big Brother is actually better this season. Last season was chock full of little babies too afraid to boot the Donato father/daughter “team”. Plus America's Player messed up everyone's game. This time they got some HG's with backbone, they won't be walked on. So, I'm afraid those into EvelDick's abuse won't have that kind of thing to slobber over on BB9. Although this season's players are 99% young, and terribly hyperactive in EVERY way, they seem to be quite bright, and not bad kids. For the most part. Those offended by the HG late night live feed “antics” can just watch their recordings of Kid Nation instead, or yet another version or rerun of Law and Order.

By: debb

debb — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 08:37:13 +0000

Big Brother will be fine, it has very loyal fans, even if they don't agree all the time with the producers. CBS knows the results of the writers being back at work won't show up for a couple of months… right about when Big Brother 9 ends. How convenient. It will take at least that long to write and produce new episodes of all the shows. And I am so sick of American Idol. I am a musician, and it's just too painful to listen to most of the time. But since I watch Big Brother, it doesn't really matter, does it?

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:34:30 +0000

Ummmmm — if the ratings for the reruns performed as well or only as close to as well as Big Brother it would likely be a wash in the final analysis. But I believe the reruns would significantly outperform BB ratings wise in those timeslots so significantly as to easily be more profitable.

But still, that’s merely conjecture and speculation on my part. I don’t have enough real data to do more than speculate.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:34:30 +0000

But still, that's merely conjecture and speculation on my part. I don't have enough real data to do more than speculate.

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:28:27 +0000

Good riddance CM. Please ABC dump the show. Bring back MIT

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:44:34 +0000

It will be very interesting to see how CBS responds to using a relatively weak (by regular season standards) summer franchise like Big Brother in a really competitive landscape as the reruns end by early April. Already, two of BB’s twists are already over! The secret lovers revealed their secret in only the second (?) episode (!), and the ex-lovers were evicted in the second episode. The producers must be scrambling to figure out what to do next. They need to inject some new contestants into the house–fast.

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:28:27 +0000

Good riddance CM. Please ABC dump the show. Bring back MIT

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:44:34 +0000

It will be very interesting to see how CBS responds to using a relatively weak (by regular season standards) summer franchise like Big Brother in a really competitive landscape as the reruns end by early April. Already, two of BB's twists are already over! The secret lovers revealed their secret in only the second (?) episode (!), and the ex-lovers were evicted in the second episode. The producers must be scrambling to figure out what to do next. They need to inject some new contestants into the house–fast.

By: ummmm

ummmm — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:32:34 +0000

Ugh. I mean would they really be cheaper or MORE profitable than running a new season of Big Brother (in terms of what they’d have to pay in residuals and things).

By: ummmm

ummmm — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:31:51 +0000

Would reruns of those shows really be cheaper or less profitable than a new season of Big Brother?

I mean it’s not like they pay the houseguests much of anything at all, and CBS has to make something off those live feeds.

Sure BB and American Idol have a very similar audience so it’s tough, but I think this was clearly only meant to serve as filler in the event of a prolonged writer’s strike and that’s why this may be an abbreviated season.

By: ummmm

ummmm — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:32:34 +0000

Ugh. I mean would they really be cheaper or MORE profitable than running a new season of Big Brother (in terms of what they'd have to pay in residuals and things).

By: ummmm

ummmm — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:31:51 +0000

Would reruns of those shows really be cheaper or less profitable than a new season of Big Brother?

I mean it's not like they pay the houseguests much of anything at all, and CBS has to make something off those live feeds.

Sure BB and American Idol have a very similar audience so it's tough, but I think this was clearly only meant to serve as filler in the event of a prolonged writer's strike and that's why this may be an abbreviated season.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:07:40 +0000

You guys talk about things as if the goal wasn’t to make as much money as possible. If reruns of Two and a Half Men, CSI, NCIS, etc., would all be cheaper and make you more money (more viewers), why would you do something ELSE? Hubris? Of course they had another choice. They have another choice right now: put on programs that attract more viewers. They KNOW their reruns will attract more viewers, even in the 18-49 demo. Why wouldn’t they do that?

By: janice

janice — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:50:26 +0000

If they had pushed the launch any further it wouldnt have had much of a break before the summer edition. I dont think they had much of a choice. I cant see them moving the show around too much though. I maybe see them moving it against Moment of Truth on Wednesdays where it may hav a better chance until Idol moves back there in a few weeks.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:07:40 +0000

You guys talk about things as if the goal wasn't to make as much money as possible. If reruns of Two and a Half Men, CSI, NCIS, etc., would all be cheaper and make you more money (more viewers), why would you do something ELSE? Hubris? Of course they had another choice. They have another choice right now: put on programs that attract more viewers. They KNOW their reruns will attract more viewers, even in the 18-49 demo. Why wouldn't they do that?

By: janice

janice — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 03:50:26 +0000

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 03:20:00 +0000

I don’t think CBS is putting BB on to get ratings. I think it’s just an easy, cheap way to get original programming on the air. Right now the show seems to just exist to fill holes in the schedule — even if that means going up against American Idol twice a week.
If CBS really wanted big numbers from BB, they would have never debuted it in the exact same timeslot as AI. With that said, I’m very interested to see the DVR numbers.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:20:37 +0000

Janice, CBS could have just launced BB in a few weeks and made more money in the meanwhile by rerunning repeats of Two and a Half Men. The goal is to maximize your shows. They didn’t.

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:20:00 +0000

I don't think CBS is putting BB on to get ratings. I think it's just an easy, cheap way to get original programming on the air. Right now the show seems to just exist to fill holes in the schedule — even if that means going up against American Idol twice a week.
If CBS really wanted big numbers from BB, they would have never debuted it in the exact same timeslot as AI. With that said, I'm very interested to see the DVR numbers.

By: Morgan

Morgan — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:10:48 +0000

I love both AI and BB and I thank god for dvr! Given the choice of which to watch live, i chose BB this time but will most likely DVR BB and watch AI live since hollywood week is over.
Personally, I think BB should be moved to the weekend.. fri and sat nights would be good.

By: janice

janice — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:56:10 +0000

CBS scheduled BB in those slots a long time ago Knowing that Idol usually airs at 8 on Tuesdays and 9 on wednesdays. Fox then went ahead and supersized Idol on Tuesdays on purpose. Then they scheduled Idol on Wednesdays at 8 for the next few weeks again on purpose to combat BB.

Once Idol goes to its regular time slots in the next 2 weeks BB will surely gain viewers. Plus BB has always grown in numbers as the season goes on.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:20:37 +0000

Janice, CBS could have just launced BB in a few weeks and made more money in the meanwhile by rerunning repeats of Two and a Half Men. The goal is to maximize your shows. They didn't.

By: Morgan

Morgan — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:10:48 +0000

By: janice

janice — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:56:10 +0000

Once Idol goes to its regular time slots in the next 2 weeks BB will surely gain viewers. Plus BB has always grown in numbers as the season goes on.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:52:16 +0000

Since I haven’t watched this installment, it could be as Sherry states that this BB just sucks under any circumstance. I concede that is a possibility I hadn’t considered.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:51:52 +0000

I think CBS was worried about the strike and pulled in BB because it was doable. That said, I think they could have set it’s timeslot a bit better.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:49:01 +0000

I disagree Rob. Once Idol settles doesn’t happen soon enough and by that logic to maximize BB, CBS should have waited a month to launch BB. It isn’t killing in the 18-49, and in the summer it can at least make that claim.

CBS would do better agains Idol with just about any of its reruns, pick one (2.5 Men, NCIS, CSI; Miami, CSI: NY, CSI, Without a Trace, etc), since the goal IS to make money, not to have the biggest cajones even when having big cajones is a stupid proposition for making money.

CBS is neither serving itself, or the BB franchise well with this move.

By: Sherry Alexander

Sherry Alexander — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:45:23 +0000

This is x-rated and not even interesting. Put different aged people and individuals on the show or just drop it. I have loved it but won’t be watching this one.

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:35:04 +0000

Once Idol settles into its normal time slot on Tuesdays at 8 and Wednesdays at 9, Big Brother will no longer be competing with “Idol” (except if it runs special 2 hour broadcasts). CBS knows that even in the summer with little competition, Big Brother just pulls in 7 million folks, which is just fine for summer. I dont think CBS expected Big Brother to suddenly attract historic high audiences just because it is airing in the winter. I suspect this is what CBS knew it would get.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:52:16 +0000

Since I haven't watched this installment, it could be as Sherry states that this BB just sucks under any circumstance. I concede that is a possibility I hadn't considered.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:51:52 +0000

I think CBS was worried about the strike and pulled in BB because it was doable. That said, I think they could have set it's timeslot a bit better.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:49:01 +0000

I disagree Rob. Once Idol settles doesn't happen soon enough and by that logic to maximize BB, CBS should have waited a month to launch BB. It isn't killing in the 18-49, and in the summer it can at least make that claim.

CBS would do better agains Idol with just about any of its reruns, pick one (2.5 Men, NCIS, CSI; Miami, CSI: NY, CSI, Without a Trace, etc), since the goal IS to make money, not to have the biggest cajones even when having big cajones is a stupid proposition for making money.

CBS is neither serving itself, or the BB franchise well with this move.