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Read It And Weep: Why We Get More CSI and Law & Order

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May 26th, 2008

There have been other failures. ABC's "The Nine" ultimately rated zero with viewers. CBS's nuclear drama "Jericho" won critics' plaudits and became a cult favorite -- but it was a bigger hit with web audiences than couch potatoes, so CBS dumped it after a short reprieve. In fact, 75% to 80% of new shows end up getting canceled, which is a good indication of why the networks often try to imitate what's worked, as in all the variations on "CSI" and "Law & Order."

From a story in Advertising Age about new LOST clones Fringe and Harper's Island that will debut next season.

(28) Comments - Add Yours!

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  1. James B.

    Wasn’t 2005 the season where the attempt was to create Lost. I remember Surface, Threshold, Invasion, Supernatural and the remake of the Night Stalker

  2. James B.

    Wasn’t 2005 the season where the attempt was to create Lost. I remember Surface, Threshold, Invasion, Supernatural and the remake of the Night Stalker

  3. James B.

    Wasn’t 2005 the season where the attempt was to create Lost. I remember Surface, Threshold, Invasion, Supernatural and the remake of the Night Stalker

  4. As an avid fan of both Lost and Supernatural I don’t really see the two in the same genre. Same for The Night Stalker. I can’t really speak to the other shows you mention as I didn’t see them. I don’t see Harper’s Island as much of a clone either, other than it occurs on an island and someone is trying to kill everyone who wound up on the island (from the executive producer of Jericho, no less!) and don’t really see Fringe as actually being a Lost knockoff from what I’ve read about it. Still loved the quote about why we get more CSI though :-)

  5. As an avid fan of both Lost and Supernatural I don’t really see the two in the same genre. Same for The Night Stalker. I can’t really speak to the other shows you mention as I didn’t see them. I don’t see Harper’s Island as much of a clone either, other than it occurs on an island and someone is trying to kill everyone who wound up on the island (from the executive producer of Jericho, no less!) and don’t really see Fringe as actually being a Lost knockoff from what I’ve read about it. Still loved the quote about why we get more CSI though :-)

  6. As an avid fan of both Lost and Supernatural I don’t really see the two in the same genre. Same for The Night Stalker. I can’t really speak to the other shows you mention as I didn’t see them. I don’t see Harper’s Island as much of a clone either, other than it occurs on an island and someone is trying to kill everyone who wound up on the island (from the executive producer of Jericho, no less!) and don’t really see Fringe as actually being a Lost knockoff from what I’ve read about it. Still loved the quote about why we get more CSI though :-)

  7. John

    Um

    Duh?

    Is this news to anyone? Seriously, tv networks stick with what works and try to copy what’s successful and spin offs?

    The american public, in general, is stupid without taste (see the continued success oof american idol and the talentless hacks who ‘win’ the competition)…the world follows suit….CSI Miami is one of the most popular shows IN THE WORLD.

    Advertising Age publishing this story and calling it news is kind of like time magazine having a cover article about landing on the moon, next week.

  8. John

    Um

    Duh?

    Is this news to anyone? Seriously, tv networks stick with what works and try to copy what’s successful and spin offs?

    The american public, in general, is stupid without taste (see the continued success oof american idol and the talentless hacks who ‘win’ the competition)…the world follows suit….CSI Miami is one of the most popular shows IN THE WORLD.

    Advertising Age publishing this story and calling it news is kind of like time magazine having a cover article about landing on the moon, next week.

  9. John

    Um

    Duh?

    Is this news to anyone? Seriously, tv networks stick with what works and try to copy what’s successful and spin offs?

    The american public, in general, is stupid without taste (see the continued success oof american idol and the talentless hacks who ‘win’ the competition)…the world follows suit….CSI Miami is one of the most popular shows IN THE WORLD.

    Advertising Age publishing this story and calling it news is kind of like time magazine having a cover article about landing on the moon, next week.

  10. Advertising Age didn’t run it as a “news” story. They ran it as a column in the “Mediaworks” section. It’s not news at all but it does answer the question we see constantly asked her, a variation of: “Why do we get more CSI and Law & Order and reality instead of [insert favorite show that has been cancelled or likely will be cancelled].

    P.S. John, aren’t you, in general, part of the American and/or world public?

  11. Advertising Age didn’t run it as a “news” story. They ran it as a column in the “Mediaworks” section. It’s not news at all but it does answer the question we see constantly asked her, a variation of: “Why do we get more CSI and Law & Order and reality instead of [insert favorite show that has been cancelled or likely will be cancelled].

    P.S. John, aren’t you, in general, part of the American and/or world public?

  12. Advertising Age didn’t run it as a “news” story. They ran it as a column in the “Mediaworks” section. It’s not news at all but it does answer the question we see constantly asked her, a variation of: “Why do we get more CSI and Law & Order and reality instead of [insert favorite show that has been cancelled or likely will be cancelled].

    P.S. John, aren’t you, in general, part of the American and/or world public?

  13. Doug

    When you go outside of the box, it’s a big risk. Lost was a big jump outside of the box for ABC (DH too, but to a much lesser extent), but one that paid off. But for Lost and DH, there were Invasion, The Nine, DSM, Big Shots, etc, etc, etc. Meanwhile, if you look at CBS, none of the procedurals they try fully flop. Some may not perform as well as expected, but none of them are full on flops. Ditto for NBC – their biggest shows (if you can use the word “biggest” are procedurals. It’s a safe bet. If you were a network exec and saw creative series after creative series suffer in the ratings, wouldn’t you be tempted to do the same? It would be interesting to see what the survival rate is for procudurals versus serials over the past 7 years or so.

    Back in 04, I fully expected Lost to be done in 13 episodes and figured it would premiere around 7 million viewers. I think that the potential rewards for these serials are much higher than with procedurals (seriously, NCIS gets 15 million viewers a week yet you never hear a peep about it, yet Lost gets 12 million and it’s perhaps the most obsessed about series this decade) and that’s why the networks continue trying them en masse. When a serial hits, it’s really like capturing lightening in a bottle – like ABC with Lost, DH and GA. And sure, CBS is content with the numbers it gets for NCIS, but don’t think for a second it wouldn’t trade those numbers in an instant for the sheer buzz fact of Lost.

    But on the flipside, it’s the stability of procedurals that keeps CBS tied to that dock.

  14. Doug

    When you go outside of the box, it’s a big risk. Lost was a big jump outside of the box for ABC (DH too, but to a much lesser extent), but one that paid off. But for Lost and DH, there were Invasion, The Nine, DSM, Big Shots, etc, etc, etc. Meanwhile, if you look at CBS, none of the procedurals they try fully flop. Some may not perform as well as expected, but none of them are full on flops. Ditto for NBC – their biggest shows (if you can use the word “biggest” are procedurals. It’s a safe bet. If you were a network exec and saw creative series after creative series suffer in the ratings, wouldn’t you be tempted to do the same? It would be interesting to see what the survival rate is for procudurals versus serials over the past 7 years or so.

    Back in 04, I fully expected Lost to be done in 13 episodes and figured it would premiere around 7 million viewers. I think that the potential rewards for these serials are much higher than with procedurals (seriously, NCIS gets 15 million viewers a week yet you never hear a peep about it, yet Lost gets 12 million and it’s perhaps the most obsessed about series this decade) and that’s why the networks continue trying them en masse. When a serial hits, it’s really like capturing lightening in a bottle – like ABC with Lost, DH and GA. And sure, CBS is content with the numbers it gets for NCIS, but don’t think for a second it wouldn’t trade those numbers in an instant for the sheer buzz fact of Lost.

    But on the flipside, it’s the stability of procedurals that keeps CBS tied to that dock.

  15. Doug

    When you go outside of the box, it’s a big risk. Lost was a big jump outside of the box for ABC (DH too, but to a much lesser extent), but one that paid off. But for Lost and DH, there were Invasion, The Nine, DSM, Big Shots, etc, etc, etc. Meanwhile, if you look at CBS, none of the procedurals they try fully flop. Some may not perform as well as expected, but none of them are full on flops. Ditto for NBC – their biggest shows (if you can use the word “biggest” are procedurals. It’s a safe bet. If you were a network exec and saw creative series after creative series suffer in the ratings, wouldn’t you be tempted to do the same? It would be interesting to see what the survival rate is for procudurals versus serials over the past 7 years or so.

    Back in 04, I fully expected Lost to be done in 13 episodes and figured it would premiere around 7 million viewers. I think that the potential rewards for these serials are much higher than with procedurals (seriously, NCIS gets 15 million viewers a week yet you never hear a peep about it, yet Lost gets 12 million and it’s perhaps the most obsessed about series this decade) and that’s why the networks continue trying them en masse. When a serial hits, it’s really like capturing lightening in a bottle – like ABC with Lost, DH and GA. And sure, CBS is content with the numbers it gets for NCIS, but don’t think for a second it wouldn’t trade those numbers in an instant for the sheer buzz fact of Lost.

    But on the flipside, it’s the stability of procedurals that keeps CBS tied to that dock.

  16. Hey, wait a second. I *like* all those Law & Orders……

  17. I may have to binge on a few seasons of Law & Order: SVU this summer so we have some more common ground next season than just House and Battlestar Galactica.

  18. Why not Law & Order: Criminal Intent? It's my favorite of the three [Lt. Goren, ftw!], and just happens to be retuning to USA Network on June 8 and we have that great contest where folks can win a 3 season DVD set!

    http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/05/21/contest-wi…

  19. Love the 18-49 numbers for SVU, what can I say?! I'm an 18-49ist, but I'll do both :-)

  20. test comment – ignore

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