I've already written a few times that I personally do not believe that CBS made an awful decision to cancel Moonlight. Out of all of CBS' shows, Moonlight had the worst 18-49 demographic performance of any show other than re-airings of Showtime's Dexter. I was always on the fence with Moonlight. I would not have faulted CBS for keeping it - though its 18-49 numbers weren't great compared to all other CBS shows, Moonlight aired at 9pm on Friday nights and it did fairly well in consideration of that. Friday is increasingly a vast wasteland for broadcast network television.
But, since it didn't do as well as Ghost Whisperer which aired on Friday night's at 8pm before Moonlight, or as well as Numb3rs which aired at 10pm on Fridays after it, and since it was its worst 18-49 demographic rated show, I can't fault CBS for cancelling it either. The biggest problem for Moonlight is it was a "genre" show.
I am a fan of many genre style shows, particularly science fiction, but I understand that such shows typically struggle mightily to reach a more mainstream audience. LOST and Heroes are rare exception and unlike Moonlight, despite not being what they used to be from a Nielsen ratings perspective, both LOST and Heroes are unquestionably 18-49 demographic superstars in this era. Moonlight certainly was not.
Instead, CBS decided to go with the new The Ex-List, a show about a single woman looking for love, and failing miserably. Personally I can relate to this much more than a show about vampires, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that. I have no idea whether the show will be any good or suck badly, but it's certainly conceivable to me that the premise can reach a wider audience.
A month ago I wrote a post with a short poll on whether The Ex-List will do better in the Nielsen ratings than Moonlight. Both the poll responses and the comments were heavily skewed by the jilted Moonlight faithful. Out of 2,490 poll votes so far, 2,327 predict The Ex-List will do worse in the ratings than Moonlight. The comments, all 306 of them so far are similarly skewed. The most recent comment from "Isabel" reads:
Ex-list looks like exactly the kind of show a network dumb enough to cancel Moonlight would promote. Instead of a romantic thriller with a smart, sexy female lead who had incredible chemistry with a really talented male lead actor, we get a sad, whiny female lead who is nothing without a man (and a man who apparently wasn't good enough for her the first time around!!) And to think that a woman exec at CBS thought this was a good idea???!!!
While it's true Nina Tassler is the president of CBS entertainment, I get the idea that her boss Les Moonves certainly did participate in the programming decisions. Again, I personally think that the premise of the Ex-List has the potential for reaching more people than Moonlight and all things considered I do not think it was unreasonable for Tassler, Moonves or CBS in general to try something else.
Isabel's comment was not as angst-ridden as many of the comments, which have the flavor of a woman jilted by her husband in favor of a younger woman. Which is at least a little bit ironic as Les Moonves' is rumored to have dumped his wife of 24 years for a women who is 21 years his junior -- Julie Chen, who also hosts CBS' reality show, Big Brother. I would jokingly chalk that up to Moonves simply wanting to keep in good touch with the female 18-49 demographic as he nears the average age of a 60 Minutes viewer (which is 61! Moonves will turn 60 later this year).
I don't get the gist that Moonves' own ex, Donna is as upset about Les leaving her for Julie as the Moonlight faithful are that the show got cancelled, but Donna's getting something the jilted Moonlight fans are not: a fat alimony check.
Sorry Robert,
The EX-List just wouldn’t interest me no matter what network or day and time it was on. Am I a Moonlight fan? You bet. Still, the idea of going back and rehashing old lovers just because I was told by some stranger that my soulmate was amongst one of them is more improbable than there being actual vampires living amongst us. At least the viewers are forwarned that this show will only last one season if it follows the storyline of the poor girl having only one year to find Mr. Wonderful before she runs out of time. I for one have more important things to do with my time, like watching my recordings of Moonlight.
Ratings? There has been much talk within the industry that the Nielsen ratings are flawed. And correct me if I’m wrong, but CBS was one of the networks that asked that DVR ratings were included and Moonlight ranked high on that list.
Ratings? X-Files started with unspectacular ratings but FOX stuck with it and was rewarded with a winner.
Ratings? All shows that returned from the writer’s strike had lower ratings when they returned to the air. Were they cancelled?
Ratings? Then why until the very last week when the last episode of Moonlight was aired EVERYONE was saying that Moonlight would be picked up?
I submit Moonlight’s cancellation had nothing to do with ratings; it had to do with money…money CBS wanted to cut from its WB licensing fee. And it’s pretty SOP for networks to say “it was the ratings” when they cancel a show.
As far as The Ex-List? Maybe it will do as well as another CBS nepotism show…Swingtown?
Personally, I would be watching my back if I was a producer of a show on CBS…never know when one of the “blue suits” will have another family-inspired story to find time to air on their network.
Sorry Debra, just because it wouldn’t interest you really doesn’t mean squat. In cases like these, the single opinion of one person or even the group opinions of thousands or millions of people simply do not matter.
It’s a fact that American Idol doesn’t interest ME and I’m sure there are millions and millions who share my viewpoint. Guess what? That doesn’t mean ANYTHING. And to think it does or should is quite unreasonable. And even if it isn’t FOX doesn’t care, AI is a hit!
Rafferty: ratings may be flawed but the networks still rely heavily upon them. I’m not suggesting they can’t, won’t or shouldn’t change, only that for now, they still matter and until they don’t matter to the networks and advertisers (who are the only entities that can bring about change) bringing that up may make you feel better, but otherwise is completely worthless. Sorry, just the way it is!
So Robert, to quote you: “the single opinion of one person or even the group opinions of thousands or millions of people simply do not matter.”
Who are these people – the fans. If the networks are saying the fans don’t matter, then why should they bother turning in to watch a show? People like the fans of Moonlight who fight for a show they enjoy so much are the people that networks should be fighting to have.
And with ratings, Moonlight was in its first season, GW and Numbers are established shows in their 3 and 4th seasons, for Moonlight to get the rating’s it did, with the amount of advertising CBS gave it (not alot) the ratings are pretty good!
I would never have watched the Ex List . The fact that it took Moonlight’s spot is inmaterial. It does not interest me at all. An ex is an ex for a reason and frankly women do not need a man to be “whole” as this show tries to imply.
Having said that , yes I am a Moonlight fan and I feel disenfranchized. Moonlight deserved the chance to prove itself during a non strike season. The show had tons of potential and a large fan base. CBS has not told the truth as to why the show was cancelled. It was not ratings, period.
DirecTV has shown an interest in sponsoring Moonlight. They have already done this for Friday Night Lights, another show in the Fri night “death slot”. I hope they follow through and Moonlight gets a home where it can shine.
Dosen’t surprise me that he left his wife for a younger woman, most men his age
are looking for a thrill, I hope Julie get’s all she can out of him and dumps him like
a hot potato ! I’m surprised he didn’t go after Tassler ! Oh no wait, she’s too old !
CBS has made some bad decisions lately, hummm, seems like Moonves choices
aren’t that much better !!!!!Let’s see how long Julie last !!!!!
Greetings, I’m one of the so-called jilted fans and yes I did respond to the ex-list. I can say I might have been a bit edgier in my reply because I feel CBS misled Moonlight viewers calling it season finale on their web site and the few promos for the show that occurred right before Ghost Whisper on Friday nights. I do though believe that Ex-List isn’t something I would gather my family around the TV to see as I did with Moonlight each Friday. A show about a woman so desperate that she’s going back to people who either dumped her or she dumped hoping to find someone to love her isn’t appealing to as a woman.
I prefer the great romance and chemistry between all its characters in Moonlight. A strong woman willing to defend and accept the one she loved with a strong guy willing to give up anything for the woman he loves. Moonlight was just hitting its stride when it was cancelled and would have continued to do so if given the chance. Moonlight was never promoted by CBS to gather new viewers. Most people came to the show via word of mouth or accident. If you look at it from that prespective you can see that its ratings were rather exceptional for a Friday night Fall show. Many viewers didn’t watch it Friday night but watched it via DVR the next day and were not counted. If the network really wanted to see what this show could do they should have moved it to another night or counted viewers who watched it over the weekend.
We have viewers from 37 countries, and all over this country. I’m a mother of 3, a programmer with a full time job here. I work hard for my money, I decide what I spend it on, and I deserve to be counted and appreciated by the networks and advertisers who want my business. If they won’t listen to me then I’ll take my business elsewhere.
Yes, we’re a passionate bunch, but its the passionate, loyal viewers that puts money in the bank for networks and movies. We’re the ones wearing the t-shirts, and telling everyone we meet in the grocery line about this great new show. Networks should be court us instead of alienating us because we benefit their bottom line. Even you have benefited a bit by Moonlight since the number of people aware of you and your site was increased by mentioning the show. Isn’t it why you write articles about this one season cancelled show because you know we will come?
We’re not just a bunch of jilted women striking back at CBS for a cancelled show.
I mean if you want the true story behind Moonlight viewers then why not write about what this show inspired us to do?. Donations to the Red Cross for the Disaster Fund, Blood Drives, Toy Drives, Food Drives, signing people up to be bone marrow donors.
In conclusion, I believe that Moonlight is worth saving and I will continue to fight for it, its my time, its my money, and my right. Theres nothing wrong with fighting for something you believe in.
Must you be so snide about a show which so many care about? Wait – I forgot! You’re trying to be witty. Doh! Seriously, Robert, while you may not like the show your numbers are way off due to the bean counters using outdated methods of counting viewers (such as Nielsen, etc.). Regardless, there are some 8 million of us (many older than the so-called target demographic of 18-49) who really enjoyed the show and hoped it would be given a second season. But no, instead we get tripe like SWINGTOWN and EX-LIST. Supposedly, Nina Tassler hopes to capture more females – too bad she just alienated 8 million of them by cancelling MOONLIGHT and robbing us of the hottest cast and crew CBS has seen in many a year. As for Moonves’ personal problems, I could care less. I’ve already vowed not to watch any more CBS programming – it’s just not worth it. Too bad no one really wants to know what people watch and want to watch. Do you miss us, CBS? If not now, you will!
I loved Moonlight. It had everything, romance, drama and comedy. The casting was superb. CBS had their heads up their butts for canceling this outstanding show. I am part of that all important 18-49 demographic, and CBS can kiss that goodbye. Robert, have you any idea how many millions of Moonlight fans are still seething????? WE WANT OUR SHOW BACK AND WE WANT IT NOW!!!!
Robert, I have to disagree with your comments. Especially “Instead, CBS decided to go with the new The Ex-List, a show about a single woman looking for love, and failing miserably. Personally I can relate to this much more than a show about vampires, and I’m sure I’m not alone in that.”. The Ex-List isn’t about someone who is unlucky in love, it is about a woman who feels she can’t have a fulfilling life without a husband. In the promos she even says “I love my life, but I want to get married”. This isn’t the 1950s. Many women, especially the Millennial generation, do not feel that they need a man to be fulfilled, nor does that seem a message that should be propagated within the media.
CBS has yet to give a consistent answer as to why Moonlight was canceled. The were supposedly very happy with the ratings before the writer’s strike and Moonlight retained its audience as well or better than other shows. They claimed that they want more women, yet Moonlight skewed heavily female. Plus CBS seemed to go out of its way to hide the fact that Moonlight was canceled. All the promos and even the website called “Sonata” a season, rather than series, finale.
I dislike being compared to a jilted woman or being called angst-ridden. Aside from the negative connotations both those terms carry I find it an unfair characterization of us. I’m 23 years old, will soon have a Master’s degree, and have dealt with family members with Cystic Fibrosis, depression, diabetes and bulimia. Believe me, angst is for when my younger sister calls telling me she’s having trouble breathing and needs me to drive her to the ER and not for a television show. I, and most Moonlight fans, merely feel that CBS never fully supported the show. I saw more CSI promos than I did Moonlight promos. They tried to turn the show into CSI:Vampire rather than allowing to be what it was meant to be and then they went out of there way to hide the fact that they canceled it from those who aren’t familiar with fan sites to hear the news from the upfront presentation. And despite all of this “Moonlight” is one of CBS’s best selling shows on both iTunes and Amazon’s Unbox. And so we choose not to support a network that apparently does not care about us.
Yes we will not shed tears should “The Ex-List” and CBS bomb next season. But right now we are more concerned with saving a show that has touched us in many ways. We may not succeed but we’re not giving up the idea that some network actually cares what viewers want. DirecTV seems to be interested since they have contacted the owner of Moonlightline.com to examine the number of fans willing to switch to DirecTV should they help get it back on the air.
Come on, Robert, this particular post is a blatant attempt to get more people to read your blog! You know Moonlight gets lots of buzz and lots of hits. OK, but you don’t have to call Moonlight fans names, or insult them by comparing them to jilted older spouses….or to insult Les Moonves’ ex wife! Come on, man, you’re giving us guys a bad name.
Frankly, I like Moonlight, and it’s a helluva lot more interesting than the new shows they are promoting so heavily. O’Loughlin is a good actor, not just eye candy for women. And the show is intelligent and not at all genre-stuck. It transcended the vampire genre and the detective genre and the romance genre. It’s just good drama.
I mean, would you say Numb3rs is a math-geek show? Or that it’s about being Jewish? Or about being a tormented FBI triple agent? Those are all issues that it addresses. It’s a good show and it has built (over several years) decent ratings, just as Moonlight probably would have. Now, Ghost Whisperer? Uh, Jennifer Love-Hewitt isn’t even a fox anymore. I’ll never get that show’s popularity. But to each his own.
But seriously, dude. Yeah, you’ll get lots and lots of annoyed comments from Moonlight fans, including this one. If the show were really dead, why would you even be talking about it?
Robert, You say that more people will be able to relate to The Ex-List than MOONLIGHT. About that, you may be right. But I do not wat to watch a show that I can relate to on, so many levels. The reason we fans of MOONLIGHT are so passionate in our efforts to SAVE MOONLIGHT is that it transports us out of our everyday lives. We donn’t want to wach some pathetic female chasing after her Ex’s to find THE ONE. There are reasons they are ex’s in the first place.
No…Give me romance, action, a plausable storyline and I can escape the world of ex’s. I do not believe any woman who has endured being dumped will even give The Ex List the time of day. Moonlight was, for us 8 million or so viewers, something to look forward to each week. We will not stop fighting for our beloved show, the cast, writers and crew!!!!!!!!!!! We are not going away!!!!!!!!!! VSRRR!!!
You said it better than I EVER could. Right On, Tami!!!
CBS stabbed “Moonlight” in the back!
Yeah, because this article was so unbiased! I’m not go in depth about how great Moonlight is or how much the Ex-List will suck in my demographic, but I just don’t see how Moonlight getting cancelled has anything to do with Moonves dumping his wife and I don’t think that both headlines should even be the same article. The whole, “well so and so said this” sounds a little juvenille to me too.
Gwen, it did give an answer. Nina Tassler is on record, on video saying “Yes, it was the ratings.” If you want to speculate on whether she’s being honest, that’s your call. Your interpretation of the female character on the Ex-List might be applied to characters on Grey’s Anatomy, Sex and the City, etc. Should ABC yank off Grey’s and install Moonlight instead? (rhetorical question).
Elizabuff72: the problem with your argument is that Moonlight didn’t attract 8 million 18-49 year old females, it averaged 2.85 million 18-49 year olds, including the men. And it was even worse in the 18-34 demographic where it averaged under 1 million for the period where we got data. Roughly half the oft cited 8 million were over 55 (a fairly common thing on CBS). In your defense, Ghost Whisperer and Numb3rs only attracted ~200,000 more 18-49 year olds. That may be more of a case for those shows should’ve been cancelled as well than a case for keeping Moonlight. We’re missing much of the gender and age comparisons that would help compare all three shows, and on top of that we have no idea how advertisers felt about advertising on the show.
Unfortunately, the show got cancelled. It sucks for you guys, but the probability of a DirecTV deal similar to FNL is very slim. Why? Because NBC was in on that deal and a proponent of getting it done. DTV may be interested in Moonlight, but unless CBS or some other broadcast is as well (and it appears they are completely disinterested) I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Sorry.
I have never posted anything or cared about a TV show until MOONLIGHT. I watched it once and was hooked. Alex is a star and those of us that took the time to watch know this. Maybe some of us dont want reality or reality like shows maybe some of us want to get lost in a romance that we can only dream about. There is true chemistry between them. I personally think they made a mistake, it was the only show I made time to watch , it brought me to CBS, and it took me AWAY too!!!
Tanya
Joe, honestly it wasn’t about the traffic (believe me, I’m in a phase where I completely do not care about traffic, ask Bill, I’m pretty sure he’ll vouch for that!). It was seeing the 200th comment saying exactly the same thing and thinking “hell hath no fury…” that motivated me to write it.
You are an idiot if you think that. Moonlight has amazing chemistry with its actors, a new take on the genre of vampires and really interesting writing. You watch Alex O’Laughlin act and see it in his eyes….he becomes the character…. and the networks all need a reality check on the demographics….all the younger ones are all out having fun….they are not sitting home watching tv on a Fri. night….though I have been amazed to see how many from old to very young have become fans…. and we don’t need an alimony check…just shows how totally out of touch you are….we all want the romance of the show, the wonderful chemistry of Mick and Beth…the fun of Josef’s snark… the vampire is a wonderful fun part of the show, but that’s not all the show is.
I am a little confused as to why a man by his pic appears to be on the backside of 50 would be so intent on caring what 18-49 yo want to watch. As an older viewer do you feel that badly about yourself that bow down to being force fed bad programming.
I for one dont believe those numbers are accurate. The system needs tossed and completely revamped. There shoud be room on network tv for everyone.
Mar, Moonves is publicly on record agreeing with your view and taking issue with the advertising business and its focus on youth demographics like 18-34 (specifically) and 18-49 year olds. But for the network, advertising is king and if the people paying the bills (advertisers) care about those demographics, there’s no way to run away from it.