Comments on: Nielsen Ratings Thursday July 31: Big Brother Likes Thursdays, Flashpoint a Hit...With Older People

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:21:06 +0000

TVa, fourth highest, not third and on the broadcast networks, but the *only* first run, scripted program of the four. I don't know if I view that as a positive. I don't see it as negative either. I see it as neutral. Neither particularly good or particularly bad. From a ratings perspective I'm not high on shows like that. I'd also be very curious to see Burn Notice's demo which unfortunately, I will not likely see.

By: TVaholic

TVaholic — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:12:09 +0000

Flshpoint may be a “Hit With older People”, but dont over look that it was tied for the 3rd highest Demo rating for the night, and won its time period in both Viewers & Demo.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:06:08 +0000

mabirdy: agree w/you in general in terms of struggling to keep viewers in general across the broadcast nets. But if I'm at CBS, I'm *not* using ABC and NBC as my benchmarks. Aside from Wipeout, ABC seems to have mostly completely given up on the summer, and NBC overall is the last place network these days (unless you count the CW). Did Flashpoint beat Hopkins and Fear Itself? Sure. But you're not going to make any decisions based on the hardly watched Fear Itself. Hopkins with 2+ million fewer almost did as well in the demo. Flashpoint beat it marginally in the demo, but I'm not sure if that's a victory worth celebrating.

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:01:06 +0000

Em – I think it's possible to both not alienate your aging audience (and CBS isn't the only one with this issue, it's just perhaps more pronounced at the Eye net) and attract younger viewers and do it with crime procedurals.. CSI, and CSI: Miami both have healthy 18-49 audiences for original airings, as does Law & Order: SVU. So I think CP just are a comfort zone. The devil you know, dance with the one who brung you, pick your clichÃ©.

By: mabirdy

mabirdy — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 22:55:30 +0000

Two million more viewers than ABC and 3.77 more total viewers and than NBC and Flashpoint is still ahead of both networks in the demos (by decimals but still ahead). What the networks have to figure out is where those demos go at ten. They keep throwing episodic shows at an invisible wall and hope something will stick and usually the numbers are still about the same. My guess, having two children in the sainted demos, is that they are happily online, either doing something non-tv related or watching something that they cannot see on the tv at that time.

Although I spend a good deal of time on the computer I would rather watch my "predictable" shows in their regular time slots or watch something I missed on my dvdr.
I'd still rather watch tv on the tv rather than on my computer and there is your age difference. The demos like the freedom of watching on the Internet or on their computers. The only exception is the live reality shows, reflected in the Big Brother numbers. (Moving it out of the way of So You Think You Can Dance, the results show, didn't hurt either. Made it easier for me to watch both in real time.)

I just think that the networks are fighting a losing battle, trying to woo viewers who think that the network tv, and television in general, is an obsolete medium.

By: Em

Em — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 22:48:59 +0000

So Robert, If the Crime Procedurals attract the older crowd and CBS is trying to make inroads into the 18-49 demo why start with another CP? When I look at the top 20 shows I only see one CP. I guess I don't get what CBS is trying to do. Or are they really trying to retain the 50 + crowd and just don't want to say it?

By: Robert Seidman

Robert Seidman — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:21:06 +0000

By: TVaholic

TVaholic — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:12:09 +0000

Flshpoint may be a “Hit With older People”, but dont over look that it was tied for the 3rd highest Demo rating for the night, and won its time period in both Viewers & Demo.