Comments on: TV Ratings Tuesday: 90210, Melrose Place Premiere Weak; Fox & Hell's Kitchen Rule

By: Dan

Dan — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:40:05 +0000

The CW is probably gonna be gone soon. Not now or next season but maybe within the next 5 years. Once the remaining UPN series like ANTM, One Tree Hill, Smallville and Supernatural end. Then The CW will likely tank. With the exeption of Top Model, they can’t expect these 3 veteran dramas to continue holding the network up. Smallville will end this season, One Tree Hill and Supernatural could be on its way out after 10-11. So Gossip Girl, 90210, Melrose Place and Vampire Diaries really need a turn around this year.

By: charlene

charlene — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:22:59 +0000

I HOPE THEY DONOT CANCEL SMALLVILLE AND SUPERNATURAL NEXT YEAR OVER THESE SHOWS.

By: R.G

R.G — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:26:49 +0000

THE CW and NBC are going to switch places.

By: Jenna

Jenna — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:15:33 +0000

The only reasons I ever watch the new 90210 are because a)there’s nothing else on b)I’m just too lazy to change the channel or c)because it’s filmed on my block and right around the corner from me so I get to shout out loud (to myself), “Hey! I know that place! Hey that’s NOT Beverly Hills, that’s Redondo Beach!” But this new Melrose Place makes 90210 look like Emmy material. I found it to be poorly executed from just about every angle. I expected cheese, I expected over the top, I expected scandal…but it all felt forced and artificial. Bad writing, weak acting…just WEAK overall. Not that I really expected much more from it…but eh… LOL I can’t wait for fall/winter TV!

By: Craig

Craig — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:32:35 +0000

The season 1 launch for 90210 last year was so high because it was a new thing to do. Take a massive show like 90210, reboot it, bring back iconic cast members etc thats why so many tuned in for it.
The drop off in the 2nd week was by the people who just tuned in for the novelty of it all and then 90210 hit its average at around 2 and a half million. 90210 season 2 had good numbers for the show so they will be happy.

MP would never get the ratings 90210 had on its 1st episode because the hype about rebooting shows is over, especially after 90210 proved to be so mediocre (though it has got much better)

I would have though MP would have launched with just under 3 million so they are down on that, but i dont think we will see such a big drop off like we did with 90210. Also its repeated this week so will pick up new viewers and i have a feeling the DVR figures will be high.

By: Morgan

Morgan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:35:05 +0000

There’s a saying that goes “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting it to come out different”

Apparently Dawn Ostroff has never heard it.

Last year, she decided to resurrect 90210, and while it garnered some initial curiousity, it quickly petered out, and ratings and interest faded. Even with original cast members dropping in. So, what did Dawn decide to do? Resurrect Melrose Place, and try to do the exact same thing that didn’t work for her the first time.

Why would anyone, including Dawn, be surprised at the lack of interest?

By: MelroseLarry

MelroseLarry — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:10:51 +0000

Melrose Place actually wasn’t bad at all. I stopped watching 90210 because the women were unattractive pink skeletons who looked like bulimic 13 year olds. At least Melrose has women with curves.

I laughed when I saw old Dr. Mancini in the show

By: onevision

onevision — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:25:01 +0000

Isabel, web hype means little to nothing in ratings. While you may claim that Nielsen system is flawed (and it almost certainly is), it plays by all the rules for general statistic and it’s still the best way to measure ratings. It’s normal networks will say Nielsen is bad from time to time, but if they really thought they could do it better, they would’ve done it by now.

If you look at Box Office, often you can see that huge web buzz can’t really point to a successful movie, as there were few bombs with huge web buzz. I don’t see why the same wouldn’t happen in TV business. I also wouldn’t put out the option that CW themselves twitted or at least payed people to do it. That’s nothing illegal and I don’t think it would be an expensive promotion and it gets people talking.

I already said that it was logical to expect low premiere numbers for MP. Not because CW started the season early (it did wonders for them last year, so that argument is silly and I really don’t see why people grasp to it) or because it was the day after the holiday (ask Sons of Anarchy). People were willing to give a shot to 90210 last year. They didn’t like what they saw and the ratings collapsed. Reboot of Melrose Place was basically something no viewer wanted and the ratings illustrate that. I’m afraid it will only go down from here.

Oh and I saw 90210 and MP. 90210 was the same it was last season. No better, no worse, just mediocre itself. Melrose was good dumb fun, but I don’t think the series will have an upswing in viewers with this level of quality.

By: FDS Express-10/IX/09 | Estás escuchando…Fuera de Series

FDS Express-10/IX/09 | Estás escuchando…Fuera de Series — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:00:43 +0000

[...] las audiencias de la CW (90210 y Melrose Place) podéis leerlas en The Futon Critic, Variety y Tv by the Numbers. La de Sons of Anarchy, aparece en the Live Feed y la de Flash Foward, en The Hollywood Reporter. [...]

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:58:01 +0000

forg – I don’t see Melrose or Vampire Diaries getting replaced, so it seems likely that Life UnXpected would air wednesdays when Beautiful Life completes its run. The CW knows that fridays are low ratings so they wouldn’t waste a good series to air at 9. They just moved Smallville there because, its a veteran series, its likely to end this year, and its high rated so it may bring back viewers to fridays. Another reason they air ANTM repeats fridays is because since its a reality show, when it airs wednesdays its never a repeat so the only time to watch an encore is fridays at 9. Life UnXpected could fail or be renewed but its likely based on what The CW’s plans are for 2010-2011. Melrose Place and Vampire Diaries seem like long term series that CW would want to keep in the same slots for a while. Compatibility between shows doesn’t always occur but it usually helps.

By: Isabel

Isabel — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:27:34 +0000

I thought Melrose Place was great, and also, this is part of a bigger problem in the television industry in that the Nielsen system itself is well known as not being accurate since it only measures 10,000 households. And what is the population of the United States? Close to 305 MILLION PEOPLE. And it’s also why TV networks are banding together in search for a more accurate ratings system. But the buzz for Melrose Place was undeniable, it was a #1 Twitter topic for weeks leading up to the premiere EW said, and buzz translates to advertising money for the CW, as well as the well known name Melrose Place, that guarantees it’s continuation since it will be sold to countries around the world (that’s the only thing that’s keeping 90210 afloat). Not wasting my time reading any douchey replies to this message…

By: forg

forg — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:48:39 +0000

^ haha what I mean is “theme wise they are not compatible ” not comfortable

By: forg

forg — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:46:19 +0000

Dan: If that happens, Life UneXpected may have a chance of survival after all with ANTM lead in although theme wise they are not comfortable.

SO you really thin the Friday 9pm slot will always be on repeats? If Smallville does well, what a waste of timeslot

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:39:25 +0000

forg – CW may likely schedule Life UnXpected to air after America’s Next Top Model in March after The Beautiful Life finishes its season, like how Reaper replaced Privileged last March. If Beautiful Life gets an 18 episode season it could finish early and make room for Life UnXpected. Melrose and Diaries will probably stay in their respective slots until May but Beautiful life strikes me as a short lived Privileged. While ANTM is on Break from December-March, Blonde Charity Mafia is likely to fill the slot. Here’s what the schedule might look like in January.

Monday
8:00 One Tree Hill
9:00 Gossip Girl

Tuesday
8:00 90210
9:00 Melrose Place

Wednesday
8:00 Blonde Charity Mafia
9:00 The Beautiful Life: TBL

Thursday
8:00 Vampire Diaries
9:00 Supernatural

Friday
8:00 Smallville
9:00 Drama Repeats

March might look like this

Monday
8:00 One Tree Hill
9:00 Gossip Girl

Tuesday
8:00 90210
9:00 Melrose Place

Wednesday
8:00 America’s Next Top Model
9:00 Life UnXpected

Thursday
8:00 Vampire Diaries
9:00 Supernatural

Friday
8:00 Smallville
9:00 ANTM Repeats

By: Megan

Megan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:46:42 +0000

Clarifying, I am not the other Megan who posted at 10:31, only have same first name. I just watched Melrose last night and came here to see the ratings, and only posted my thoughts on why possibly ratings were low.

By: Megan

Megan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:17:24 +0000

Well, with both Hell’s Kitchen and America’s Got Talent having started weeks ago and in the midst of their competitions, if people had been watching either of those all summer then it stands to reason they would not tune to a new show while these competitions are not done yet. I think that was also a factor in CE ratings. I watched Melrose Place and did not think it was bad. Premieres the day after a holiday and night before first day of school in many places could also be factors.

By: forg

forg — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:19:15 +0000

Well they still have the midseason drama Life UneXpected. But I don’t see how will the CW schedule that. Fridays after Smallville? The reviews for that show is strong and I’m looking forward to it although I know that the show has a little chance of survival.

Let’s see next week’s numbers for MP, the repeats for this week might help it gain more exposure

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:09:51 +0000

Melrose will get a full year anyway. This season The CW has compatibility in their nights. Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill are compatible teen dramas, 90210 and Melrose are both remakes of the Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place, ANTM and Beautiful Life (while one reality and one drama) both focus on Models, Vampire Diaries and Supernatural are both horror thrillers, and that just leaves veteran Smallville on fridays. Without comedies nor a sunday block to worry about my guess is that every new drama will get a full season or additional episodes.

Melrose Place – 24 episodes
Vampire Diaries – 22 episodes
The Beautiful Life – 18-20 episodes

By: paul 80

paul 80 — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:01:13 +0000

The story on Melrose Place is, it had such strong international sales, it will be around a couple of years. It would have to drop off the Neilsen scale to be canceled.

By: WhyAllTheHate

WhyAllTheHate — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:12:40 +0000

Also, they are playing Melrose Place two more times this week–either that will bring in more viewers for the second episode, or completely turn them away…

By: WhyAllTheHate

WhyAllTheHate — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:07:06 +0000

I don’t understand how people can seriously “hate” a channel–unless they work for another. Get real.

90210′s premiere was awesome. Much better than last season, I read somewhere that the story is being restructured to take out the plotline of the older castmates and making it more hip.

Melrose Place was dull. Looks like a lot of people turned off their TVs in agreement.

By: forg

forg — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:49:37 +0000

^ Let me correct my last statement

“I guess the producers will try to get Heather Locklear even more…”

By: forg

forg — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:46:14 +0000

I really expected at least 3 million viewers for the series premiere for MP. 2.27 is something that I thought will be its season average but to start with that? Then where it will go from here? Especially when the real competition stars. So I guess MP will average around 1.8 million viewers and 1.0 in the demo. That was really disappointing numbers especially that the show is an established brand.
But I guess if the show continues to hold on decently on 90210′s women 18-34 audience this will still get a full season renewal.

I guess the producers will not try to get Heather Locklear ever more

By: Chis

Chis — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:46:57 +0000

i dont know what to watch this season cause i am not in the mood to start anything new and have it pulled right out from me

By: Theoacme

Theoacme — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:34:43 +0000

Since CBS owns half of the CW, why couldn’t the CW place a few ads on CBS programs…

…or would that make too much sense…

…or is CBS making the CW losses into pluses, a la WKRP

By: Samuel

Samuel — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:50:18 +0000

@ Chis, the problem is, CW don’t build up audience, they loose it. It started weak, so it’s either gonna go down, or stay the same. But it won’t get better, not by airing ads on a 2.5 millions network… or on supernatural and smallville.

By: Samuel

Samuel — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:47:36 +0000

@ Anonymus, oh yeah, you’re right ^^

@ Robert, thank god! now the question is: how the hell do those kids find this website…?

By: Theoacme

Theoacme — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:10:52 +0000

I wonder if CW could do something called “MP” – starring those sexy military policewomen from “Stripes…it would have to get better demos…

…mmm – I wonder how you could incorporate an ice cream scoop with the Venus Butterfly

By: Chis

Chis — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:01:43 +0000

eveyone calm down it was one night lets see how it does its not going to be a standout it needs time to bluid

By: Moorplant

Moorplant — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:46:43 +0000

Shows that trend upwards are so much rarer than shows that trend downards from the premiere and never recover.

Also this was the SERIES PREMIERE, it should have been able to at least add on more viewers than 90210, from curiousity and nostalgia if nothing else. If it had been an episode in November then we might be sitting here talking about how decently it was holding up. But it’s not. It’s the premiere, which had a ton of promotion, against almost zero real competition and it couldn’t even outpace what the CW considers ok, let alone hit 3-4 million. Privileged got higher ratings, and that is not something the CW will want to be remembering right now.

At least 90210 can claim consistancy.

By: Kathy B.

Kathy B. — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:40:31 +0000

Will bad numbers for these shows translate into a push to extend Supernatural beyond season five and Smallville past 9 even though they aren’t the demos Dawn wants?

By: Chis

Chis — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:37:01 +0000

also think Cw is smart to re play in the entire week

By: ‘Melrose Place’ and ‘90210′ No Longer Must-See TV | Hollywood Vulture

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:26:12 +0000

[...] and Melrose Place premiered last night and, according to Neilsen, their debut outings were not widely seen. In the highly coveted 18-34 demographic, Melrose Place received a 1.5 rating and 90210 received a [...]

By: Chis

Chis — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:18:12 +0000

also i think over 2 million would be good for cw?

By: Chis

Chis — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:16:41 +0000

here we go a bad start for shows only going to get worse? Cable we do good in the fall know look at the numbers for Sons on fx

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:10:58 +0000

It doesnt surprise me that Melrose Place’s numbers were bad becuase the show was really bad. I’m sad to see 90210′s numbers bad becuase it has gone through some major improvements from last year. It is truly a watchable show now!

By: JustCallMeMrRockO

JustCallMeMrRockO — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:25:25 +0000

Sometimes I wish the friggin’ CW would just tank and disappear. I get so tired of hearing about how they can’t get ratings. It’s the same song and dance everytime they air anything at all. If it’s as bad as all that, why do they still exist? When will the time come to throw in the towel?

By: Shem

Shem — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:25:25 +0000

What was so horrible about 90210? Noami lights up the camera. Its a primetime soap- given the pace and storyline. I bet if 90210 was abc family, people would be alot less hateful.

By: Chad

Chad — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:21:37 +0000

America’s Got Talent is such a train wreck this season, I can’t stop watching.

Help.

By: Holly

Holly — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:13:43 +0000

@Julia, the finale was on the 19th.

By: Holly

Holly — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:11:30 +0000

^2 million viewers and a 1.1 in the 18-49 demo. No idea for the 18-34.

By: Julia

Julia — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:11:04 +0000

Tom, I don’t think this was the season finale (maybe week before the finale?), but this is the latest I could find from the first season without making too much effort:

FRESHMAN POSTS BEST DEMOS TUESDAY AT 9

May 13, 2009 (Burbank, CA) The CW’s 90210 continued to build momentum in the Tuesday night 9 p.m. time period, posting its best ratings in a number of key demographics.

The show scored a 2.7/7 among women 18-34, 1.7/4 among female teens, 1.7/4 among women 18-49 and 2.1 million total viewers, all series highs in the time period.

The “Zero Tolerance” episode of 90210 encores tonight at 9 p.m.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:58:30 +0000

Can someone tell me what was the ratings for 90210 first season finle?

By: CP

CP — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:40:44 +0000

I think the movie business has a lot to do with it. They either keep making sequels to things that don’t need to be made, or remakes of things that didn’t need it (Halloween comes to mind). They’re remaking everything, from Conan and Red Sonja to possibly another Buffy movie. Someone mentioned a Justice League show, there was a live action show years ago but they only made a handful of episodes and Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman weren’t in it.

By: Chis

Chis — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:34:55 +0000

i think i may give up on tv soon i am not starting anything new intill the second espoised or first season

By: sam

sam — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:14:43 +0000

i though Melrose Place would do well

By: frelling_cute

frelling_cute — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:10:51 +0000

Why do they keep remaking stuff? They need to fire this Dawn woman that is in charge of programming.
Melrose was pretty good. Likeable and Hot cast. Will give it a few more trys.
90210 is still horrible.

By: TheCW: Tuesday’s Ratings (Sept 8, 2009) « A Man. And His Blog.

TheCW: Tuesday’s Ratings (Sept 8, 2009) « A Man. And His Blog. — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:05:41 +0000

[...] More on tvbythenumbers.com [...]

By: Bryan

Bryan — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:01:43 +0000

Well i watched 90210 and MP. Actually I thought 90210 was just ok and MP, the first part was great but the other half boring, sry.

By: Bill Gorman

Bill Gorman — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:00:21 +0000

While we have only 2 years of experience on the site, one thing that the CW has shown is that they don’t pull shows out of their lineups early. Whether that’s patience or lack of options is debatable. The exception being last season when the entire Sunday lease deal with MRC collapsed, reportedly for financial reasons, but the ratings certainly weren’t good.