lainey, big drop indeed since they now struggle to even reach 2.0. I just hope the networks will not give up on Friday like Saturday.

But now I think, if and when ABC cancels Ugly Betty, what are they going to put there. NOTHING good will come from a Friday. They should move Betty to their “comedy wednesday” and kill off Eastwick or something.

I just hope ABC wasnt hoping for some suprise with good numbers on a Friday because that is never going to happen. Can ABC legally cancel the show midseason? Wasnt it already picked up for a full season in may? And dont they have a deal with Silvio Horta (the creator) that they have to air the show or something? I remember some article 2 years ago or so saying he signed some deal with ABC…

Ghost Whisperer 9.85 m, 2.9
Moonlight 7.90 m, 2.5
Numb3rs 9.94 m, 2.8

So, GW and Numb3rs have really fallen. Some might say they are aging, but the NCIS and CSI shows are as old as these are, too, and are hanging on. It does look like viewing is down all across the board for Friday evening in general, even worse than usual.

Wonder what CBS’ attitude is toward the current ratings on Friday. They are still on top, but, at least in the past, that didn’t figure into their decisions on shows when they compare all their shows to each other, and not how they do against the other networks, at least that is what I have gleaned from things said in discussion here.

SVU had the cushiest timeslot on the network and now that it actually has to find its own way it’s been exposed.”

The network has done itself in with the Jay Leno show. The show’s not funny, not only has ruined the prime time schedule, it’s had an adverse affect on network affiliates local news ratings and they aren’t liking it. NBC is too stubborn to admit they made a BIG mistake, but they need to be realistic. The Jay Leno show’s ratings have only one way to go, and it ain’t up. As ratings continually decline, they eventually pull the plug. The only question is: when? My guess is they’ll stick it out the entire season, but Jay won’t be back come next fall.

…I’m a little surprised on the low numbers for the ball game – especially NY & California!??

It works for The Daily Show/Colbert Report. In fact, I think it would help NBC a ton to have a 10pm scripted show going one night a week.

I think people are getting tired of Leno due in part to oversaturation. While that’s certainly not the only problem it has, it certainly might help to pull back, just a bit.

@Robert or Bill: do the DVD sales of a show have a big impact on deciding whether a show will get renewed or not? I don’t really know much about it and I trust you guys with stuff like this so any info would be appreciated.

I ask because quite a few shows that dropped in viewers this year had a surge in DVD sales for their last season.

and Theoacme I agree, its NOT one of ABC’s best shows, and never was. hello, LOST, Modern Family, which, FYI, did better in reruns in that same time slot the last few weeks, and many more that are wayyyy better.

But seriously, a show where they beat ghosts with whips would be entertaining.

“Ghost Whiperer”

(Just kidding, I can’t believe no one else caught that)

L&O was doing terribly Wednesdays at 10 already.

SVU had the cushiest timeslot on the network and now that it actually has to find its own way it’s been exposed.

I think the season premier of UB was great. All the mistakes made last season have definitely been rectified. Hopefully word of mouth and some good advertisement will get this show back on track.

UB is still here because they managed to cut production costs 30%, but nothing else last season justified that ABC should even keep it. Other than being cheap, let alone through money away promoting it. They did, nevertheless.

UB’s few remaining fans should be grateful they are getting S4, and stop whining. Last season it performed bellow ABC’s average demo. It is on life support, and brain dead. By the end season they will pull the plug.

Anyone remembered Women’s Murder Club? I remember before the strike it delivered good numbers for ABC? If they have kept that show maybe it could deliver good Friday ratings.

I’m surprised by the way that ABC didn’t cash in with the Bubble Boy controversy and aired a rerun of Wife Swap that featured that family.

And one last thing since Disney channel is getting good ratings for their Friday lineup they should nurture those talents and maybe once those talents past the Disney age they could be relaunched at a new ABC shpw and who knows their audience could follow [I know the audience are young but they are the future 18-49 demo] just an idea haha

“Numb3rs has been an older screwing show to begin with.”

Good one.

They could have moved this show to a Tuesday night and might have done better than it could. This however might be the last season of the show, and slowly Friday will be just another Saturday at least on the Broadcast end. So far USA and SyFy have their bragging rights.

Ok first of all about the whole lex thing i agree with tucker on that whole thing because if michael rosenbaum was gonna become a regular in season 10 then he wouldnt have left in the first place. It is said by the producers (including Tom Welling) they will not end the series without at least a cameo appearance of Michael as Lex but I really doubt he will be the one to kill chloe. I think Chloe is better off dieing tucker because she isnt in the comics and the death of chloe my help clark become superman but if anyone is going to kill chloe it’s as of now most likely gonna be zod. It could be tess but i really doubt it.

Green Arrow stuff, I think that they should keep on doing more for green arrow but in a different direction like a few of his villains crossing over i mean i know its about clark but if they can tell the story and make green arrow a main character the least they can do is give him a few villains like Count Vertigo. I think that Green Arrow is gonna be staying tho Tucker and Gleebo because Justin Hartly states he will love to stay on the show and the producers said that think Oliver adds more super hero juice to the show and thats why they keep him.

Lois and Clark delemma, I think that the show will have them do something similar to what happend with lana and clark because in the comics it doesnt have them right away become dating for a long time right after they realize thier feelings for each other.

Jimmy, I think they shouldnt because like Kelly and Brian said jimmy is like 10 or 15 years younger then lois and clark so they couldnt re-add him they will probably give him another appearance tho like in the season 8 doomsday episode tho. Perry White is set to return as a recurring guest star if they go a S10 but not S9 because he is busy with plays right now. I also agree with Tucker that it is a bad idea to bring lex’s storyline back until the end of the series right now they are focusing on mjaor villains Zod and Tess and minor villains such as Metallo, Toyman, and Roulette.

Who knows? Maybe it would serve as a nice ice breaker with the ladies.

The upside would be betty feeding a bit off the comedy block given it is a dramedy.

“Although, I do suspect that not many people watching in sports bars are paying much attention to the advertisements.”

The PPM is a more or less passive device. In its radio role, my understanding is that the quantity of interest is simple exposure. Whether ads are broken out from programs I don’t know, although I do know that such “steganography” has been around quite a bit longer than the PPM per se, as a tool for advertisers to ensure that their spots were indeed being played.

I have to wonder about the uncertainties in this application to OOH TV, especially compliance. Do you really want the stylistic equivalent of a garage-door opener hanging around your neck when you go out to a bar?

I find it surprising the ‘Smallville”s numbers climbed this week, especially against the baseball playoffs. Not that I don’t think people should be watching. I’m just to trying to think what brought more people into this episode.

-Stop hinting at Lois/Clark and either go with it or just go with Lois/Superman. Not tiptoeing the line between both.

They aren’t hinting at or tiptoeing with Lois and Clark this season. It’s just about in full bloom.

-Finish off the Green Arrow stuff.

Yeah, I could actually do with less GA and Ollie. Nothing against Justin Hartley. He’s just kind of becoming superfluous and mainly just there to write a B or C story for to cut to something outside of the A story.

-Eliminate Tess Mercer

Not sure about that yet.

-Finish off the Zod character

Callum Blue is signed to the standard two season contract. Not sure what they’d need to do to stretch Zod over two seasons.

-bring back Jimmy Olsen

Eh. Best to just leave the whole Olsen debacle alone for the rest of the series.

And the most important:

- End season 9 with the return of Lex and have him murder Chloe. Sets up an explosive season 10 with the return of Michael Rosenbaum(seriously, what is he doing with his career now anyway) as Lex. Bring back the dynamic that Clark and Lex had with each other only amped up tenfold now that he has gone past the point of redemption by killing the only remaining long term friend Clark has left at this point.

The absolute last thing the show needs right now is Lex. There’s nowhere to go with Lex’s storyline at this point without Clark fulling being Superman. They proved that with the ridiculously clowny version of Lex that set the K-bomb trap for Clark and Lana last season. Bring Lex back – and Rosenbaum – on the last episode or two. That’s all they need to do.

Chloe shouldn’t be killed. Why is it that the standard way to write someone out of a show is to kill them off? If the blight that is Lana can become walking K-rock and just leave the show, Chloe should be able to walk off into the sunset too.

Ugly Betty on FOX would be amazing…I know FOX is impatient with their shows when it comes to ratings, but this would be a great show for them.

…but, by the numbers, Betty is definitely not one of ABC’s best shows…

…possibly yes, in terms of other strategic considerations at Disney, and probably yes, in terms of quality – but neither are measurable in Robert and Bill’s renew/cancel model.

We’ll see next week, after a new, and moderately heavily promoted Supernanny, what the numbers are, and go from there