I also really liked that they played MC Lyte’s “Act Like You Know” when Zeb took Donalyn to her audition – really fit the whole scene (lyrically and musically) well. The scene is on YouTube at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGCNcFKkQp0

Three Rivers’ ratings are consistently below 1.9 for ages 18-49. I’m curious to know what the numbers are for ages 18-34, of which advertisers are especially fond.

So I’m guessing 3R will be a soft cancellation — they’ll shoot and air all 13 episodes then call it quits. Is 3R the only show where CBS hasn’t made a formal announcement about its future (by adding or cutting back on the episode order)?

Numb3rs and Cold Case are both gone by May, due to the episode cut, Numb3rs should go from green to brown on the index.

I still never would have expected that Three Rivers would have lasted this long. Two things, the economy and Alex O’loughlin stops Three Rivers from joinging the ranks of Smith, Love Monkey, 3 lbs, Viva Laughlin, and The Ex LIst from being axed after a few eps.

You nailed it, Shaz. I’m one of those fans watching Three Rivers because Alex O’Loughlin is the lead; he can only do so much with the show as Carol Barbee’s the boss this time around. Not sure what her credentials are, but this whole production is piXX-poor. The actors who committed to this show deserved better. People will judge their performances, when it’s obvious Ms. Barbee needs to be replaced.

Anyway, if Three Rivers is the only CBS show you watch, and you’re only watching Three Rivers because Alex is on it, you’re such a small minority that threats to boycott CBS are as good as empty. Since CBS Films is making Alex’s next movie, The Back-Up Plan, I hope you plan to boycott that too so as not to be a hypocrite.

Yes. TV is a business and despite what some viewers want to pretend, it is about making money, not art and definitely not pleasing internet posters.

CBS’s idea of success is the same as any other TV network (broadcast or cable), and that’s high ratings (particularly in the 18-49 demo) because high demo ratings=advertising $$

Even if Flashpoint goes to Fridays, there is still The Bridge and Miami Trauma….and repeats, which would do better than new episodes of Three Rivers.

You all conveniently forget that the actors in veteran shows are getting paid obscene amounts so CBS may likely keep Three Rivers because it isn’t that expensive yet.

Angela – I agree, after CBS axes Three Rivers they should move Cold Case to 9 and air a new drama (The Bridge, Flashpoint, or Miami Trauma) at 10.

Mike11 – I agree The Good Wife would fit in well at 10 on fridays with Ghost Whisperer and Medium. To those people who said if Ghost Whisperer and Numb3rs had a baby it would be Medium. I think it would make more sense that if the crime sense of Good Wife is mixed with the supernatural ghost aspect of Ghost Whisperer, you get Medium. Either way the combo could work.

Basically, while its shocking Three Rivers is still on. Its all Alex O’loughlin. Rivers would have already been axed if he wasnt on the show, but the series is somehow still airing. When will Rivers be pulled who knows. To anyone who guessed the series would survive into November, good guess. I dont know why CBS would want to return Flashpoint in February when they could just air the series now.

The problem is definitely the time slot. Not only does it stink that it was changed from 9:00 to 10:00 for this season, but the football games DO mess it up. This is because I, like many others I’m sure, DVR the show since it is late on a Sunday night. I can’t tell you how many times I had to either delete the episode because there was only about 20 minutes recorded, watch the show with the last 20 minutes cut off because my DVR stopped recording, or sometimes miss it completely due to the delayed start. This happened all of the time last season as well when it followed The Amazing Race.

CBS should move Cold Case back into its 9:00 slot. I don’t think anything else can be done about the time getting pushed back, but it is more likely that fans can DVR it or watch it if it is not on after 11:00 on Sunday nights!

Thanks

Filming #9, casting #10.

“One of the worst show i’ve seen, i’ll never get back those precious minutes i spent watching Three Rivers thrash.”

I find the show so outrageously bad that it’s actually quite entertaining to watch. Everything — the writing, the directing, the acting, the concept, the cinematography, the editing, the score — is so over-the-top bad, it’s almost like they’re not even trying to make a good show. And those are the best kinds of bad shows. The way I see it, if you’re going to make a bad show, don’t just merely make it bad, like with “Community.” Make it so bad it’s good. And they’ve certainly succeeded on that front! Congratulations, Carol Barbee, for the best so-bad-it’s-good show of the season!

COLD CASE IS MY LIFE *–*

OMG !

Since Cold Case seems to do better at 9, maybe CBS should swap timeslots for Cold Case and Three Rivers.

As for why Three Rivers is still on the air, another possible reason is that Alex O’Loughlin did a movie for the newly created CBS Films that will be coming out in early 2010. Maybe CBS wants to keep his face and name in the public eye to help with later movie promotion.

Three Rivers has only played in it’s time slot here in Central time, twice. It’s been bumped and pushed out due to the game going over. My DVR records something other than Three Rivers and CBS wonders why it might be lagging in ratings? Come on Exec at CBS, what’s really going on? Does a mom sitting at home trying to watch a very interesting show, awesome storyline and educational, (Donors) get it and you don’t? Give the show a chance and it will deliver. You cancelled The Unit, Moonlight, and others that I loved and now, a really good, to the heart show, (no pun intended) comes along with so many options to explore, be patient. Sunday night is brutal with tv, all the shows getting bumped to a long game. Isn’t that how The Unit was dropped? It played after 11 or midnight, week after week.

Maybe put reruns of comedy’s on Sunday night after the game and don’t try to have a great lineup while football’s on. Am I the only one in a parallel universe to see this? What gives?

Forg – I agree. I see Big Bang Theory as a potential Men replacement and CBS is struggling to find a potential HIMYM replacement. Accidentally’s retention isnt that great to warrant a second season and its 18 episode order basically gives Rules the chance to replace it.

nkinsey – I agree. Last May I had thought CBS would axe Gary Unamrried and give Rules the 8:30 wednesday slot but they kept Gary and bumped Rules to midseason (where it will again replace a losing monday comedy like in 2007 and 2009) I agree Rules could be a solid performer, CBS doesnt give it the chance and the most episodes its had in a season is 15.

My guess is that this season for CBS is all about retention rather than high or low ratings. Monday from 9-10 has very high numbers and Theory has the best retention out of Men and both are already renewed. Accidentally’s retention out of veteran How I Met Your Mother is only OK and remains the weak link of the night which (like The Class and Worst Week) will lead to the shows cancellation. Gary Unmarried actually builds on Old Christine, and to CBS’s perspective maybe it may be time to let the 5 year old sitcom go. Old Christine will have 89 episodes for syndication and should be ready to go into syndication by 2011. Also if CBS axes the show in May 2010, CBS will have room on the sched to develop new comedies and ABC can pick the series up so its a win-win. Rules has always done well but never has maired without a Two and a Half Men lead in. Now that there is no way for Rules to get that lead in, if the series retains better than Accidentally in the 8:30 slot, it should be renewed. Rules airing in the fall wednesdays should be a good test for the show. So my final thought for 2010-2011 is to have mondays the same, except air a new comedy out of HIMYM and to have Rules replace Christine wednesdays at 8.

They could put Old Christine or Rules on Monday nights and insure great ratings all night. But they want to find more successfull comedies to take over there ones that will be ending sooner or later.

I’ll let you know when they know!

And comparing show averages without repeats to network averages with repeats is completely apples to oranges.