The somewhat ballyhooed notion early in the summer that this was to be the "summer of scripted" where the nets would air more original scripted content on broadcast television didn't pan out. Only ABC's Rookie Blue could claim success, and by broadcast standards it was only modest. Though had Rookie Blue been on cable and gotten the same numbers it would've been declared a hit.
The broadcast networks might have the notion that it's time to stop ceding the summer scripted landscape to cable, but that didn't happen this summer. While the broadcast networks could only get one new scripted show off the ground, cable had modest-to-great success with at least four newcomers: A&E's The Glades, TNT's Rizzoli & Isles & Memphis Beat and USA's Covert Affairs.
Those shows joined existing successful scripted summer programming like The Closer, Burn Notice and of course True Blood.
Unscripted programming holds sway on cable too though, and excluding the premium cable True Blood's impressive ratings, Snooki & the Kardashians frequently lorded over the basic cable ratings with adults 18-49. With no new episode of True Blood in the current week, look for Jersey Shore to rule not just all of cable for the week with adults 18-49, but all of television.
I was really impressed with the cable shows this summer. They’re in it to win it. It seems regular networks just choose shows that will NEVER survive the summer. Or shows they passed on for fall…I don’t know what it is, but I do know they are NOT playing with any conviction. They must not be convinced summer is worth fighting for.
I was really impressed with the cable shows this summer. They’re in it to win it. It seems regular networks just choose shows that will NEVER survive the summer. Or shows they passed on for fall…I don’t know what it is, but I do know they are NOT playing with any conviction. They must not be convinced summer is worth fighting for.
It was a great summer.
It was a great summer.
Summer TV is great on cable!
what about lie to me??
what about lie to me??
what about pretty little liars? doing phenomenal for abc family standards!
what about pretty little liars? doing phenomenal for abc family standards!
pretty weak for an established show that did better in the regular season to get beaten by Bachelor Pad and destroyed by CBS scripted REPEATS.
pretty weak for an established show that did better in the regular season to get beaten by Bachelor Pad and destroyed by CBS scripted REPEATS.
From everything I’ve seen on this site for the last two years, it looks like the broadcast nets are slowly becoming like the cable nets and cable channels have increased and diversified programming to look more like broadcast. Sure, on an individual basis, each broadcast channel has a lot more original hours of programming, but they’re up against hundreds of cable channels each targeting a specific niche and siphoning 200K to 1M viewers at a time. It’s like death by a thousand cuts.
I don’t see these trends changing in the future. I’m sure there will be a temporary surge in broadcast prime-time viewership for the first few weeks of the new TV season but that seems to end once the first repeats hit.
The only way I see these nets surviving on these numbers is to charge carriage fees to the MSOs based on their ratings and exclusivity of programming. CW’s numbers probably rate it fees close to TNT or USA and I’m guessing the big four would be each somewhere around what ESPN rates. I don’t know how drastically this would change the subscription landscape as that would add about $20 more per cable bill. Would such a move destroy the networks and force the studios to just air their content directly on their own cable nets?
I claim no expertise on these issues, but the current math for the nets just doesn’t seem to add up from an economic standpoint.
From everything I’ve seen on this site for the last two years, it looks like the broadcast nets are slowly becoming like the cable nets and cable channels have increased and diversified programming to look more like broadcast. Sure, on an individual basis, each broadcast channel has a lot more original hours of programming, but they’re up against hundreds of cable channels each targeting a specific niche and siphoning 200K to 1M viewers at a time. It’s like death by a thousand cuts.
I don’t see these trends changing in the future. I’m sure there will be a temporary surge in broadcast prime-time viewership for the first few weeks of the new TV season but that seems to end once the first repeats hit.
The only way I see these nets surviving on these numbers is to charge carriage fees to the MSOs based on their ratings and exclusivity of programming. CW’s numbers probably rate it fees close to TNT or USA and I’m guessing the big four would be each somewhere around what ESPN rates. I don’t know how drastically this would change the subscription landscape as that would add about $20 more per cable bill. Would such a move destroy the networks and force the studios to just air their content directly on their own cable nets?
I claim no expertise on these issues, but the current math for the nets just doesn’t seem to add up from an economic standpoint.
The lower than usual licensing fee for Rookie Blue also helped ABC to renew this show but at least 1/3 is OK. I hope the broadcast networks will still try to program scripted shows next next summer (and not just burnoffs)
Covert Affairs is the standout new show of the summer. I’m just loving it.
Summer scripted shows were sure a relief Burn Notice, Memphis Beat, Physic, HBO and Showtime, I hardly watch the networks they infected their airwaves with so called reality shows, and yes I know the have some on cable. My only gripe is wish there was more action/adventure Sci-Fi fantasy programs, but I really enjoyed what they had on. That’s what keeps me from dropping cable. Has Memphis Beat been renewed? TN recently said they are close to it. This is a great sight, I don’t care for the tabloid junk, and I just want to hear what shows are coming and other TV information.
Don’t forget Leverage.
It wasn’t intended to be a comprehensive list which is why shows like Royal Pains which rated much better than Leverage, and Leverage were not included.
1 out of 4 if you include “The Good Guys”
I agree with greysfan… Covert Affairs is so good I can’t wait till it comes back on each week.