I'm going to do a mid-term report card on each of the major networks, and perhaps one for cable. This will be a quick look at the state of each network in regards to new and returning dramas, comedies and reality television programs. What's working; what isn't; what the prognosis is before each network launches their mid-season replacements later this year.Grades will be determined based on a mixture of artistic merit and how the show is doing in the ratings. It is after all show business, and both are equally important. I'll have some personal assertions embedded as all grades are at least in part subjective, but equal weight will be given to an interpretation of the ratings for each program. All new shows will be dealt with individually, while I will group the returning shows together by genre.
Next up, FOX.....
Since American Idol moved out of summer and onto the winter television schedule in 2003, FOX has been the top network in demographic viewing. Once, in 2007-2008, when House was at its height and the writers' strike curbed most of the rest of the winter television season, it was also the most watched network.
Historically, FOX has had lots of scheduling problems in the fall. They have signed a long-term playoff contract with Major League Baseball which keeps most of the October schedule in a constant state of flux. They never know for sure when a game is going to air (there have been two rain out games so far this season), so they cannot effectively schedule their regular programming. And the serialized nature of some shows, for example 24, does not allow for month-long pre-emptions. For several years they wrote off the early fall and premiered their tier one shows in November, which often led to the "Treehouse of Horror" episode of The Simpsons airing long after the Halloween decorations were down.
Then came Glee. Glee took off like a shot two years ago, and last fall, it was the number one rated show in the demos for a tiny bit. For Glee's many issues, it did show FOX that they could do some serious business in the fall. This year, FOX said we are going to try to win the fall as well as the winter months. The developed The X Factor and premiered the long anticipated dinosaur drama, Terra Nova from producer Steven Spielberg.
So how they doin?
New Dramas Grade: B
Terra Nova is being billed as a family show, and it delivers on that premise surprisingly well. It's The Kid's favorite new show. The animation is pretty good, and the show is beautifully shot. The characters, though, seem to have come out of central casting and most of the plotting is straight out of the third season of Lost without the benefit of the first two seasons to lead you there. It's more than a little hackneyed and overstuffed. But let's be clear, we come for the dinosaurs (the higher the dinosaur content the more we like the show), and little else (though I do think Stephen Lang is terrific as Taylor, the militaristic leader of the time flung colony). The show did not premiere to huge ratings but it did fine. The most interesting thing was that it slightly grew during the course of its two hour premiere, and then the following week it matched its previous numbers in both total viewers and the demos. Not too many folks were turned off by it. GRADE: B (Artistically: B; Ratings Effort: B)New Comedies Grade: A-**
New Girl is a perfect showcase for the quirky and charming talents of its star Zooey Deschanel. She pops off the screen and into American's hearts. The show is an unqualified hit, improving on the ratings of Glee and helping to boost the ratings of Raising Hope. For several weeks it and CBS' 2 Broke Girls have been flip flopping the title of TV's highest rated new comedy. Little is said though about the quality, because New Girl is the superior show by far. Not to say it doesn't have a few flaws: most notably the bumbling of Daman Wayans, Jr.'s character, Coach, after the pilot and an over-reliance on Deschanel singing I Hate My Teenage Daughter has yet to premiere. It launches Nov. 30, after being pushed back a week, and out of November sweeps. Does FOX smell a stinker here? The "promos" certainly indicate that it may be really awful. GRADE: INCOMPLETE**
Allen Gregory is the promising new animated show that will debut on October 30. GRADE: INCOMPLETE**
Returning Dramas Grade: C**
House is showing its age. He started this season in prison; there are now more new people on his team; Foreman is in charge. It makes me sad. House has been declining in the ratings in recent years, and this season it is losing a great portion of Terra Nova's audience. I think Glee is doing its best to find some strong storytelling footing. I actually like the humbling of Rachel and Kurt as they see that they are really not that special out of their own high school. It's still far from a great show but it is much stronger than it was last season, even if I find the musical numbers to be far less inspired. The show is down about 20% off last year's numbers in the demographic. It's not the phenomenon it once was for sure. Bones has yet to premiere, but it's coming November 3. Fringe has been doing really well this season artistically. They re-launched the show with a new premise that makes the show very accessible to long time viewers. It's been funny, chilling and filled with plenty of heart. It's such a strong show, I wish others were watching it. I am thankful to FOX for giving us this probable final season, because last year's rating (and this year's so far) didn't merit it.
Returning Comedies Grade: C+
Raising Hope has really found its artistic footing this fall. The stories are focused and really funny. Ratings are up over what they were in the spring, thanks in large part to New Girl's success. Though, when an episode followed X-Factor recently, Hope's numbers fell. The Simpsons is The Simpsons. When it hits, it's really, really funny; when it doesn't, it doesn't. The rest of the current slate of Animation Domination (The Cleveland Show, The Family Guy and American Dad) leaves me cold, though certainly the Seth McFarlane house of animation has its fans. The shows are down in the ratings some, but Sunday night football has done the young male leaning series no favors. The Kid and I are anxiously awaiting the return of Bob's Burgers.
State of Reality Grade: Incomplete**
FOX wants to be your one stop reality talent competition shop. They want you to know that year round you can come to FOX and see competitions on Wednesdays and result shows on Thursdays. To that end they have American Idol in the winter/spring months, So You Think You Can Dance in the summer and now The X Factor in the fall. The X Factor is in a strange ratings position: it's not doing American Idol numbers at all, but it's well out performing both SYTYCD and anything FOX has ever aired in the fall. So it's far from a flop, but it's still not doing Idol numbers and that has got to chap Simon Cowell's ass. I am ready to start checking into the show as I find the FOX audition phase of all of these programs to be mean-spirited if not cruel. GRADE: INCOMPLETE** (Artistically: Incomplete; Ratings: A-)
Cops is Cops. I can only guess it costs next to nothing to produce as it is shows no signs of gaining or losing viewers or of being cancelled any time soon.
Reasons to Watch FOX: Fringe, Raising Hope, New Girl, and sometimes Terra Nova and The Simpsons
Reasons to Be Hopeful: Alcatraz, Bob's Burgers
Probable Outcomes by End of Season:
- We are surely watching the last seasons of House and Fringe. I think FOX would renew House, but Hugh Laurie won't go for another round, and don't see how they could renew Fringe again.
- I don't think FOX will back away from The X-Factor, but Simon might as soon as he can.
- We will only see 13 episodes of Terra Nova this season, but I don't know if they would bring it back next season. If they do, I think they will air it in the winter 2012-2013 though, not in the fall.
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