I am hoping this summer gives all the critics that have a lot of say in winners/losers in TV programming some time to consider changing how they report their viewers. This is a great article about the decrease in viewers this year
NIELSENS: Dismal week for TV all around
In the past few weeks, a raft of top shows on all major networks have hit record lows: Lost, Desperate Housewives, ER, My Name Is Earl, The Simpsons, Two and a Half Men, CSI: Miami and, just Monday, Heroes. Still others, such as 24, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and American Idol, had their worst ratings in two years or more.
The losses, never welcome, are especially alarming as networks gear up for their annual ritual of unfurling fall lineups in mid-May and selling the bulk of their ad time for next season, often based on current ratings.
No one has a definitive answer as to the cause. But as usual, there's lots of finger-pointing. Some excuses wielded by TV executives and advertisers:
FIND MORE STORIES IN: NBC | Lost | Housewives | Simpsons | ER | CSI: Miami | Nielsens | Maura Tierney
•Daylight. The switch to daylight saving time in March, three weeks early, depressed viewing levels compared with last year as more viewers stayed outdoors. That, coupled with a larger load of repeats, hurt ratings for original episodes airing in recent weeks. "The two created a compound effect that has depressed regular-series viewing levels," says CBS' David Poltrack.
•Long breaks. Serialized dramas have suffered from long hiatuses. They don't repeat well, so networks are largely pulling them off; fans lose interest or lose track when they return. Lost, Jericho, Ugly Betty and Heroes — which returned with 12 million viewers — have been particularly susceptible.
•DVR use. For some shows, time-shifting accounts for most of the falloff. Last year at this time, only 5% of the homes in Nielsen's sample had the recording devices; now 15.8% do. That has sparked a wider gap between ratings for shows watched live — the only yardstick used by Nielsen last year — and those watched within seven days of their initial airing.
"If you look at live plus seven-day viewing, those declines for several shows start to vanish," says Fox's Preston Beckman. Lost lost 14% of its live viewing this season, but when time-shifting is factored in, the show is down only 1%. The Office, down 10%, is actually up 2% with delayed viewing included.
"We can't really examine things in the same mind-set that we did a year ago," ABC research chief Larry Hyams says.
Trouble is, advertisers so far are refusing to pay for all those procrastinating viewers, arguing that many skip commercials. So Nielsen is testing ways to measure audiences for commercials, not just programs.
Still other observers worry the shortfall may mark a tipping point as networks lose share to the Internet, cable and other media. "When you put it all together, it snowballs," says Starcom Media's Sam Armando. Yet hope springs eternal as the finale-filled May sweeps begins: "In another month we can have turned the corner."
Source: USA Today
'DOCTOR WHO' RETURNS TO SCI FI CHANNEL WITH A NEW SEASON, NEW COMPANION, AND EXCITING NEW ADVENTURES
David Tennant Returns to His Role as the Tenth Timelord, Joined by New Companion Martha Jones, Played by Freema Agyeman
New York, NY April 23, 2007SCI FI Channel and BBC Worldwide Americas today announced a major acquisition deal for the U.S. premiere of the third season of Doctor Who. The series will debut on SCI FI in July 2007, kicking off with the Doctor Who Christmas Special: The Runaway Bride, guest-starring award-winning comedy actress Catherine Tate.
In season three, David Tennant returns to his role as the mysterious, time-traveling Doctor. American audiences will meet the Doctor's brand-new sidekick, Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), in the first official episode of the season, "Smith and Jones."
Chris Regina, Vice President of Programming, SCI FI Channel, said 'Doctor Who' has become a favorite among SCI FI audiences. We are happy to bring the show back for its third season and look forward to following the Doctor's continuing adventures with his newest companion."
Executive Producer and Lead Writer Russell T Davies says, "We were delighted and honored by the second series' success, and we can promise new thrills, new laughs and some terrifying new aliens. The Doctor and Martha are destined to meet William Shakespeare, blood-sucking alien Plasmavores, The Judoon a clan of galactic stormtroopers and a sinister Dalek plot in 1930s New York."
The deal, brokered by Lisa Hofer, Vice President of Co-Production & Sales, BBC Worldwide Americas, with the SCI FI Channel grants SCI FI the exclusive first-run rights for Season Three. The second season of the new Doctor Who earned impressive ratings during its airing on SCI FI, delivering an average of over one million viewers each week.
Candace Carlisle, COO, BBC Sales Company, commented, "SCI FI Channel has been a fantastic platform for the Doctor Who Series in the US. We're excited for the Season Three launch and think American audiences will simply love the Doctor's hip new companion."
BBC Video will continue to work with SCI FI Channel on joint marketing promotions to support the Doctor Who brand in the US.
Burton Cromer, Senior Vice President, Consumer Products, BBC Worldwide Americas said: "Our promotional partnership with the SCI FI Channel, both on-air and online, was a significant factor in the fantastic success we've had with the new Doctor Who. It's also helped drive awareness and sales of our 40 plus line of classic Doctor Who titles."
Doctor Who is produced by Phil Collinson. Executive Producers are Head of Drama, BBC Wales, Julie Gardner and Lead Writer Russell T Davies.
Doctor Who is a BBC production in association with CBC in Canada. It has also been sold to over 30 territories internationally, including Japan (NHK), Thailand (Channel 7), South Korea (KBS2), Australia (ABC), New Zealand (Prime), France (France 4), Spain and Portugal (People & Arts), Denmark (Danmarks Radio), Sweden (SVT), Holland (NOS, Channel 3), Italy (Canal Jimmy), Finland (YLE) and Norway (NRK).
Source: The Scifi Channel
The next episode of South Park unfortunately airs in about 4 Months. This is due because the first part of Season 11 is done. New Episodes resume in what is estimated to be October with episode 8 of season 11.
We reported recently that Season 4 of Doctor Who had been officially confirmed. It's revealed today that David Tennant will again be playing the role of the doctor-
David Tennant will be reprising the role of The Doctor in a fourth season of Doctor Who, according to an article in The Guardian.
Speculation has been rife that the Scottish actor might be leaving the revived show at the end of the third season, which begun last Saturday, or shortly afterwards. The Sun had previously claimed that Full Monty star Robert Carlyle is in line to take over as the Time Lord midway through the fourth season.
Tennant himself has always declined to publically comment on the matter. Since accepting the part, he has won rave reviews for his quirky performance in the wake of Christopher Eccleston's tenure as the Gallifreyan.
Source: Digital Spy
Pleased to announce that we have now opened a dedicated House Section to the site.
We'll be adding more content over the next few days and we are always on the lookout for fans of these shows to join our team of spoiler hunters.
If you are interested, just drop me an email at darkufo@ntlworld.com.
