NBC's "Must-See TV": Uncharted Territory

Uncharted Territory

Funny Business: NBC's newly rejiggered Thursday comedy lineup is netting
mixed results: 'Will & Grace' (54th) kicked off with a so-so 8 million
viewers, while the premiere of 'Four Kings' (43rd) built on its lead-in
and grabbed 8.9 million. 'My Name Is Earl' (31st) fared better, perking
up at 9PM, with 11.2 million watchers, but combined with 'The Office'
(45th) -- which pulled 8.7 million, a 10 percent jump over its
season-to-date average -- the hour-long combo was still down about a
million viewers from previous time-slot occupant 'The Apprentice'.

Roy Knable...

So let me get this straight. W&G and Four Kings get less than 9 million
viewers and yet NBC will probably hold on to them, at least through the
rest of the season. Meanwhile, Surface gets 10 million and it's
apparently been canned even before March. I'm starting to think Kevin

Lord Vader III...

Why do people keep thinking Surface has been cancelled? It was
originally signed for 13 episodes. NBC then ordered a "full season".
However, that full season was a short season (most likely because of
the Olympics). There has been nothing official anywhere about Surface
being cancelled.

Roy Knable...

Why do people keep saying it's going to be a short season for Surface?
As far as I know, no other show on NBC is subject to the "short
season." In fact, until Surface, I've never heard of any such thing as
a "short season" after any winter Olympics. That's every bit as much an
unfounded rumor, if you ask me. The Olympics is two lousy weeks and
ends February 26. That leaves more than three whole months until the
true end of the season and seven months until the fall season
premieres. No show that will return for another season would have a
schedule like that. It's a recipe for cancellation. Surface had a
hiatus of more than a month in December. You're saying people would
have forgotten it after only two weeks of Olympics, so that's why NBC
isn't bringing it back for the rest of this season?

Steven L....

It's probably a question of expectations. After Survivor returns for
its new season, CBS will have its usual powerhouse lineup on Thursday
nite--nobody expects CBS to be dethroned on Thursday nite--so NBC is
happy to play second fiddle. But on Monday nite, January 9, Surface was
in fourth place, behind King of Queens, Wife Swap and House:

Taylor...

That does factor in. The placing in demos and total viewers. Falling
behind a El Cheapo (highly manipulated) show like 'Wife Swap' is pretty
embarrassing.

CBS "King of Queens" - 8.1/12 (repeat, 7.0/10)
ABC - "Wife Swap" - 7.6/11
("The Fiesta Bowl", 11.2/16)
FOX - "House" (2 eps, repeat) - 6.1/9
("Arrested Development", 2 eps, 3.0/4;
"House", repeat, 4.8/7)
NBC - "Surface" - 5.8/8 (5.7/8)
WB - "Critics' Choice Awards" - 2.7/4
("7th Heaven", repeat, 3.2/4;
"Beauty and the Geek", repeat, 2.5/4)
UPN - "One On One" (repeat) - 2.3/3 (2.5/4)

Reilly is no better than Jeff Zucker.

Taylor...

I think putting 'Scrubs' on the Fall 2006 schedule would still net them
the same sub-mediocre (perhaps just mediocre) results for that series.
As for the network trying to start off a new TV season on the right
foot... it may have hurt them. Where would "Earl" have gone?

Ken from Chicago...

What did you expect?

Entertainment Weekly
#859 January 20, 2006
George Clooney on the cover

Television: Ratings
(page 63)