 |
 |
[07/02/03 - 12:00 AM] Cable Originals Battling for the Spotlight By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC) |
|
CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- With the June ratings period (May 26-June 29) officially a wrap, some basic cable networks are finding their original offerings are fighting an uphill battle to attract viewers.
Here's a breakdown of the latest rumblings:
-- FX is probably having the toughest time out of all of the basic cable networks. Its two latest originals: "Lucky" and "The Orlando Jones Show" have not been the ratings grabbers the network had hoped. Particularly disappointing has been "Lucky" which many expected to rebound this past month with the broadcast networks having wrapped their regular season. That hasn't been the case as the comedy saw its adults 18-49 average drop to a 0.55 rating during the period, lowering its season-to-date average to a 0.77 rating. The same bad news applies to "Jones," as the late-night talk show fell more than 60% from its opening week numbers by the end of June in the key demographic (0.24 vs. 0.60 rating). The series only saving grace has been its performance among African-American viewers where it scores a 0.66 rating among the 18-49 demographic.
-- USA on the other hand has had better, albeit mixed, results thanks to its original series "Monk." The second season bow of the drama was the most-watched episode of the series to date, securing a 4.1 household rating. Nevertheless, week two of its new season saw its viewership fall by 1.4 million total viewers (4.0 million vs. 5.4 million). Further complicating matters is the lack of another fresh installment of the series until July 11 due to the national holiday this Friday. Despite such dark clouds, "Monk" remains a key component to USA's original series strategy. A new drama, "Peacemakers," kicks off on July 30 and "The Dead Zone" returns for seven new episodes this Sunday.
-- MTV's June offerings also garnered a mixed bag of results. New Sunday series "Doggy Fizzle Televizzle" and "Who's Got Game" scored respectable numbers, topping the network's previous time slot average by 30%. Returning series "The Real World" and "The Osbournes" however weren't so lucky as both were off from year-to-year comparisions. Nevertheless, MTV's new late-night series "The New Tom Green Show" has been a surprise hit for the network, posting a strong 1.1 rating among MTV's target demographic of persons 12-34.
-- Game Show Network has seen its aggressive Sunday night lineup fail to meet expectations. After two weeks, neither "Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned" nor its lead-out, "Funny Money," topped the network's projected 0.8 household rating for the series.
-- TNT, which doesn't carry original series, has pulled lukewarm responses for its latest batch of original telefilms. This past weekend, the network's mini-series "Caesar" averaged 3.36 million total viewers, 1,553,000 of which were among the coveted adults 18-49 demographic. That's up 23% from TNT's primetime average as of late with Sunday's installment bringing in 3.6 million viewers (1.6 million in adults 18-49) and 3.1 million viewers (1.4 million in adults 18-49) for its conclusion on Monday.
|
|
|
 [july 2003]  |
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
[02/28/25 - 03:35 PM] NBC Records Its Most-Watched Sunday of Entertainment Series Programming in Nearly Six Years Including NBC, Peacock and the NBCUniversal cable networks - Bravo, E!, Syfy, USA and CNBC - the premiere episode of "The Americas" amassed 6.7 million viewers (L3) and stands as the most-watched nature documentary on linear television in more than 15 years.
|
[02/28/25 - 01:31 PM] Video: Apple TV+ Debuts Trailer for "Side Quest," New "Mythic Quest" Expansion Series Set to premiere globally on Wednesday, March 26 on Apple TV+, all four episodes of "Side Quest" will debut alongside the season four finale of "Mythic Quest."
|
[02/28/25 - 01:00 PM] ABC News Announces Special Coverage of President Donald J. Trump's Address to the Joint Session of Congress and the Democratic Response on ABC, ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu "World News Tonight" anchor and managing editor David Muir will lead comprehensive coverage, including previewing remarks, reporting on the highlights and providing analysis following the speeches.
|
[02/28/25 - 12:45 PM] HBO Inks Two-Year First-Look Deal with Sharon Horgan and Merman, Orders New Original Comedy Series HBO has also given a straight-to-series order for a new original comedy series, the first project under this deal, from Horgan and produced by Merman, with Horgan serving as writer, star, and executive producer.
|
[02/28/25 - 12:32 PM] Hulu Celebrates Oscar-Nominated Films "A Real Pain," "Alien: Romulus," "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," and "Sugarcane" are already available to stream while "Anora" is due on Monday, March 17.
|
[02/28/25 - 10:31 AM] Video: "The Parenting" - Official Trailer - Max There is something really bad happening in this house...
|
[02/28/25 - 09:09 AM] A&E Announces the Return of "Accused: Guilty or Innocent?" Followed by the Premiere of New Series "Accused: Did I Do It? Unlike the original series, "Accused: Did I Do It?" will focus on cases that have already been fully adjudicated, following the high-stakes stories of individuals who stood trial and are facing charges for serious offenses such as first-degree murder, manslaughter, domestic terrorism, and aggravated assault.
|
[02/28/25 - 08:53 AM] Lifetime Greenlights New Unscripted Series "A Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush" from Vice Studios Each one-hour episode will follow along during the most high-stakes time in a college-bound girl's life, Sorority Rush.
|
[02/28/25 - 08:01 AM] Video: "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" - Season 7 - Official Trailer - Netflix Familiar faces make a comeback, team stalwarts defect to arch rivals, and new champions emerge in one of Formula One's most tumultuous seasons yet.
|
[02/28/25 - 07:32 AM] "Agatha Christie's Towards Zero" Starring Anjelica Huston and Matthew Rhys Premieres April 16 The series, led by Anjelica Huston and Matthew Rhys, features a stellar ensemble cast including Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ella Lily Hyland, Mimi Keene, Anjana Vasan and Clarke Peters.
|
[02/28/25 - 07:05 AM] "First to the Finish" - a New Docuseries Focused on the Relentless Pursuit of the MX-5 Cup Championship - Will Premiere March 25 on Prime Video This high-stakes docuseries takes viewers inside the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship for the triumphs and challenges that go along with getting started in racing, as seen through the unique prism of three inspiring protagonists - two drivers and a team owner.
|
[02/28/25 - 05:31 AM] Paramount+ Reveals First-Look Photos for "MobLand" - Guy Ritchie's New Global Crime Series Set to Premiere on Sunday, March 30 The series stars Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan as the head of an organized crime family, fighting for power within a global crime syndicate.
|
[02/27/25 - 12:01 PM] Sharon Stone Joins the Cast of "Euphoria" Season 3 "There is little more exciting than going to work with this team of thrilling talent," said Stone. "From the genius of Sam Levinson to the raw sophistication of this profoundly moving cast and tight crew. I am honored to be Euphoric."
|
[02/27/25 - 11:57 AM] Discovery Channel March Programming Highlights The previously announced "Filthy Fortunes" and "Naked and Afraid" will be joined by the new special "Constables on Patrol."
|
[02/27/25 - 11:06 AM] A&E Announces New Series "Stadium Lockup" Following Law Enforcement & Security Teams at the Cleveland Browns Stadium in Ohio With so much excitement comes plenty of action and the security team must stay on high alert as rule breaking and bad behavior won't be tolerated.
|
|
|
|