All Time Low?

Just when you think SNL couldn't get any worse...

Now, to be fair I'm only 30 minutes into tonight's episode featuring Mad Men's delightful yet visibly nervous January Jones but things are pretty horrific so far. I'd like to say the show probably won't sink any lower than the catastrophic "Grace Kelly farting on the set of Rear Window" skit, but I'm not holding my breath.

The Weather (and Movie) Channel?

So I was flipping around the TV tonight and I was caught off guard when I saw that the Kathy Bates thriller Misery was on...The Weather Channel? I'm not sure how I feel about TWC now playing weather related films. The channel itself has become pretty obsolete since the advent of the internet, so I guess it was only a matter of time before the network stopped airing weather forecasts 24/7 but it still seems odd.

Thoughts?

Rock On The Mend?

After a (very) shaky start to it's 4th season, 30 Rock finally seems to be finding its creative mojo once again. Last week's episode, "Audition Day", was Rock in top form. Liz and Pete scheme to fix the audition process at TGS so that Jack selects the actor they want to become the new cast member. Also, Jack comes down with a case of the bedbugs and feels how it is to be on the bottom of society's pyramid. The episode played on Rock's biggest strength as a powerfully biting workplace satire, and if Fey and Co. stay in that territory they're always brilliant.(Bonus points for the closer featuring Jack singing on the subway! HI-larious.)

This week's episode, "The Problem Solvers" - which wasn't AS funny as "Audition Day" - begins with Jack informing Liz of a new development regarding her "Dealbreaker" franchise. He wants Liz to host a talk show version of her book and she couldn't be more excited - until Tracy and Jenna inform her that she should shop around for a better deal and get an agent before signing anything. Meanwhile, new cast member Jack (who was renamed Danny to avoid any confusion with Jack Donaghy) is learning the ropes of TGS. While there were a few components of the episode I didn't quite get on board with (Liz taking Tracy and Jenna's advice for one), and I'm not crazy about another cast member on an already crowded show, "The Problem Solvers" succeeded on the foundation of Liz and Jack's ever strengthening relationship. These two have one of the most interesting and satisfying dynamics in TV today.

So, do you agree that 30 Rock has found its footing? Or is it still way off?

Snap Judgment: White Collar

I just happened to catch an episode of USA's new drama White Collar, and my snap judgment is: this procedural is as cute as a button! Neal Caffrey (played by the devastatingly handsome Matthew Bomer) is a con artist enlisted by the FBI to assist in apprehending white collar criminals. His team includes partner Peter Burke (Tim Dekay) and fellow agent Lauren Cruz (Natalie Morales). The plot was simple and breezy, but the real fun here was the cast of characters (which also includes Tiffani "Kelly Kapowski" Thiessen and Willie Garson of Sex and the City fame). Bromer, in particular, plays Caffrey with exceptional charm and debonair; he literally oozes cool.

White Collar is bright and slick. The stories aren't complicated, and they don't need to be. Collar is the cotton candy of procedurals and there's no denying the fact we could all use something light and sweet every now and then.

Rollin' On The River

Glee returned tonight (after a far too long three week hiatus) and it certainly didn't disappoint. While the show is well known for its musical savvy and wickedly sharp wit, tonight's hour aimed right for our heart strings. Glee flexed its emotional muscle, proving it has the ability to be genuinely sweet without being excessively sappy.

The episode, entitled "Wheels", focused on the gang's continued preparation for sectionals, with Rachel and Kurt vying for the lead in the club's upcoming "Defying Gravity" number. Will is confronted with the challenge of trying to raise money for a special bus to the competition which accommodates Artie and his wheelchair, and the Gleesters suggest Artie simply ride with his dad to save money. In an attempt to teach everyone a lesson about understanding and togetherness, Will has everyone spend three hours a day in a wheelchair. To continue the theme of diversity and acceptance, Sue is ordered to fill Quinn's vacancy on the Cheerios by having open tryouts where anyone is permitted to attend.

Even if you missed tonight's episode, you can tell by the recap that Glee definitely had the potential of being dangerously cheesy. However, the writers made it work by staying smart and retaining Glee's characteristically razor sharp edge. There were some truly touching moments here, and showcasing the show's soft side only makes it that much more satisfying as a whole.

Kurt's exchanges with his father were tender, but the real punch came with the shocking revelation that Sue has a sister with special needs and that she visits her in the hospital on a regular basis! Even though I love Sue's evil side, her character became a little more realistic (and more effective) with this tiny glimpse of compassion. All that, plus a finale featuring a kick ass performance of "Proud Mary" and I'd say "Wheels" was a pretty damn good episode. Encore!!

And the final verdict on "Defying Gravity"? Personally, I would have loved to hear Rachel knock it out of the park on her own (cause she was definitely headed for a grand slam), but it worked slightly better than I had expected. In the context of the show the song carried some weight, but I wasn't blown away. I still think they could have done wonders with that number, and "Proud Mary" definitely eclipsed it in the fabulousity department.

Family Vacation

ABC will be airing the CMA's tonight, therefore we won't be treated to another hilarious installment of Modern Family. However, with baseball over we finally get Glee back after a 3 week hiatus. I personally love all the grandeur and spectacle of a professional sporting event (speaking of which, NBC informed us last week that we are less than 100 days away from the Winter Olympics), but I'm glad we're back to regularly scheduled programming.

In related news, I recently listened to the preview track of "Defying Gravity" from tonight's episode of Glee. Now, let me point out that I'm a huge Wicked fan and "Defying Gravity" is one of the most powerful numbers I've ever had the pleasure of seeing live.

However, the arrangement seemed to strip away all of "Defying Gravity's" emotion and gusto. What's left is a watered down, lite FM version of the song which lacks everything that makes the original so wonderful. I'm hoping it either a) works better in the context of the episode or b) is arranged completely different. I still have faith in the show runners, and I've read a few reviews touting tonight's Glee as pretty fantastic so we'll see how it goes!

Another One Bites The Dust

And the carnage continues. FOX announced today that it will not be picking up Dollhouse, effectively canceling the (very) low rated Joss Whedon drama. ew.com reports that the remaining episodes will still air, however. Dollhouse averages less than 3 million viewers on Friday nights, so it was only a matter of time before FOX eventually gave it the ax.

So long Hank

I suppose you can file this under "least surprising news of the season", but it was reported today that ABC officially canceled Kelsey Grammer's critically maligned comedy Hank. The future of the show, which has gotten abysmal ratings pretty much out of the gate, has always been an uncertain one, and the fact that it missed out on full season pick ups when schedule-mates The Middle, Modern Family, and Cougar Town received them weeks ago was effectively the nail in its coffin. According to ew.com, the net will not air the remaining episodes. Ouch. Better luck next time, Dr. Crane...

Eastwick Cursed

The witches on Eastwick have cast their last spell. According to ew.com, ABC has opted not to pick up the freshman series most likely due to its abysmal ratings (last Wednesday, the show failed to reach 5 million viewers). With 7 episodes aired, ABC will probably just burn off the remaining 6 episodes of Eastwick in its current time slot.

Betty On The Move

In a truly exciting development, I just recently learned (according to tvbythenumbers.com) that ABC is planning to move Ugly Betty from the viewer wasteland that is Friday nights to Wednesdays midseason. Ugly Betty's ratings have been, well ugly on Fridays and the network's decision to move it there in the first place was a head scratcher to begin with. This move is great news for the struggling comedy and it's prospects for sticking around. There is no word yet on where ABC will place Betty, but my guess is that the net will shift The Middle (which got a full season pick up) to another night and most likely cancel Hank (which did not), leaving the 8pm hour free for the Mode gang. How awesome of a night would that be? Betty+Modern Family+Cougar Town = One happy TV fan! I'll keep you posted as new information comes available.

M.I.A.

So, for the few out there that might have been wondering where I've been this past week and why I haven't posted anything new let me fill you in. My laptop decided to kick the bucket, which for a blogger is pretty much the end of the world. I woke up cheerily one morning to check my mail and surf my selection of TV industry websites to absorb the latest news when I was confronted with the dreaded blue screen of death. Any PC user will tell you (and yes, I know the superiority of the Mac and fully intend to purchase one very soon!), that is no bueno.

So, without a laptop (or the internet for that matter), I've been unable to keep up with the writing. But, a friend of mine was gracious enough to loan me an old computer so here I am back online and ready to write again!

Keep your fingers grossed this one doesn't bite the dust too.

FOX (Insert Baseball Analogy Here) to win Thursday Night

FOX scored again with Game Two of The World Series averaging a solid 18.95 million viewers on Thursday night (final ratings numbers on the telecast will post sometime today), the first official night of the November sweeps period. In adults 18-49, FOX dominated with a 5.7 rating. CBS returned to first run episodes of its lineup and attracted 14.11 million viewers, which was good enough for second place in total audience and third in 18-49 (3.5/9). ABC was third with 10.54 million viewers, yet ahead of CBS in the key demo with a 3.8/10 rating. NBC struggled in fourth with only 5.55 million viewers and a 2.4/6 in 18-49. The CW was fifth with an audience of roughly 3.53 million and a 1.7/4.

At 8pm, CBS’s Survivor: Samoa was the most watched non-baseball program with 12.5 million viewers (7.1/11). Flashforward, on ABC, occupied the third place position with 8.95 million (5.7/9), well ahead of the comedy duo of Community and Parks and Recreation which averaged 5.48 and 4.96 million viewers respectively (3.6/6 and 3.2/5 in households). On the CW, The Vampire Diaries continued to impress, this week boasting an audience of 4.2 million and a 2.6/4 household rating.

CSI claimed second for CBS at 9pm with 14.9 million viewers (9.0/14), slightly ahead of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy (13.4 million; 8.6/13). NBC’s comedy block was fourth, with The Office averaging 8.14 million (4.8/7) and 30 Rock – still off considerably in the ratings from last season’s first few episodes -- only posting about 6 million (3.7/6). The CW’s Supernatural was last with 2.9 million viewers and a 1.7/3 in households.

CBS continued a second place sweep with The Mentalist retaining its entire lead-in, averaging 14.9 million viewers and building on CSI’s household rating to post a 9.4/15. Private Practice on ABC was third (9.2 million; 6.2/10), and NBC’s The Jay Leno Show (4.4 million; 2.9/05) was fourth.

Updated Wednesday Ratings

Final ratings reports have game one of The World Series averaging an impressive 19.511 million viewers on Wednesday night (11.9/19 in households). FOX also scored in the important 18-49 demo with a 6.3/17.

FOX Hits a Home Run on Wednesday

FOX was the most watched network last night, thanks to Game One of The World Series which averaged a solid 17.8 million viewers (10.9/17). Since the telecast was a live event, the ratings may tick up or down slightly when all the markets are tallied, but right now it looks as if FOX scored the best Game One numbers in 5 years. CBS, still in repeats, ranked second for the night in terms of total viewers (8.49 million; 5.6/9) and tied for NBC third in adults 18-49 with a 2.1/5. ABC was third overall with 6.64 million viewers (4.7/7), yet second in adults 18-49 with a 2.5/6. The CW was dead last with 2.47 million viewers (1.6/3) and a 1.2/3 in the all important demo.

Reruns of The New Adventures of Old Christine (6.61 million viewers; 4.3/7) and Gary Unmarried (6.44 million; 4.2/7) combined to put CBS in second place after The World Series at 8pm. Perhaps a sign of the lack of confidence ABC has in Hank, the net opted for another airing of It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown instead of the Kelsey Grammer sitcom which attracted 6.32 million viewers (3.7/6) – which was an improvement of about 500,000 viewers from Hank’s numbers last week. The Middle finished the hour for ABC, building to 6.63 million viewers (3.9/6). NBC’s special Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space came in a hair behind ABC with 6.3 million viewers (3.3/5). Over on The CW, Tyra and the gang on America’s Next Top Model averaged 3.5 million viewers (2.3/4).

At 9pm, a rerun of Criminal Minds (9.72 million viewers; 6.3/10) was the most watched non-baseball program of the night. On ABC, Modern Family and Cougar Town both posted gains versus last week in spite of being opposite The World Series, averaging 9.23 and 7.51 million viewers respectively (5.5/8 and 4.8/7). NBC’s Law and Order: SVU was close behind with 8 million viewers and a 5.1/8 household rating. The CW aired a rerun of its hit The Vampire Diaries, which failed to scare up much interest, only posting a 1.0/2 household rating and 1.4 million viewers.

At 10pm, CBS’s rerun of CSI: NY (9.22 million viewers; 6.2/10) easily captured second place ahead of ABC’s struggling Eastwick (5.06 million; 3.3/6 and NBC’s The Jay Leno Show (4.98 million; 3.3/6).

And lastly, being a huge Modern Family fan, I feel the need to point out that the new comedy was the most watched non-World Series show last night in adults 18-49. MF posted a strong 3.7/9 rating in the demo, which was its best performance in 4 weeks. In addition, the show hit series highs in adults 18-34, key men, teens, and kids. You can read all the details in this press release from ABC. So, apparently my grassroots campaign to get as many viewers as possible to watch Modern Family is working!

If You Haven't Seen It, It's New To You: CBS Wins Tuesday with All Repeats

CBS easily won Tuesday night in total viewers, averaging 12.13 million (7.8/12 in households) - an impressive feat considering the fact that the net’s lineup was entirely in reruns. However in adults 18-49, CBS (the old fogey of broadcast nets) actually came in fourth with a 2.4/6. ABC was second both in total viewers (10.72 million and a 6.6/11 in households) and in 18-49 (2.6/7). NBC averaged 8.446 million viewers over the course of the evening (5.2/8), yet placed first in 18-49 with a 3.1/8. FOX came in fourth in total viewers (6.5 million and 4.0/6) and third in adults 18-49 (2.5/6). The CW, also in repeats last night, barely registered a blip on the Nielsen radar. The netlet only averaged 1.13 million viewers and a 0.5/1 18-49 rating.

NCIS claimed first place for CBS – and solidified its position as the most watched show in America -- with a solid 16.1 million viewers and a 10.0/16 in households for the 8pm hour. NBC’s The Biggest Loser was way behind with 9.3 million viewers (5.7/9). ABC’s traditional October broadcast of It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown scared up 8.9 million viewers (5.0/7), beating the 6.8 million for So You Think You Can Dance (4.3/7) over on FOX. A rerun of 90210 could only muster up 1.4 million viewers and a 1.0/1 household rating.

At 9pm, Dancing with the Stars helped ABC waltz into first place with a 14.7 million viewers and a 9.3/14 in households. CBS’s rerun of NCIS: Los Angeles dipped to 11.1 million viewers (7.2/11), and The Biggest Loser gained a few more sets of eyes to average 10.2 million (6.0/9) for the hour. So You Think You Can Dance slipped to 6.2 million viewers (3.8/6) and a repeat of Melrose Place didn’t even snag a million viewers (844,000; 0.6/1) for The CW.

CBS regained the lead at 10pm with a rerun of The Good Wife, which scored 9.3 million viewers (6.3/11). On ABC, The Forgotten continued to live up to its title. The new drama lost over 40% of its DWTS lead in to average only 8.6 million viewers (5.7/10). NBC’s The Jay Leno Show came in third with 5.9 million viewers and a 3.8/6 in households, which actually was a gain of over 28% in its total audience compared to Monday night.

ABC Dances to #1 on Monday

Monday night’s household ratings haven’t completely posted on a few of the sites I use as references, however the total viewership numbers and adult 18-49 ratings are available so I will use those for now and update the post when I get more info.

ABC dominated Monday night, partly due to an impressive performance from Dancing with the Stars and partly due to the fact that CBS’s entire lineup was in repeats. The Alphabet net averaged a strong 15.52 million viewers and a 3.4/9 adults 18-49 rating. This was miles ahead of second place CBS, which posted 9.57 million and a 3.0/8 18-49. FOX came in third with a special airing of So You Think You Can Dance, which averaged 6.03 million viewers and a 2.5/6 18-49 rating. NBC, as usual, was fourth with 5.42 million viewers and a weak 1.9/5 18-49 rating, and the CW actually came in sixth place (2.45 million viewers and a 1.2/3 in adults 18-49) – behind Spanish language channel Univision (3.41 million and 1.3/3).

At 8pm, Dancing with the Stars scored big numbers for ABC with roughly 17.03 million viewers. A rerun of How I Met Your Mother kept CBS in second with 7.09 million viewers, and Heroes on NBC was third with 5.86 million. FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance was fourth with 5.78 million viewers. One Tree Hill was fifth for the CW with 2.69 million.

DWTS jumped up to 18.44 million viewers during its 9pm hour, which was a noticeable gain of over a million people compared to last week. A rerun of Two and a Half Men on CBS was a very distant second with 11.25 million viewers. Lie to Me helped FOX overtake NBC for third with 6.28 million viewers as freshman procedural Trauma dragged The Peacock down to fourth with 5.77 million. The CW’s racy Gossip Girl lost a few hundred thousand viewers from its lead-in, and attracted 2.21 million viewers.

A repeat of CBS’s CSI: Miami managed to prevent ABC’s sweep of the night by averaging 11.22 million viewers to Castle’s 11.09 million. In more bad news for NBC, The Jay Leno Show only managed to snare 4.62 million viewers.