Joel reported from the TCA event earlier this week that ABC is moving Dancing with the Stars to Monday night in order to dodge American Idol. I'm a little disappointed in that, simply because I wanted to see what would happen if the two were to go head to head. I think Idol would come out on top, but DWTS might be able to make a dent in their off-key armor. Monday night is probably much safer for the DWTS ratings, but it might be the best news for fans of What About Brian. We've talked before about the struggles the show has had with growing an audience. This week found Brian and friends failing to draw even 5 million viewers once again. That's bad for a big three show. And worse, it makes it difficult to renew the series for another run next fall.
Fortunately, DWTS should be bringing an uptick in viewers for Brian with it in March. I don't know why it still works in this day and age with remote controls, DVRs, and television listings everywhere, but it does. Give a show a more popular lead-in and the ratings will tend to go up.
The difference that Brian will see is huge. Where Wife Swap and Supernanny have been delivering 8 to 9 million viewers to What About Brian, DWTS promises to drop 20 to 25 million sets of eyeballs on the 10 o'clock doorstep. I don't expect them all to stick around, and in fact suspect that the retention numbers will be rather sketchy. But I do expect What About Brian to jump up to that 8 to 9 million viewer area which would help to make a much more convincing case for keeping the show around for one more go. Tom and Samantha dropping in a dozen hints to stay tuned for an all new What About Brian couldn't hurt either.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-18-2007 @ 1:42PM
aviva said...
i hope this show keeps staying on......i don't understand why people can't get into this show...it is a reaaly good show.....sometimes these shows get a little slow and stupid but then they pick up again...like marjorie coming back
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1-18-2007 @ 2:38PM
Porchland said...
I watched all of last season of "Brian," was really excited to see it get renewed, and then quit after a couple of episodes this season when it got stupid.
I would not be surprised to see ABC move or dump "What About Brian" if it can't get any traction in January and February and move "Brothers and Sisters" to Monday at 10 p.m., freeing up space for Shonda Rhimes' new show after "Desperate Housewives" on Sunday.
That's how we got "Grey's Anatomy" and "Boston Legal." It's also how we got "What About Brian," but ABC only gave it one episode after "Housewives" -- which did well -- before moving it to Monday.
The networks wear me out. I'm ready for them to just go the FX route: Commit to 13 episodes of a show, show them, then reassess. That may cost the networks some ratings points on shows that don't catch on, but I think it would give people more incentive to take a chance on a show.
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1-18-2007 @ 5:00PM
Tim UF said...
how about not showing this show opposite a heavyweight in Aaron Sorkin (and his studio 60)? why not just leave a show in a slot that it does well in??? Maybe the reason it did well in that slot is that people were willing to watch that show at that time... and if they look for it again at that time, and its against another show theyve watched (that didnt change its time), theyll stick with whats there! (its what i did)
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