Let's hear it for Fox TV! No, you don't need to check my meds. I'm seriously giving a shout-out to Fox for their latest move. Despite so-so ratings, Fox has renewed Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles for the remainder of the 2008-9 season. This says that Fox understands that shows -- especially the sci-fi genre -- need time to develop and grow an audience. The greatest sci-fi success of all time, Star Trek, struggled for three years on NBC in the 1960s where the network was very frustrated with the show because it wasn't a ratings smash. Imagine, if you will, how much NBC might have made if they had stuck with ST and mined the cult success that exploded into a cultural phenomenon?
Now, I'm not saying that Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is going to follow suit -- or that it's even the best Terminator spin-off. What I'm applauding is the network showing faith in a show and sticking with it. Right now, for instance, I bet there are voices up at the Black Rock (CBS) who are wondering if giving Moonlight a second season at Friday night at nine o'clock might have been a wiser move -- a fan move for sure -- than greenlighting the American version of an Israeli show, The Ex-List, which, by the way, is sliding in the ratings worse than Moonlight ever did!
CBS thinks that giving Jericho a second season proved that backing shows with cult followings is a mistake. That's the real reason Moonlight didn't get a second season. It's probably going to be the reason we'll never see another Swingtown episode on CBS. At some point, CBS needs to rethink their formula. More procedurals, like The Mentalist which they're crowing about, doesn't make for a very diverse schedule
Which is why I'm giving props to Fox for Sarah C. Chronicles! But just so you don't think I'm just a cheerleader, there are reportedly other good reasons for the network making this move. Joss Whedon's new show Dollhouse isn't ready for midseason. Fox's plan of a Dollhouse/24 Monday night has been put on hold because the former isn't ready to go.
The Hollywood Reporter also writes that Fox is anticipating all their shows to rise in the ratings once American Idol returns in 2009. The ratings across the board on Fox tend to shoot up when AI is dominating their schedule. Terminator could wind up with a much stronger second half of the season than the first.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-18-2008 @ 4:24PM
kev13dd! said...
I'm actually pretty excited about this. After every Monday's ratings came out I kept expecting to read it was cancelled. Some shows I really don't care about being cancelled, but this one had a good mix of sci-fi, action, and a non-super repetative structure for every single episode like most sci-fi shows do
Plus even if the ratings suck for the rest of the year, at least the writers will be able to give us an ACTUAL conclusion to the show. A sci-fi show ending with an episode that wraps up the series? Doesn't happen often enough
Kevin
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10-18-2008 @ 4:45PM
Carissa said...
Wait...Dollhouse isn't coming in mid-season? Um...that's bad. What are the odds on a show greenlighted for a season, not making the schedule and actually appearing in the future? That sucks.
But yay to Sarah Connor! This season has been great so far, and I'm happy they are giving it a shot.
You brought up something I'm surprised no one has ever addressed with CBS procedural dramas. They get the same audience for every program. Perhaps its time to quit only breaking down an audience by age, but by their interests as well. I'm guessing some products don't do well in those time slots regardless of their age target, because they don't target an age only. Hmmmm...someone better be listening to this!!!!
I only have three programs I currently watch on CBS. One soon to be cancelled (outside their realm for sure), Worst Week, one I've watched forever, Without a trace, and one I don't think I can continue to watch for the boredom factor, Eleventh Hour. Surely CBS has some desire to sell me something.
I watch a lot of Fox, and with this latest move, I'll be more likely to watch new shows in the future, something I was worried about in recent years. With a full season of Fringe and Sarah Connor, I know they like me. They really, really like me!
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10-18-2008 @ 4:58PM
0megapart!cle said...
What the hell is going on with DollHouse??! Hopefully Joss can make some kind of statement about what is happening with the show.
I like Sarah, and like that the show is getting a full season.
10-18-2008 @ 5:53PM
Simon said...
Where does it actually say on the Hollywood Reporter site that Dollhouse is not ready for midseason?
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10-18-2008 @ 5:59PM
MERVE-THE-PERVE said...
I wish more networks would do this kind of thing instead of yanking shows too quickly. Then again I also wish they would stop relying on faulty Neilsen numbers until they come up with more accurate numbers or a better system, but I doubt either will ever happen. I give FOX credit for trying to do more than other networks though. Here in Houston, they were the only network that re-aired anything that was pre-empted due to Hurricane Ike. They replayed a whole week of programming that was lost the next week after the majority of the city got power back. And them pushing Dollhouse back to Fall could be a good thing if they use the time to make sure every episode is good. If they have a lot of money invested in it I think it will be harder for them to cancel it. Plus they might have a full season ready by then instead of a shortened one.
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10-18-2008 @ 6:10PM
Fred said...
Yeah, some linkage on the Dollhouse rumor would be nice.
I'm glad to see Sarah Connor renewed. Maybe this will give me the chance to actually get caught up on it.
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10-18-2008 @ 8:06PM
m said...
the first season is on DVD. the entire 2nd season is on hulu.com. Just in case you didnt know.
10-18-2008 @ 6:41PM
Taeylor said...
I agree. CBS has a very UNDIVERSE schedule which is why HOW I MEET YOUR MOTHER is the only thing I watch on it. To much CSIish shows! Blah....It's all about the money though.
Taeylor
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10-18-2008 @ 7:07PM
tv junkie said...
kudos to Fox and Kevin Reilly, the man responsible for giving then low-rated The Office a chance, and ordering 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights before he was unceremoniously fired from NBC and now heading Fox. it's nice to see the network giving low-rated shows a chance, now they should consider putting the show after AI or House in January, if Dollhouse is on schedule that is.
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10-18-2008 @ 10:24PM
moreartplease said...
Ditto to the Kevin Reilly kudos! That guy really knows what he is doing. Before NBC, he helped make FX more than just a place for X-Files reruns, as well. He is a true old school programmer, and would that we had three more like him!
10-19-2008 @ 2:34AM
wardude said...
great news, TSCC starts season 2 in the UK on Virgin 1 on Oct 23rd, this may have something to do with the decision to continue it. In any case I am very happy and wish them well, Mondays would not be the same without Sarah and Cameron
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10-19-2008 @ 2:55AM
bruce said...
This is fantastic news. Thank you FOX! Finally, a sign of intelligence...
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10-19-2008 @ 8:12AM
Alex99 said...
"Imagine, if you will, how much NBC might have made if they had stuck with ST and mined the cult success that exploded into a cultural phenomenon."
I don't think it would have mattered if NBC had given ST a couple of more seasons. It was not until it got out into the syndication market and was exposed to a much broader audience that it took off.
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10-20-2008 @ 11:50AM
tieworth said...
I agree that networks are just too quick to cancel shows. It takes a while to hook in viewers particularly when many people DVR shows for later viewing or catch them via the Internet. In that way, I don't believe the ratings data is the best indicator of a show's success. I'm still missing Moonlight on Friday night. Sigh.
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10-20-2008 @ 11:58AM
kcferret said...
Kudos to Fox for realizing that the viewers actually matter. I don't even watch TSCC but am sick of how CBS has their collective heads up their butts about what viewers want. If I see another crime series come out I am going to scream. It's almost as bad as the recent influx of rehashes on old game shows. (BTW, yes I am one of those nutjob Moonlight fans that is still bitter) Grats to TSCC fans, I hope your show finds a long life on Fox!
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10-21-2008 @ 7:20PM
Kinorai said...
Well this is really great news!! Last week, when Baseball was on tv instead of Terminator, I feared for the worst. (I'm french Canadian, I don't follow baseball much.. so you'll have to forgive me for that!) Anyway!!! Terminator is a really good show, sometimes some shows almost feel like movies to me! I don't know much about ratings, and how good a rating must usually be to keep a show alive, but, like some said, its good that People at fox recognise that this show has potential.
Oh... and Cameron.... Ca-me-ron... wow! Bye!
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11-13-2008 @ 11:56PM
Greg said...
Kudos indeed...maybe if Fox had given Firefly as much of a chance as they have TSCC, we might all be watching season seven of that show. My empathy goes with TSCC, and Joss' Dollhouse, and if the reason for the dealy is to make better episodes, then that's fine, but if it's just Fox having their head up their collective backsides like they did with Firefly and Drive, then maybe Joss should take Dollhouse to another network or cable.
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