TVSquad

In ratings, that is.

We told you recently about the Peacock Network getting its lowest Thursday ratings since 1987 - an average of 6.8 million viewers for the week two weeks ago - but they've already topped that. Or should be say bottomed that, averaging only 6.2 million viewers during last week's rating period.

NBC says that viewers are down on all the networks by about 10%, but I think that's just spin. I mean, there aren't many NBC shows in the top 20 and only a couple of shows that people even talk about. NBC still leads in the evening news and late night races, but that's probably small consolation.

It's really too bad, considering NBC has two of the best shows (Heroes and The Office) on the the four nets, but then again they've dumped a bunch of the best too.

The Biggest Loser, the I-can't-believe-people-watch-this show on NBC, has been renewed for a fourth season.

Honestly, I don't know anyone who watches this show, and I've never heard of anyone who actually talks about it either (other than the coverage here at this site of course, but only because I work here). It's like NCIS, only for people who have to lose weight in a humiliating fashion. But somehow, it has become a successful show for the network, a show that NBC can actually count on to bring in consistent numbers.

I'm happy that people go on the show and lose weight and that some of them even have "life changing results," as NBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly says. But I have no interest in watching it. First, it's a reality show, and I'm very choosy now in what reality shows I watch. And I also don't know why overweight people (or most other reality show contestants) would want to go on a show like this.

People watch this show, but they don't watch other NBC shows like Kidnapped (and enough of you don't watch Studio 60 and Friday Night Lights)? Sigh.

To paraphrase a famous quote, rumors of Studio 60's death may have been greatly exaggerated.

An NBC spokesman says that not only is the show not canceled, it is actually profitable, and last week's ratings were up from the week before. The network likes the show, and they are going over the ratings numbers, but it looks like the show would be moved to a different time slot instead of just canceled outright.

One thing the article says that I don't agree with is this: if Friday Night Lights got great ratings last night (haven't seen the numbers yet), that could spell trouble for Studio 60. But that's not true. CSI: Miami was a repeat last night, so you would expect whatever NBC had in the time slot to do well, or better. Though if the numbers aren't great...now that would be interesting, and might prove it's a time slot thing and not the show itself.

[via TV Tattle]

Update: Friday Night Lights got its best ratings yet.

NBC has just announced that they are bringing back Scrubs to Thursday night and moving the new comedy 30 Rock to Thursday too, in an effort to bring back a little old glory to the night. The two comedies will join My Name Is Earl and The Office for a new two-hour comedy block: Earl at 8, followed by The Office, Scrubs, then 30 Rock. ER, the only non-comedy on the night, will stay at 10pm. The new lineup starts on November 16.

One question remains: will the Deal Or No Deal that is currently on at 9 get moved or removed from the schedule?

[via TV Tattle]

The first hour of the two hour season finale on Sunday beat everyone, including the series finale of The West Wing. Even so, the ratings for the last West Wing episode ever were actually the highest of the year for the show.

But back to Survivor. The ratings for this finale were actually down from the last two seasons (Palau and Guatemala), and the L.A. Times thinks that this might mean that CBS will cut the number of seasons the show has in a year when it announces its fall schedule this Wednesday.

This was bound to happen. The show has two different seasons every single year, and it was inevitable that the ratings would get lower and lower as the seasons go by. I'm waiting for the same thing to happen to American Idol.

Maybe we need a change for the show. How about something in a cold climate for a change? Maybe Survivor: Canada, or Survivor: Ice Station Zebra? For reward challenges you get parkas and gloves and hot chocolate! Maybe you can get exiled to a hot tub!