How mighty has NBC fallen? All in one February week, the peacock network's Broadway drama, Smash, returned in its second season with a record rating low, its new Jekyll and Hyde drama, Do No Harm, went to cancellation heaven, and Christina Applegate left the comedy, Up All Night, in the middle of transitioning from single-camera to studio audience mode.
What's worse? 30 Rock has close down shop, The Office will soon pack up and The Today Show is now taking a beating from ABC's Good Morning America every morning. Plus, with Harm gone, the whole Thursday night lineup is in terrible chaos.
This troubled chaos reminded me of CBS in the mid-90's. In the early 90's, CBS had the big sports like the NFL, MLB and great shows like 60 Minutes {which it still airs each Sunday}, Murphy Brown, Murder, She Wrote, and Northern Exposure. Plus, when Letterman moved from NBC to CBS, he made the Eye network number 1 in late night. Then, in 1994, FOX took over not only rights to football, but some of its older affiliates. Soon, for over two years, CBS was in third or fourth place. While the other networks were now reaching out to the increasing youth market, CBS was still focusing with the nursing-home, retirement and the past-50 crowd. Even Letterman and the network evening news {then anchored by Dan Rather} was losing to its rivals. So, in 1996, CBS decided to focus its programming to families and baby-boomers. Two years later, it got back the NFL. In the next three years, CBS was now big with the youth, thanks to three smash hits, Survivor, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Big Brother.
NBC had big hits in the 80's with The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Golden Girls, Cheers, and in the 90's with Law & Order, Seinfeld, ER, Friends and Will & Grace. But soon in the 2000's, CBS became the top ratings dog. Plus, ABC scored with Desperate Housewives, Lost, and Grey's Anatomy. NBC began to lost the magic after losing Friends in 2004. That same year, the network announced that then-Late Night host Conan O'Brian would take over Jay Leno's spot on the Tonight Show in 2009. In 2008, the year before the big switch, NBC decided to keep Leno on the network. But which plan would keep him on the network? The network head at the time, Jeff Zucker, decided that Leno should have a talk show that would air five nights a week at 10pm.
The vision became a reality the following fall. But the reality messed up and turned flat for both NBC and its stations. Leno was in third or fourth place in the ratings night after night. It also brought a ratings low for the 11pm local news lead-out. Even Conan was having trouble in the ratings after taking over the Tonight Show. He was beaten out every night by Letterman {who was fresh off a sex in the workplace scandal}.
In January 2010, the network decided to fix situation by moving Jay back to 11:35pm with a half-hour show, followed by Conan at 12:05. But O'Brian thought that the move could ruin the whole Tonight franchise. So, Conan gave the hosting duties back to Jay and moved on to TBS. Zucker, the guy behind the whole switch, got the big boot in September when the network was brought by Comcast.
Robert Greenblatt took over as head after the purchase was done. Greenblatt came from Showtime with his pet project, Smash. Smash scored big ratings in its pilot, but during the first season, its audience began shrinking because it was facing competition on Monday with Castle and Hawaii Five-O, despite having a solid lead-in with the 'other' singing competition show, The Voice.
This previous fall, NBC won the November sweeps for the first time since 2003, thanks to new shows such as Revolution and Go On, the return of The Voice and Sunday Night Football.
But now, football is over and The Voice won't be back until March. Also returning this March is The Celebrity Apprentice, and just returning after a five-month hiatus is cult favorite Community.
I think that the trouble with NBC is that they think more on its finances and ratings, than its viewers and showrunners. Network heads used to connect more on the shows and the people behind them, but now, they focus more on trying to save money. I think that Greenblatt and his team must put their heads together and put their trust on the viewers first. I also think that next season that they should have less reality shows and more different kind of dramas like Parenthood on its lineup.
I hope that NBC tries to regain its audience when spring comes. I also hope that they don't cancel Smash.
What's worse? 30 Rock has close down shop, The Office will soon pack up and The Today Show is now taking a beating from ABC's Good Morning America every morning. Plus, with Harm gone, the whole Thursday night lineup is in terrible chaos.
This troubled chaos reminded me of CBS in the mid-90's. In the early 90's, CBS had the big sports like the NFL, MLB and great shows like 60 Minutes {which it still airs each Sunday}, Murphy Brown, Murder, She Wrote, and Northern Exposure. Plus, when Letterman moved from NBC to CBS, he made the Eye network number 1 in late night. Then, in 1994, FOX took over not only rights to football, but some of its older affiliates. Soon, for over two years, CBS was in third or fourth place. While the other networks were now reaching out to the increasing youth market, CBS was still focusing with the nursing-home, retirement and the past-50 crowd. Even Letterman and the network evening news {then anchored by Dan Rather} was losing to its rivals. So, in 1996, CBS decided to focus its programming to families and baby-boomers. Two years later, it got back the NFL. In the next three years, CBS was now big with the youth, thanks to three smash hits, Survivor, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Big Brother.
NBC had big hits in the 80's with The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Golden Girls, Cheers, and in the 90's with Law & Order, Seinfeld, ER, Friends and Will & Grace. But soon in the 2000's, CBS became the top ratings dog. Plus, ABC scored with Desperate Housewives, Lost, and Grey's Anatomy. NBC began to lost the magic after losing Friends in 2004. That same year, the network announced that then-Late Night host Conan O'Brian would take over Jay Leno's spot on the Tonight Show in 2009. In 2008, the year before the big switch, NBC decided to keep Leno on the network. But which plan would keep him on the network? The network head at the time, Jeff Zucker, decided that Leno should have a talk show that would air five nights a week at 10pm.
The vision became a reality the following fall. But the reality messed up and turned flat for both NBC and its stations. Leno was in third or fourth place in the ratings night after night. It also brought a ratings low for the 11pm local news lead-out. Even Conan was having trouble in the ratings after taking over the Tonight Show. He was beaten out every night by Letterman {who was fresh off a sex in the workplace scandal}.
In January 2010, the network decided to fix situation by moving Jay back to 11:35pm with a half-hour show, followed by Conan at 12:05. But O'Brian thought that the move could ruin the whole Tonight franchise. So, Conan gave the hosting duties back to Jay and moved on to TBS. Zucker, the guy behind the whole switch, got the big boot in September when the network was brought by Comcast.
Robert Greenblatt took over as head after the purchase was done. Greenblatt came from Showtime with his pet project, Smash. Smash scored big ratings in its pilot, but during the first season, its audience began shrinking because it was facing competition on Monday with Castle and Hawaii Five-O, despite having a solid lead-in with the 'other' singing competition show, The Voice.
This previous fall, NBC won the November sweeps for the first time since 2003, thanks to new shows such as Revolution and Go On, the return of The Voice and Sunday Night Football.
But now, football is over and The Voice won't be back until March. Also returning this March is The Celebrity Apprentice, and just returning after a five-month hiatus is cult favorite Community.
I think that the trouble with NBC is that they think more on its finances and ratings, than its viewers and showrunners. Network heads used to connect more on the shows and the people behind them, but now, they focus more on trying to save money. I think that Greenblatt and his team must put their heads together and put their trust on the viewers first. I also think that next season that they should have less reality shows and more different kind of dramas like Parenthood on its lineup.
I hope that NBC tries to regain its audience when spring comes. I also hope that they don't cancel Smash.
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