Future Shock for Ratings Weaklings
Thanks to adfeagin for sending this in!
From Entertainment Weekly, March 10
On the Air
The latest news from the TV BeatBy Lynette Rice
Future Shock
With Three months left in the TV season, it’s time for the networks to start weeding out their ratings weaklings. Shows on the proverbial bubble include CBS’s Martial Law, Chicago Hope, and Early Edition; The WB’s Zoe…, Mission Hill, and Roswell; Fox’s Party of Five, Time of Your Life, and Family Guy; UPN’s Shasta (big surprise), and NBC’s Suddenly Susan and Veronica’s closet (a source says NBC is already considering Closet’s Daryl Mitchell for other projects). A top 10 adults 18-49 ranking won’t guarantee the laugh-free Stark Raving Mad a second season–it still drops 21 percent from its Frasier lead-in. And critical acclaim may not save NBC’s slot-hopping Freaks and Geeks. “It’s already been given two time periods,” says media analyst Tim Spengler. “The younger [viewers] NBC wanted have made their decision.” Most of ABC’s dogs (Wasteland, Odd Man Out, It’s like, you know…) were axed early on and replaced with trusty backup Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Still, the net’s bland Two Guys and a Girl is more likely to return than the struggling Sports Night. At least Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing is still flying high on NBC.
