As the sitcom returns,
new dramas falter

Five first-year series are on hold or canceled

By Toni Fitzgerald
Dec 2, 2009

If this season marks the return of the sitcom, after years of decline, it may also mark the beginning of the decline for dramas, after years of dominance.

Only two new dramas, CBS's "NCIS: Los Angeles" and the CW's "The Vampire Diaries," can be called hits, and the former is largely thanks to a huge lead-in from sire "NCIS."

Already this season, five dramas have been placed on hiatus or canceled outright, compared to just one comedy. Several others, including "FlashForward," "V" and "Melrose Place," started out with huge buzz but saw ratings dip sharply after their premieres.

Last week ABC's now-canceled drama "Eastwick" hit a series low, averaging a 1.1 adults 18-49 rating. Granted, it aired the night before Thanksgiving, traditionally a night of low TV viewing, but "Eastwick" was even thrashed by NBC's competing "The Jay Leno Show," which averaged a 1.6.

"V" and "FlashForward" both hit series lows during sweeps after strong starts. "Melrose" has seen its ratings rise since Heather Locklear joined, but they were so low to begin with that she may not be enough to keep the show on past spring.

And already dramas like the CW's "The Beautiful Life: TBL," CBS's "Three Rivers" and Fox's "Dollhouse," a second-year show, have been yanked from the schedule.

Meanwhile, "Hank" is the only comedy that has officially been canceled. New comedies such as "Modern Family," "Glee," "Cougar Town," "The Cleveland Show" and "Cougar Town" have either good ratings or good buzz, and some even have both.

Of course one might argue that some of the dramas are struggling simply because they are not good, a problem that plagued comedy development for some years. "The Forgotten" and "Rivers" have forgettable characters and dull storylines, and even "Melrose" lacks the campiness of the original.

But critics have embraced shows like "V," "Dollhouse" and "Trauma," while "FlashForward" has drawn comparisons to ABC's hit "Lost."

Perhaps it's simply that investing in a new drama is time-consuming, and it's just not worth the hassle. Most comedies are only a half hour and require little time commitment. Conspiracy shows like FlashForward" and "Fringe," which is off by double-digit percentages this season, practically require a running scoreboard to keep track of the action.

That could also explain why "NCIS: LA" is such a hit. While it's lots of fun, no one would accuse the show of being cerebral.

***

TOP 25 BROADCAST PROGRAMS Ranked on Viewers 18-49 Week ended Nov. 29
Rank	Program	Net	Rating	(000)
1	NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL-11/29/2009	NBC	7.7	10067
2	BIG BANG THEORY, THE-11/23/2009	CBS	5.2	6851
3	TWO AND A HALF MEN-11/23/2009	CBS	4.7	6215
4	HOUSE-11/23/2009	FOX	4.6	6014
5	NCIS-11/24/2009	CBS	4.4	5763
6	DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES-11/29/2009	ABC	4.4	5762
7	FAMILY GUY-11/29/2009	FOX	4.4	5785
8	DANCING W/STARS RESULTS-11/24/2009	ABC	4.3	5617
8	NCIS: LOS ANGELES-11/24/2009	CBS	4.3	5626
10	OT, THE-11/29/2009	FOX	4.3	5606
11	SIMPSONS-11/29/2009	FOX	4.2	5492
12	DANCING WITH THE STARS-11/23/2009	ABC	4.0	5319
13	CSI: MIAMI-11/23/2009	CBS	3.7	4855
14	FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3-11/29/2009	NBC	3.7	4849
14	HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER-11/23/2009	CBS	3.7	4824
14	BIGGEST LOSER 8-11/24/2009	NBC	3.5	4551
17	CLEVELAND-11/29/2009	FOX	3.5	4577
17	AMAZING RACE 15-11/29/2009	CBS	3.4	4462
17	AMERICAN DAD-11/29/2009	FOX	3.3	4353
17	CRIMINAL MINDS-11/25/2009	CBS	3.2	4170
17	SURVIVOR: SAMOA-THANKS SP-11/26/2009	CBS	3.1	4023
22	V-11/24/2009	ABC	3.1	4100
22	ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE-11/23/2009	CBS	3.1	4118
22	EXTREME MAKEOVER:HM ED-8P-11/29/2009	ABC	3.0	3936
22	FIND MY FAMILY-11/23/2009	ABC	2.9	3773
Source: Nielsen Media Research