The art of the
spinoff, smartly done
Some cable networks have become masters at launching new shows
By Toni Fitzgerald
Aug 25, 2010
We tend to think of spinoffs as the purview of broadcast scripted shows. Once upon a time "Cheers" begat "Frasier" and "Friends" begat (shudder) "Joey."
But in recent years cable reality shows have adopted the notion of spinoffs, and many of the ones on TV right now are more "Frasier" than "Joey." The concept is pretty much the same as on broadcast: Take an interesting character or concept, and build a new show around it.
E!'s "Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami" finished its second season with a series-high 3.9 million total viewers on Aug. 15, according to Nielsen , leading into the premiere of parent show "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" this past Sunday. That became the second-most-watched show in network history with 4.7 million viewers.
"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" and "The Real Housewives of D.C.," the two current shows in the Bravo franchise, notched the best and second-best premieres in the five-edition franchise's history. Last week "Jersey" averaged 2.59 million viewers and "D.C." averaged 1.37 million, both above Bravo's primetime average.
And another spinoff, Lifetime's "On the Road with Austin & Santino," while drawing about 2 million fewer viewers than parent "Project Runway," is still the network's No. 4 show behind "Army Wives," "Runway" and "Drop Dead Diva" at 1.677 million viewers, about 25 percent better than the network's primetime average.
The key to the success of these shows is their familiarity. "Kourtney and Khloe" narrows the broad focus of "Kardashians" to just two of the sisters, who already get plenty of screen time on the original.
Though the women in each "Housewives" franchise are different, they share some general similarities: they're wealthy, attractive, well dressed and above all catty.
And Austin and Santino were two of the most popular contestants on "Runway," who have a chance to show off a different part of their personalities than they showed on the original. Now instead of competing to design a dress, they're traveling around the country helping to dress small-town women for events.
It certainly helps when the audience is laughing with the show's stars rather than at them.
"The comedy springs mostly from the two dandies’ encounters with rural America, but it’s mostly sympathetic," wrote Media Life TV critic Tom Conroy.
***
In cable ratings for the week ended Aug. 22:
Top five networks in primetime (18-49s): USA, History, TNT, TBS, ESPN.
Top five networks in primetime (total viewers): USA, TNT, History, Fox News Channel, ESPN.
Top five cable news networks in primetime (25-54): Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN, HLN, CNBC.
Top five cable news programs (total viewers): 1. Fox News Channel's "The O’Reilly Factor" (Wednesday, 8 p.m.) 3.27 million; 2. Fox News Channel's "The O’Reilly Factor" (Tuesday, 8 p.m.) 3.14 million; 3. Fox News Channel's "The O’Reilly Factor" (Thursday, 8 p.m.) 3.04 million; 4. Fox News Channel's "The O’Reilly Factor" (Monday, 8 p.m.) 2.94 million; 5. Fox News Channel's "Glenn Beck" (Tuesday, 5:37 p.m.) 2.37 million.
Top movie (18-49s): TBS's "Failure to Launch" (Saturday, 10 p.m.) 1.29 million.
Top sporting event (total viewers): ESPN's "Monday Night Football" (Monday, 8 p.m.) 5.61 million.
Shows making the top 10 among 18-34s, 18-49s and 25-54s: MTV's "Jersey Shore" (Thursday, 10 p.m.); History's "Pawn Stars" (Monday, 10 and 10:30 p.m.); ESPN's "Monday Night Football" (Monday, 8 p.m.); E!'s "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" (Sunday, 10 p.m.).
Show on the rise: History's "Swamp People" Sunday 10 p.m. The series premiere averaged 4.2 million total viewers, 2.5 million 25-54s and 2.3 million 18-49s, all network records for an original series launch.
Show on the decline: TNT's "Rizzoli & Isles" Monday 10 p.m. The drama averaged 2.28 million viewers 25-54, a strong number but down 14 percent from 2.66 million the previous week.
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Ranked on Household Rating
Week Ending Aug. 22 |
|
Rank |
Primetime |
Total Day |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
2442
|
NICK
|
1755
|
|
2
|
TNT
|
1961
|
NAN
*
|
1286
|
|
3
|
FOXN
|
1444
|
USA
|
1111
|
|
4
|
HIST
|
1384
|
TNT
|
1106
|
|
5
|
ESPN
|
1313
|
ADSM*
|
1016
|
|
6
|
NAN
|
1185
|
TOON
|
925
|
|
7
|
TBSC
|
1140
|
FOXN
|
854
|
|
8
|
AEN
|
1095
|
HIST
|
743
|
|
9
|
HGTV
|
1092
|
ESPN
|
728
|
|
10
|
LIF
|
1067
|
TBSC
|
718
|
|
11
|
FAM
|
982
|
AEN
|
633
|
|
12
|
TOON
|
979
|
HGTV
|
619
|
|
13
|
SYFY
|
958
|
TRU
|
612
|
|
14
|
TRU
|
925
|
LIF
|
564
|
|
15
|
MTV
|
905
|
DISC
|
541
|
|
16
|
AMC
|
840
|
FOOD
|
535
|
|
17
|
TLC
|
830
|
MTV
|
513
|
|
18
|
FX
|
818
|
FX
|
509
|
|
19
|
CMDY
|
781
|
FAM
|
506
|
|
20
|
DISC
|
778
|
TVLD
|
491
|
|
21
|
TVLD
|
772
|
AMC
|
483
|
|
22
|
FOOD
|
761
|
CMDY
|
482
|
|
23
|
BRAV
|
705
|
SYFY
|
459
|
|
24
|
EN
|
625
|
TLC
|
434
|
|
25
|
HALL
|
623
|
SPK
|
421
|
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
TOP 25 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE PROGRAMS
Ranked on Households
Week Ending Aug. 22 |
|
Rank
|
Program |
Net
|
(000) |
|
1
|
The Closer
|
TNT
|
5083
|
|
2
|
Rizzoli & Isles
|
TNT
|
4862
|
|
3
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
4417
|
|
4
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
4235
|
|
5
|
Giants/Jets
|
ESPN
|
4118
|
|
6
|
Jersey
Shore
2
|
MTV
|
4044
|
|
7
|
Burn Notice
|
USA
|
3906
|
|
8
|
Covert Affairs
|
USA
|
3902
|
|
9
|
Royal Pains
|
USA
|
3877
|
|
10
|
American Pickers
|
HIST
|
3653
|
|
11
|
Keeping Up With the Kardashians
|
EN
|
3427
|
|
12
|
WWE Entertainment
|
USA
|
3317
|
|
13
|
White Collar
|
USA
|
3253
|
|
14
|
WWE Entertainment
|
USA
|
3243
|
|
15
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3130
|
|
16
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
3045
|
|
17
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
3023
|
|
18
|
Army Wives
|
LIF
|
3003
|
|
19
|
NCIS
|
USA
|
2954
|
|
20
|
Memphis
Beat
|
TNT
|
2928
|
|
21
|
Law & Order: S.V.U.
|
USA
|
2908
|
|
22
|
Spongebob
|
NICK
|
2860
|
|
23
|
Psych
|
USA
|
2823
|
|
24
|
Swamp People
|
HIST
|
2811
|
|
25
|
Hawthorne
|
TNT
|
2746
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending Aug. 22 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
TBSC
|
529
|
ADSM*
|
464
|
|
1
|
USA
|
596
|
ADSM*
|
529
|
|
2
|
MTV
|
586
|
NICK
|
358
|
|
3
|
TBSC
|
493
|
NAN
*
|
353
|
|
4
|
CMDY
|
418
|
TBSC
|
297
|
|
5
|
HIST
|
390
|
MTV
|
294
|
|
6
|
ESPN
|
379
|
USA
|
289
|
|
7
|
FAM
|
356
|
ESPN
|
278
|
|
8
|
FX
|
335
|
CMDY
|
253
|
|
9
|
TNT
|
334
|
HIST
|
219
|
|
10
|
AEN
|
307
|
FX
|
217
|
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 18-34
Week Ending Aug. 22 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
Jersey
Shore
2
|
MTV
|
2944
|
|
2
|
Keeping Up With the Kardashians
|
EN
|
2326
|
|
3
|
Teen Mom 2
|
MTV
|
2052
|
|
4
|
Giants/Jets
|
ESPN
|
1501
|
|
5
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
1445
|
|
6
|
Tosh.O
|
CMDY
|
1400
|
|
7
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1362
|
|
8
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1325
|
|
9
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
1276
|
|
10
|
Family Guy
|
ADSM
|
1235
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending Aug. 22 |
|
Rank |
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
1250
|
ADSM*
|
682
|
|
2
|
HIST
|
900
|
NAN
*
|
594
|
|
3
|
TNT
|
900
|
NICK
|
578
|
|
4
|
TBSC
|
885
|
USA
|
571
|
|
5
|
ESPN
|
821
|
TNT
|
541
|
|
6
|
MTV
|
744
|
TBSC
|
519
|
|
7
|
AEN
|
706
|
ESPN
|
502
|
|
8
|
FAM
|
669
|
HIST
|
467
|
|
9
|
CMDY
|
651
|
AEN
|
392
|
|
10
|
FX
|
624
|
FX
|
386
|
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 18-49
Week Ending Aug. 22 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
Jersey
Shore
2
|
MTV
|
3745
|
|
2
|
Keeping Up With the Kardashians
|
EN
|
3309
|
|
3
|
Giants/Jets
|
ESPN
|
3088
|
|
4
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
3086
|
|
5
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
2880
|
|
6
|
Teen Mom 2
|
MTV
|
2549
|
|
7
|
Covert Affairs
|
USA
|
2342
|
|
8
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2302
|
|
9
|
Swamp People
|
HIST
|
2254
|
|
10
|
American Pickers
|
HIST
|
2183
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE NETWORKS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending Aug. 22 |
|
|
PRIME TIME |
TOTAL DAY |
|
Rank
|
Net |
(000) |
Net |
(000) |
|
1
|
USA
|
1347
|
TNT
|
613
|
|
2
|
TNT
|
1076
|
USA
|
579
|
|
3
|
HIST
|
991
|
HIST
|
491
|
|
4
|
ESPN
|
824
|
NAN
*
|
468
|
|
5
|
TBSC
|
797
|
TBSC
|
463
|
|
6
|
AEN
|
756
|
NICK
|
446
|
|
7
|
TRU
|
653
|
ESPN
|
445
|
|
8
|
LIF
|
636
|
AEN
|
413
|
|
9
|
SYFY
|
629
|
ADSM*
|
404
|
|
10
|
FAM
|
616
|
TRU
|
401
|
|
* Network broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24-hour day.
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
TOP 10 AD-SUPPORTED CABLE SHOWS
Adults 25-54
Week Ending Aug. 22 |
|
Rank |
PROGRAM |
NET |
(000) |
|
1
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
3124
|
|
2
|
Pawn Stars
|
HIST
|
3022
|
|
3
|
Giants/Jets
|
ESPN
|
2937
|
|
4
|
Keeping Up With the Kardashians
|
EN
|
2627
|
|
5
|
Swamp People
|
HIST
|
2490
|
|
6
|
Jersey
Shore
2
|
MTV
|
2485
|
|
7
|
American Pickers
|
HIST
|
2443
|
|
8
|
Covert Affairs
|
USA
|
2408
|
|
9
|
WWE Raw
|
USA
|
2367
|
|
10
|
Royal Pains
|
USA
|
2330
|
|
Source: Turner Research from Nielsen data
|
|
|
|
