Media Life Magazine - Another go at it for FX's 'The Riches'

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Another go at
it for FX's 'The Riches'

Ratings took a harsh slide after a strong start

By Diego Vasquez
Mar 18, 2008

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FX took a gamble by ordering second seasons of three low-rated dramas last year, “The Riches,” “Dirt” and “Damages.” Already “Dirt” has seen viewership plummet for season two, losing more than half its audience for its second-season premiere earlier this month.

The network hopes “Riches,” which starts its second season tonight at 10 p.m., won’t suffer similarly. The show about a foursome of con artists who assume the identities of a deceased well-to-do family drew 3.8 million viewers for last year’s debut and a record 2.5 million in the adults 18-49 that FX targets.

But viewership fell by a third in the following weeks, and the show’s renewal was a bit of a surprise despite critical lauds for leads Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard.

Earlier this year, FX slashed the orders for both “Dirt” and “Riches” because of the writers’ strike, but that may also become a blessing for the network if both continue to see losses this year. “Dirt” is already considered a candidate for cancellation.

“Riches,” which received much better reviews, could still survive for a third season if it performs decently enough in its two-month run. The broadcast competition it faces is relatively weak, including CBS’s “Jericho” and reruns of NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” though tonight it also faces the tail end of a special “Dancing with the Stars” on ABC.

Plus, Tuesdays at 10 have been the spot for FX’s signature dramas for years, from “The Shield” to “Nip/Tuck” to “Rescue Me.” At the least, the show could draw in a few viewers searching for one of those.

A look at this week’s top TV draws
TUESDAY, MARCH 18
Time	Network	Program	Description
7:30 p.m.	ESPN	“College Basketball” (S)	The play-in game to make the 64-team field of the NCAA tourney.
8 p.m.	NBC	“The Biggest Loser” (R)	The contestants get makeovers and compete in a treadmill challenge.
8 p.m.	Fox	“American Idol” (R)	One down, 11 finalists to go.
9 p.m.	ABC	“Dancing with the Stars” (R)	The six female contestants, including Marlee Matlin and Monica Seles, show what they’ve got.
9 p.m.	CW	“One Tree Hill” (D)	A makeshift family reunion breaks out at Lucas and Lindsey’s wedding.
10 p.m.	FX	“The Riches” (D)	Season premiere. Dahlia and the kids head out of Eden Falls, and Nina wants to go with.
10:30 p.m.	ABC	“Miss Guided” (C)	Series premiere. A young-ish woman becomes a guidance counselor at her high school.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	NBC	“Today” (N)	Peter O’Toole and Jonathan Rhys Meyers both guest.
7 p.m.	ESPN2, ESPN Classic	“College Basketball” (S)	First-round action from the NIT, the other college basketball tournament.
8 p.m.	CBS	“Survivor” (R)	Moves to Wednesday this week and next due to college basketball.
9 p.m.	Fox	“American Idol” (R)	Another singer is bounced, whittling the field down to 10.
9 p.m.	ABC	“Supernanny” (R)	Jo tries to deal with a pair of boys whose mother is embarrassed to take them out in public.
10 p.m.	NBC	“Law & Order” (D)	An art dealer may have been murdered by a religious group that has ties to his son.
10 p.m.	MTV	‘Real World/Road Rules Challenge” (R)	Season finale. The teams endure the final challenge to determine a winner.
THURSDAY, MARCH 20
Time	Network	Program	Description
Noon, 7 p.m.	CBS	“College Basketball” (S)	First-round play from the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
8 p.m.	ABC	“Miss Guided” (C)	The first of back-to-back episodes of ABC’s new comedy.
8 p.m.	CW	“Smallville” (D)	Clark is kidnapped and held in a cell lined with kryptonite.
9 p.m.	ABC	“Lost” (D)	Ben tries to get Alex to escape Locke’s camp when he finds out about an incoming attack.
9 p.m.	NBC	“Celebrity Apprentice” (R)	The field is cut to two, and the finalists begin to put together a charity auction and concert.
10 p.m.	TLC	“LA Ink” (R)	Pixie goes off at the shop, and it could damage her relationship with Kat.
10 p.m.	VH1	“I Know My Kid’s a Star” (R)	Series premiere. Stage parents and their kids compete to be trained by, of all people, Danny Bonaduce.
FRIDAY, MARCH 21
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	ABC	“Good Morning America” (N)	Ryan Phillippe guests and the Counting Crows perform.
Noon, 7 p.m.	CBS	“College Basketball” (S)	More first-round action from the NCAA men’s basketball tourney.
7:30 p.m.	ESPN	“Figure Skating” (S)	Coverage of the World Championships, from Gothenburg, Sweden.
8 p.m.	TCM	“The Wizard of Oz” (M)	This classic is now 69 years old.
8:30 p.m.	Fox	“The Return of Jezebel James” (C)	Sarah goes all-out to sign a 15-year-old author.
9 p.m.	Lifetime	“Your Mama Don’t Dance” (R)	Another team is bounced, leaving seven behind.
SATURDAY, MARCH 22
Time	Network	Program	Description
2 p.m.	CBS	“College Basketball” (S)	Second-round play from the NCAAs; who’ll make the Sweet 16?
2 p.m.	NBC	“PGA Golf” (S)	Third round of the WGC-CA Championship from Miami.
3 p.m.	ABC	“Figure Skating” (S)	More coverage of the World Championships from Sweden.
8 p.m.	Fox	“Cops” (R)	Cops in Las Vegas go on a chase following a hotel shooting.
9 p.m.	Sci Fi Channel	“Rock Monster” (M)	A college student tries to be a hero after he unwittingly unleashes a monster in an Eastern European Village.
11 p.m.	VH1	“Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony” (A)	Madonna and John Mellencamp are among this year’s inductees.
SUNDAY, MARCH 23
Time	Network	Program	Description
Noon	CBS	“College Basketball” (S)	Still more second-round games, and after today, just 16 teams will remain.
1 p.m.	ABC	“NBA Basketball” (S)	A Texas showdown between the Spurs and Mavericks.
3 p.m.	NBC	“PGA Golf” (S)	Final-round play from the WGC-CA Championship, won last year by -- who else -- Tiger Woods.
9 p.m.	ABC	“Oprah’s Big Give” (R)	The final seven are given hundreds of thousands of dollars to give away in 24 hours.
9 p.m.	HBO	“John Adams” (M)	Second of a seven-part miniseries has Adams and Ben Franklin in France to drum up support for the revolt against England.
9:30 p.m.	Fox	“Unhitched” (C)	Gator has to change his ways if he wants a chance with an animal rights activist.
10 p.m.	FX	“Dirt” (D)	Lucy falls back into her tryst with a studio executive.
A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.