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'Smash': Media folks think NBC will have a hit with
the musical drama |
NBC is the No. 4 network in terms of ratings, but it's No. 1 in terms of the network media buyers and planners are most interested in at midseason.
They are keen to see whether the network can stop its ratings slide during the second half of the television season, and there's a real possibility that it can.
Media people also think NBC has the midseason's new breakout hit with "Smash," an ambitious musical drama.
Those are the findings of a recent Media Life poll asking readers to weigh in on the midseason.
Readers were asked to pick their biggest midseason concern, and by far the largest number of them, 46.2 percent, said it is whether NBC can stop its ratings declines.
NBC was the only network to see its adults 18-49 rating dip during fourth quarter, when it slid 11 percent from last year, from a 2.8 to a 2.5.
CBS and Fox were actually up, while ABC was even to last year.
Other midseason concerns were not nearly as pressing.
Seventeen percent said they're most interested in seeing how "American Idol" performs on Fox in its 11th season, while 13.8 percent are eager to see if the comedy revival will continue.
Just over 12 percent said they want to know if ABC's new shows will continue their momentum, while 7.7 percent wondered how well CBS's "Two and a Half Men" will hold up the remainder of the season.
Still, while buyers are concerned about NBC, they also believe it has a chance at revival at midseason with the new show "Smash," which will air following surprise hit "The Voice" starting in February.
Asked to choose which new midseason show will be the biggest hit, 40 percent picked "Smash," well ahead of No. 2 "Alcatraz" on Fox with 27.7 percent.
ABC's "GCB" and CBS's "Rob!" tied for third with 13.8 percent apiece.
On the flip side, Media Life asked buyers which midseason show was most likely to bomb, and by far the biggest share, 57.6 percent, selected ABC's "Work It," which premiered to low ratings last week.
"Rob!" was second at 16.7 percent, followed by Fox's "Napoleon Dynamite" at 15.2 percent and NBC's "The Firm," which debuted to dismal numbers on Sunday, at 7.6 percent.
Readers do think that this has been a decent year for new shows. Asked whether the 2011-'12 season is off to a better or worse start than 2010-'11 in terms of new programs, a vast majority of readers, 70.8 percent, chose better.
The most, 42.4 percent, think CBS's "2 Broke Girls" is the breakout hit of this season, outdistancing ABC's "Once Upon a Time," which placed second at 34.8 percent. Another 15.2 percent said Fox's "New Girl" is the season's biggest new hit.
Media Life also asked readers which network had the best fall season, and the majority, 51.5 percent, chose CBS, which has a slight lead over Fox this season in 18-49s.
Fox was the No. 2 choice with 24.2 percent of the vote, followed by ABC at 22.7 percent. NBC was the only other network to receive votes, placing a very distant fourth at 1.5 percent.
Still, while CBS is having a great season, the majority of readers believe that Fox will pass its rival in the next few months.
Media Life asked which network will win the year in 18-49s, and 78.8 percent chose Fox, based largely on the return of "Idol." CBS received 13.6 percent of the vote, good for second place, while ABC got 4.5 percent.
NBC and the CW tied for fourth at 1.5 percent apiece.
