|
|
but hardly worry-free
At midseason facing some serious schedule gaps
By Kevin Downey
There are a couple of unarguable truths about NBC that seem truer now than ever as the network outlines plans for midseason at this week’s Television Association Critics press tour in Pasadena.
One is that NBC is the No. 1 network in the adult 18-49 demo and, despite getting knocked out a few times, has been for years.
Two, the No. 1 network has a couple of gaping holes in its schedule that you could ride a herd of horses through.
And those holes aren't likely to be patched over anytime soon, even though the network has cleaned house by canceling such ratings duds as "Emeril" and has begun rolling out five new shows in midseason, including the return of "Fear Factor" and an unscheduled live show from "SNL" producer Lorne Michaels.
"Nobody can sit back and be content with the success they’ve had because success is measured in days and weeks and not in years at this point," says Allen Banks, executive media director of Saatchi & Saatchi in New York.
"NBC is clearly searching for an answer to bolster its Thursday, just as the other networks are looking for ways to bolster other nights."
Perhaps NBC’s biggest problem is its seeming inability to come up with strong sitcoms.
That’s an area an NBC spokesperson says is the network’s main priority in midseason.
"Comedy development is important for a number of reasons," he says. "They repeat a little better in the summer than dramas tend to.
"Plus, you want to have replacements for shows as they age. A huge priority for us is to launch one of these successfully and have it return in the fall."
Although NBC has a six-tenths of a rating point lead over Fox and a seven-tenths lead over CBS and ABC this season, its 18-49 rating is down 6 percent to a 4.6. Fox has a 4.0 and ABC has a 3.9.
CBS is the only Big Four network to post an increase this season. Its 18-49 rating is up 8 percent to a 3.9. A big reason for that increase is its Thursday lineup of "Survivor" and "CSI," both of which CBS plans to extend.
"Survivor: Marquesas" will premiere on Feb. 28 and a "CSI" spinoff is in the works for next season.
"I think NBC will continue as the top network, but I don’t think it will continue with the huge margins that it's had," says Susan Hajny, broadcast research manager at GSD&M.
"Even if ‘Friends’ does come back [next season], that show alone can’t maintain the margins it's had. That’s due a little bit to slippage on NBC’s part and to some growth on the part of the other networks, particularly on CBS and on Fox, which has done well with men 18-49."
Some of NBC’s biggest problems are on two of its strongest nights, including its "must-see" Thursday.
Its lineup on that night includes aging hits like "Friends," which NBC president of entertainment Jeff Zucker is reportedly fighting to hold onto for at least one more season. And the 8:30 p.m. time slot that follows has long been plagued by weak performers, like the recently canceled "Inside Schwartz."
A new sitcom called "Leap of Faith," from the creators of HBO’s "Sex and the City," will take that slot on Feb. 28, following NBC’s coverage of the winter Olympics.
"NBC isn’t going to fade from the air anytime soon, so they’re not in that kind of trouble," says Shari Anne Brill, vice president and director of programming services at Carat.
"But are they at risk? Yes. With a great burst of creative energy this year, ‘Friends’ has had a tremendous season, but what do they do when the show goes off the air? Their problem is that there is no heir apparent."
NBC’s Tuesday lineup is in considerably worse shape.
Although "Frasier" is still a hit, NBC hasn’t been able to find suitable companion shows to solidify the night.
"Imagine That" now airs at 8 p.m. Besides being trashed mercilessly by TV critics, it is a show that most media buyers expect to last only a few weeks.
And Julia Louis-Dreyfus gets a chance on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m., starting Feb. 26, to buck the "Seinfeld-" alum curse that has claimed sitcoms from Michael Richards and Jason Alexander.
NBC, of course, does have a couple of things going for it.
It has renewed "Scrubs," "Crossing Jordan," and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" through next season.
And it has the promotional might of the Olympics during the February sweeps, when local affiliates set ad rates.
"One thing about midseason is that it’s not as competitive as the fall, when so many shows are being launched," says the NBC spokesperson.
"You can really focus on the shows and promote them properly. And we’re blessed with that little thing called the Olympics, which provides an incredible platform for us to launch these shows."
January 11, 2002 © 2002 Media Life
-Kevin Downey is a staff writer for Media Life.
Printer-Friendly
Version | Send
to a Friend
Cover Page | Contact
Us
