Mercy, it's a killer
of a midseason

Few new shows look like they'll dodge the big ax

By Kevin Downey

    A kind way of putting things is that the midseason for the broadcast networks is getting off to a decidedly sluggish start.
    Put more bluntly, this year's midseason appears to be as much about a ritual killing off of duds as the rolling out of potential hits.
    Case in point: the out-of-the-box bomb that is NBC’s "Imagine That."
    "Imagine," which debuted to scathing reviews, tied at No. 63 last week with a 2.7, adult 18-49 rating, which was 23 percent lower than what the canceled "Emeril" clocked in the same time slot the first week of the season.
    The show has gotten little support from the network, a sure sign that NBC had few hopes for it and expects to yank it long before the first signs of spring.
    That’s not to say all the new shows are bombing.
    A preview of Fox’s "The Chamber" tied at No. 27 in a special time slot behind "The Simpsons."
    And the WB's "Jamie Kennedy Experiment" had a rating comparable to those of the network's other mid-range hits. The "Candid Camera" for Generation-Y tied at No. 88 out of 109 primetime shows, with a 1.7 rating.
    But those are the exceptions. In all probability, few of the networks’ winter entries are likely to be breakout hits by the time NBC’s Olympics roll over the competition next month.
    In the meantime, NBC appears at little risk of losing its strong lead in the critical 18-49 viewer demographic.
    While "Imagine" is a certified dud, the network is doing well with the returning "Fear Factor."
    The summer reality series last week settled into its permanent run with a 5.4, adult 18-49 rating, and ranked as the week’s No. 22 show.
    Its long-running hits performed even better.
    NBC took the 18-49 demo for the week with a 5.0 rating largely on the strength of its Thursday lineup, which went head-to-head with the "Survivor: Africa" finale.
    "Friends" was the No. 1 show with a 12.8 rating to "Survivor’s" 11.3.
   For the week, ABC averaged a 4.9 in the demographic, CBS had a 4.7, Fox had a 3.6, UPN had a 1.7, and the WB had a 1.5.
    CBS was No. 1 among households. It had a 9.0 rating and 14 share to NBC’s 8.5/14, ABC’s 8.3/13, and Fox’s 4.8/7. UPN had a 2.6/4 and the WB had a 2.2/3.
    CBS’s "Survivor" finale, while off 25 percent from last season's finale, was still the most-watched show of the week, with a few more than 27.2 million viewers.
    For the season the show averaged 20.7 million viewers. While that's a drop of almost 31 percent from the prior "Survivor," it nonetheless ranks No. 6 among regularly scheduled shows for the season so far.
    The drop-off is most likely the result of two coinciding factors–diminishing interest in the show itself and the resurgence of "Friends."
    The NBC sitcom’s audience is up 22 percent over last season, and it ranks as the most-watched show.
    In contrast, NBC saw audience declines for the remainder of its Thursday lineup, notably for "Will & Grace" and "Just Shoot Me" against CBS’s "CSI," as well as "ER."
    Other top shows for the week included ABC’s "American Music Awards," which had 16 million viewers and ranked No. 11 in the 18-49 demo, with a 7.3 rating.
    CBS’s "People’s Choice Awards" had 15.2 million viewers and landed at No. 19 with a 5.6, adult 18-49, rating.
    As the networks approach the halfway mark in the season, and as they gear up for next month’s February sweeps, the No. 2 spot in the 18-49 demo is up for grabs.
    NBC has a sizable lead that will get bigger with the Olympics, with a 4.7 rating, while ABC, CBS, and Fox are tied, each with a 4.0.
    UPN has a 2.0 and the WB has a 1.6.

PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK RANKED ON HOUSEHOLDS Week Ending January 13, 2002
	HOUSEHOLDS			PERSONS 2+			ADULTS 18-49
Net	Rtg %	(000)	SHR	Rtg %	(000)	SHR	Rtg %	(000)	SHR
CBS	9.0	9520	14	5.2	14100	13	4.7	5990	12
NBC	8.5	8940	14	4.7	12790	12	5.0	6410	13
ABC	8.3	8700	13	4.8	12840	12	4.9	6230	12
FOX	4.8	5050	7	2.9	7760	7	3.6	4570	9
UPN	2.6	2720	4	1.5	4180	4	1.7	2220	4
WB	2.2	2330	3	1.3	3540	3	1.5	1870	4
PAX	1.0	1030	2	0.5	1390	1	0.4	460	1
Source: Nielsen Media Research