Plans for the 2011-2012 season

Hey all!

You may have noticed it's been a long, long time since I'd updated on things like ratings or crap I'm watching on the television machine, or what have you. Still in the throes of novel writing. It's an arduous, but rewarding process (that I'm happy to say / believe / hope that I'm improving on as I keep plugging away at this whole prose-writing)... and one that has been slowed down some by the Return of Day Job / End of Hiatus.

Anyway. Let's talk shop aka posting TV ratings.

Tonight kinda-sorta begins the roll-out of the 2011-2012 fall season with Ringer. It seems like final broadcast program averages do get out there without me having to type them up... which makes me happy. I will still provide 15-minute breakdowns of premiere episodes of new series, since I don't see those out there. So, look to here and twitter and wherever else decides to copy-and-paste to their own websites (and hopefully credit me).

Cable... at least until I'm done with this first draft phase of the novel, I'm still going to refrain from doing any cable ratings posting. I've been providing data to friends at http://www.thefutoncritic.com and will continue to do so, so check there for cable numbers.

I'll try to be better during the season, now that my busy, concentrated, laser-focus summer is done, with responding to twitter requests for specific show ratings / demo info in case they don't show up elsewhere.

XOXO

- Travis

Why Have Ratings Been So Low?

Since Thursday, people have been tweeting and e-mailing me asking the same question... what happened? Why are ratings so low!? OMG OMG OMG!?!?!?

Yes, well, people are very passionate. And confused!

I believed I had the beginnings of an actual answer that wasn't "well, on Thursday, there was an abnormally highly rated NBA game on TNT during prime time" or "the Justin Bieber movie came out so all teen girls have ceased to exist outside of the cineplex."

Here's what happened: starting Monday, January 31st, Nielsen changed their methodology. I know, right? It seemed suspicious, but I didn't have a handle on exactly what the change was.

Of course, the more I looked into it, I found it only affects overall HUT/PUT levels (and therefore share - a metric I continue to believe even with these changes it entirely and utterly useless), and not actual program ratings.

Here's what the change is...

Before: Nielsen credited DVR viewing as a HUT/PUT (household or person using television) when something was RECORDED, and no matter when you played it or how many times, your viewing was credited once and only once, and credited to the time period of the recording.

For instance, if you recorded Modern Family on Wednesday at 9pm, even if you played it on Sunday at 3pm - and because it was so funny, again at 5pm - you would be credited as a single PUT on Wednesday at 9pm.

Now: Nielsen is crediting DVR viewing as a HUT/PUT when playback happens, and every time playback happens.

Back to the Modern Family example... your Wednesday 9pm recording watched on Sunday at 3pm then again at 5pm? You will be credited to the overall number of persons using television on Sunday at 3pm and at 5pm. MAKES SENSE, DOESN'T IT?

Here's the catch, and here's why it doesn't actually explain the low ratings of the last week or so: program data remains the same. Recorded programs have always been credited with viewing regardless of when it happens. As above, it only impacts the overall HUT and PUT levels.

All of which is a roundabout saying "darn, I thought I had something when in fact I don't" to explain why ratings have been lower in the last week. This is why scientists test hypotheses.

So, the speculation continues.

FAQ Time

I'm in the process of learning a couple things since starting to put the final ratings on this blog (specifically, cable) so figured it was time for a little informational / FAQ / disclaimer-ish post.

1) I only get ratings for prime time (8-11pm Mon-Sat, 7-11pm Sun). So, if something airs at 7pm and ends by 7:30pm on Wednesday... I don't have the info. Sorry! However if something, for some reason, aired from 7pm to 8:01pm... I will have it. Yes, if even a minute of a program airs during the prime time, and I get info for that network, I will have the ratings.

2) For cable, I only get full program ratings, so I can't give 15 minute breakdowns.

3) For broadcast, I do get 15 minute breakdowns... but it's a little time intensive and, in general, not that interesting/informative (if something has a big hit lead-in and the lead-out's average is down from that lead-in... you can bet the first 15 minutes are the highest rated and it's downhill from there). I try to post 15 minute breakdowns for series premieres or, for certain special shows that I have a particular ratings interest, the season premieres (i.e. Idol, Glee). Again... it takes time that I sadly don't have.

4) I am not aware of all cable series or what airs when/where/etc. But if you are, and I've missed something / not included something in my posts... please continue to let me know via comment requests or replying to @travisyanan on Twitter. When you do that, please tell me both the network the show airs on and the time.

5) I am more than happy to fill specific requests for ratings info for original airings. Why for original airings only? Posting rerun ratings (unless I've accidentally confused a rerun's ratings with an original... it does happen) is a problem for me because while I get a lot of ratings info for cable, see above, re time. It's a slippery slope, posting rerun ratings for a request to being expected to post every single data point I get for every airing in prime time. Or at least I see it as such. So I'm just not willing to start down that path.

6) Similarly, if there is a specific demographic that you'd like to see info on... I'm happy to comply. But please tell me why. I don't know, outside of press releases, what specific networks target. I currently post K2-11 for Cartoon Network shows, T12-17 and K2-11 for Disney Channel and Nickelodeon shows, W18-34 and T12-17 for ABC Family shows, W18-34 for MTV shows, and M18-34 for South Park (and whatever is leading out of it) because I know those are targets.

7) Unless there is a presidential speech or some big event (i.e. the election), I don't post cable news numbers. TVbytheNumbers.com does a fantastic job with those with data I don't get (the 35-64 demo) and, frankly, I've looked at the comment stream there and I'm not interested in getting a bunch of comments every day about how Rachel Maddow is a lesbian vampire or Bill O'Reilly is a racist douchebag.

8) I don't get/post Saturday ratings unless I'm aware of a special event.

Thanks for reading and commenting!

Summertime

... and the livin' is easy...

With last night's Idol finale (and whatever other programming was on), the regular 2009-'10 season is a thing of the past.

I have little to no interest in the ratings of summer repeats and the schedule is full of them. I will continue to post final ratings for broadcast series in originals (i.e. So You Think You Can Dance), and for cable, but will not be posting final ratings for reruns.

In the meantime, continue to check here for pilot script reviewlets (I only have CBS's busted pilots to get through), for full pilot screener reviews throughout the summer, and for other TV thoughts (planning a little season in review post, mostly focused on the new series and the canceled/ended series). I also have some thoughts on Idol (I truly believe the reports of its demise to be unfounded, but I'm open to being proved wrong) to get to.

It's January 2009?

I'm back from being away on vacation. Oh, my, it was necessary. Don't go back to work until Monday, so it's not entirely over, but the "away" part is.

Anyway, Happy New Year, everyone!

Have you all programmed your DVRs to record the plethora of new/returning programming that January brings us?

I must say, I was going to post today about being angry at Time Warner Cable for dropping Viacom's MTV Networks, meaning I'd lose my beloved Comedy Central programs (South Park - available online, The Daily Show / Colbert Report - available online, and Futurama repeats - available on DVDs I already own) but an 11th hour agreement was reached and I no longer give a flying nun.

But, looking into this revealed that TWC has started supplying several new HD cable channels without informing me. Which means that come January 16th, I'll be watching the final season of Battlestar Galactica in HD. Woo!

I've also programmed Psych to record, as I watched the holiday special over Thanksgiving and was charmed at least by the character-based interplay between the two leads, if not astounded by the crime case (it's supposed to be funny, and it succeeds at that).

We've also got Damages returning this Wednesday and to a lesser extent Nip/Tuck (which is now very much a "save for weekend" show... but still one I can't stop watching for some reason).

Oh, and, um, can anyone say LOST!?

2009 is looking good, my friends.