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Friday, July 26, 2013

Top 10 of the Last 10, Scripted Newbie Cancellations


The collective decline in Live+SD ratings makes it hard to fairly compare numbers across seasons. But with the A18-49+ stat, we have the technology! Enter the "Top 10 of the Last 10" lists, which will line up the last ten seasons (2003-04 thru 2012-13) and give us an idea of which shows were strongest after we set the collective decline off to the side. (I'll throw in the raw numbers too, to give a sense of how far ratings have fallen.)

This week, by request, we're taking a look at the top ten new shows that got cancelled.

Previously:
Comedy Seasons
Drama Seasons
New Scripted Shows
Scripted Newbie Reach Renewals
Network Seasons
Netlet Scripted Seasons
Scripted Episodes

Top 10 of the Last 10, Newbie Cancellations A18-49+ A18-49
Image 10. Eleventh Hour (CBS, 2008-09) 99 2.97
The list's only crime procedural got the axe because it paled in comparison to its CSI lead-in (159). This Bruckheimer production had no second shot even though similar-rated Shark (103) was renewed two years earlier after a much stronger CSI (185).
Image 9. How to Live (ABC, 2012-13) 102 2.14
As in the reach renewals list, I opted to hold averages to regular season airings, since the lists are based on decisions made on regular season numbers. How to Live premiered to a 2.9 after Modern Family and settled in-season at around a 2.0. Though Apartment 23 was renewed at the same level a year earlier, it wasn't enough here.
Image 8. Accidentally on Purpose (CBS, 2009-10) 103 2.87
This was one of Jenna Elfman's least unsuccessful post-Dharma and Greg TV failures, retaining How I Met Your Mother (126) at an OK but ultimately unacceptable clip. Like most other CBS comedies on this list, it got a short episode extension but not quite a full season.
Image 7. Worst Week (CBS, 2008-09) 104 3.11
During a very positive year for most of CBS' comedies, the network could not accept some of the worst-ever retention from this post-Two and a Half Men (171) offering, though it did get a small extension beyond the initial 13. Worst Week was notable as a rare CBS foray into the single-camera comedy game.
Image 6. Terra Nova (Fox, 2011-12) 105 2.49
Terra Nova was one of the very few shows on this list (joining the one just below it) that pulled off its ratings as a "self-starter." But it was clearly not treated like the normal new show; with its reportedly exorbitant costs came very high expectations, and steadily decent-rated Terra Nova did not meet them.
Image 5. Bionic Woman (NBC, 2007-08) 106 3.48
One of the great post-premiere collapses you will ever see, Bionic premiered at a huge 5.7 and had evaporated to 2.2 by its last ep a mere two months later. At that point it was out of eps due to the writer's strike. NBC promised it would return with some major re-tooling, but it never happened.
Image 4. Napoleon Dynamite (Fox, 2011-12) 110 2.60
Once we get into shows cancelled at a 110+ level, we're usually talking about short orders heavily inflated by early numbers. Napoleon premiered with 8:30 (4.4) and 9:30 (3.3) episodes after an NFL playoff game but settled around 2.0 in the subsequent four episodes.
Image 3. $#*! My Dad Says (CBS, 2010-11) 118 2.97
Bleep aired as many episodes (18) as the rest of the top four combined. The first of The Big Bang Theory's many Thursday lead-outs, its 4.0 premiere was the largest of the 2010 premiere week, but it settled in the upper-2's, well below Big Bang's low-4's.
Image 2. Rob (CBS, 2011-12) 140 3.30
To repeat what I said on the new show list: "Perhaps Rob was undone by its drops in the last two weeks, including a 2.6 demo when Big Bang was a repeat." It may have also been hurt by CBS' comedy development strikeout, which kept the net from adding a fourth comedy hour in 2012-13.
Image 1. Coupling (NBC, 2003-04) 154 6.25
Again repeating from a previous list: "Before NBC got it right with The Office, Coupling was the cautionary tale about the perils of remaking a British sitcom. It aired just four episodes, rating 7.8 -> 6.7 -> 5.6 -> 4.9 after much bigger Will and Grace and wasn't seen again."

Notes: Though it seemed last season's Partners (98) was an even clearer failure than many of the above CBS shows, it still very nearly made this list. 2005-06 CBS comedies Out of Practice (96) and Courting Alex (92) were also in the ballpark. And two-and-through How to Be a Gentleman (83) would make the list if I threw out its one in-season burn-off episode. (Mostly I included the in-season burn-off episodes here because I would be afraid of forgetting something if I had to manually weed all of those out.)

The biggest lead-in of the last decade, American Idol, somewhat surprisingly didn't put any lead-outs on this list; I guess most of them just got an opportunity to fail somewhere else. 2004-05's Life on a Stick (97) was closest. (And 2010-11's Breaking In (96) would've been even right there as well if not for its un-cancellation.)

2013-14 Update: Continuing the dominance of CBS comedies on this list, The Crazy Ones (111) would've checked in at #4. Two-and-through We Are Men (101) is #11 and Almost Human (100) #12; both would've beaten the 99 from last year's #10 Eleventh Hour.

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