Midseason Shows and Why They Sometimes Become Summer Shows

Well, here's another random post which is not on Saturday as the usual post. I was hoping to post this post later when it would be more time sensitive. But, it appears that I had nothing else ready at the moment so I better start working on more future posts. Anyways, don't expect a non Saturday post for a while after this as it will be a while before I can do that. Now on to the post!

Were you ever waiting to watch a new show and learned that it wouldn’t air until the summer? Were you wondering why it didn’t premiere sooner? Are you tired of my questions and just want to get to the actual point of this post? Well, I might as well do that.

Now sometimes the delay to midseason makes no sense. I’ll use various shows from last season as an example. The Whispers and the Astronaut’s Wives Club could have aired sooner than they did, but that didn’t end up happening. You’d think that the cancellation of shows like Allegiance would have prompted NBC to rush up the premiere of a show like Aquarius to fill in gaps, but instead they decided to just add more Dateline. FOX aired two hour movies on Fridays instead of programming like Wayward Pines. Why they did that is beyond my understanding.

Other times, you’ll see no room in the schedule for certain shows. So, they air in the summer. This includes shows that have premiered already and are moved to summer since there’s no time for it in the regular season anymore. An example of this was the show Reckless from a while back. CBS had no time to air it until the summer happened.

So for one reason or another, sometimes shows meant to be in the midseason schedule won’t end up airing until the summer instead. This includes both new and returning series. The reasons may vary and not make sense at times, but it happens a lot.

Commercials Drinking Game

This will not be the start of a new day for posting this blog as it could be a good long while before I can roll something to have that other option available anyways. Now, to the post: I thought of a really quick post to put in here so here's another drinking game that people can play. I take no responsibility for any dangerous situations that result from playing drinking games. Do not play drinking games if you are underage, pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication that forbids alcohol use, or would certainly drink too much. Now with most TV shows, on network television at least, there are commercials that go along with it. So here's a drinking game for commercials.

Drink every time it says do not attempt, drink at every Easter commercial, drink every time a Christmas commercial airs in November or sooner, drink every time a commercial airs instead of getting back to the show (but only if you want the show to come back on) or drink every time it goes back to the show when you want it to air a commercial instead, drink every time a spot for another TV show airs, during election years you should drink every time there is a political commercial, drink at every Back to School commercial, drink at every commercial for taxes, drink every time either more than one product is mentioned in a commercial or if they use product placement in one.

On the Value of Final Season Orders

Sometimes a show that has been on for multiple seasons is announced as cancelled. It just leaves the airwaves sometimes with little warning to those that weren’t keeping track of ratings. Sometimes, certain shows are announced as cancelled for their upcoming season. Sometimes they just end a show and sometimes they give it a final season. What’s the value of final season orders?

Well, there’s a reason for cancelling a show this season versus cancelling a show next season. Why some long running shows don’t even get a notice of a series finale airing is beyond my understanding. But, there are some shows that just make sense to get a final season order. Or, it could be the strange case of CSI where it comes back next season for a mere two episodes.

Getting one final season can be a nice boost for a network’s ratings. Plus, you can’t say that the show didn’t get a chance as only long running shows tend to be dismissed that way. They want to give fans of the show a reason to watch. Maybe they hadn’t watched in a while and they will come back for the last season of the show. It works with my mother. It probably works with other people. It’s nice knowing that there is a planned end so people will watch it and what leads up to it.

One might wonder why final season orders aren’t more common. Of course, some of it has to do with the fact that a show hasn’t been on for long enough to justify them promoting them that way. Of course, you do have to wonder why they avoid promoting show’s episodes as series finale, instead giving them the misleading season finale, when they have no plans to air any more episodes after that one. But, there are values of this and you will probably see TV shows promoted as such every season to give fans a nice send-off. While not always present, sometimes it is just what people need.

The Nielsen Corporation and Why They’re Important

Who are the Nielsen Corporation? What is a Nielsen family? How accurate are they? Why are they so important to how television works? Well, I might as well tell you about them. Without the Nielsen Corporation, we might have a very different way of doing television. Or, quite possibly, we wouldn’t have television at all.

Now when it comes to television, one thing stands out as more important than the rest: ratings. Well, it may not actually be the most important thing in television, but without it, nearly everything else falls apart. Now sometimes bad ratings don’t matter as much when a show airs. Typically though, the ratings are what people strive for and bad ratings will get a show cancelled.

How do they know what shows get what ratings? Well, that’s where the Neilson Corporation comes in. By using a process of getting select families to represent a portion of the viewing audience, they get the ratings that we use. These families, known as Neilson families, are fundamentally the viewers of television as they report what all they’ve seen.

There has, of course, been criticism of the Neilson Corporation. Among them, there is the belief that they might not be accurate with their reporting numbers. A good example of this is the show Jericho. After it was cancelled due to bad ratings, fan response brought it back. When it did come back, the ratings were still considered low. Why would fans bring back the show only for them not to watch it? This would help support the belief that their numbers are not as accurate as they should be.

You might be wondering how the ratings are determined by those who aren’t a Neilson family. Well, honestly, if you are not a Neilson family, it doesn’t matter if you watch a show or not. Your ratings only count if you are part of the Neilson family research or if you filled out a survey of theirs over what you watched recently. And if you wonder if online viewing counts for anything, it might, but it wouldn’t change the numbers enough. Of course, this is another criticism of the Neilson Corporation.

I’m not sure if there’s anything else that is important enough for me to mention in this blog post of mine. There are some parts about it that I don’t fully understand, like sweeps. I just know that they are important in certain parts of the year. But that’s all I can think of mentioning about the Neilson Corporation this time around.

Network Specific Daytime Shows

Well, this is the last of the current blog posts of daytime shows that you’ll see. This is basically just a wrap up of various daytime shows that air only on a specific network. My apologizes if this is mostly just CBS shows, but this will have the rest of the shows that I’ve seen, in terms of daytime shows.

The Talk: Status- Currently on CBS. It is typically live. In the Central time zone, it airs at 1 pm. Why I’ve seen it- I originally liked it and watched it since I felt there was nothing better on at the time. I guess I just wanted to see a new talk show to see what it is like. Description- A group of five women host a talk show talking about various subjects from current events. Notable People- Aisha Tyler, who also hosts the current Whose Line is it Anyways?, is one of the current cohosts. Julie Chen, former CBS news journalist and current host of Big Brother, is another cohost, typically the more main one. Sarah Gilbert, formerly of Roseanne among other shows, is a cohost and the main creator of the show. Pros- The show can be funny and interesting from time to time. They allow viewer interaction with videos and tweets one can send in. Cons- The show can be dull and pointless at times. Typically, it just comes off as a bunch of women gossiping. Also, there tends to be pointless cooking segments from time to time that I personally don’t like. Note to Parents- Some of the stuff they talk about isn’t appropriate for kids. Plus, they typically air this at time most kids would be at school, although if they are off school for whatever reason, then maybe high schoolers could watch this, but not much younger. Recommendation- I honestly don’t know what to say here. I watch it from time to time, although I typically miss it and don’t care that I do. So if you happen to like it and it fits in your schedule, then you might enjoy it. Otherwise, tune out. Prediction- Not knowing the ratings of this, I’d say that it is likely to last a long while it just as easily might not. Reception: negative. Grade: C+.

The Price is Right: Status- Currently airs during the daytime hours on CBS. The time is different for each affiliate. Why I’ve seen it- My grandfather liked and watched it while he was still alive. Plus, this is the type of show that most people have seen anyways. Noteworthiness- The show has lasted over 40 years, last I checked. Description- This is a game show where various contestants compete to potentially win select prizes, typically by guessing the right price of it. Notable People- Drew Carrey, comedian known for the Drew Carrey show, is the host of this show. Pros- The show is interesting and fun to watch. Cons- Many people don’t like Drew Carrey as much as the previous host (Bob Barker). The show has too many commercial breaks and tends to happen too fast. Note to Parents- While this would typically air when your kids are in school, when they aren’t, they could watch this at any young age as there’s nothing objectionable to kids in here. Recommendation- I like it and watch it whenever it works out for me. Prediction- This show will probably stay on the air a good while, pending potential bad future hosts. Reception: generally praised. Grade: A.

The View: Status- Currently airs in the morning on ABC. It is live and airs at 10 (last I checked) in the Central time zone. Why I’ve seen it- This is actually a bit weird: after The Talk was constantly compared to this show, I ended up watching it just to see what the differences and similarities are. Description- A bunch of women talk about different things as they cohost a show. Pros- The show can be interesting and informative. Cons- The show can be a bit too political. Note to Parents- This show probably has enough talk in it that isn’t good for kids, but some ages like teens can watch this when they aren’t in school. Recommendation- I’m not sure what to say about whether or not you should watch it. I don’t, but maybe other people who would have time for it would like it. Prediction- I actually see this ending soon since all the host changing has to be bad for it. But, I could easily be wrong and this could continue to last. Reception: negative. Grade: C-.

Let’s Make a Deal: Status- Currently sometime during the daytime hours of television on CBS. It airs at different times in different regions. Why I’ve seen it- I was interested in it. Noteworthiness- This is a revival of a show with the same name that was previously hosted by Monty Hall. Description- Contestants are picked out of an audience to compete for various prizes and avoid getting no prize or a zonk (a fake/joke prize). Notable People- Wayne Brady, a well known comedian who was host of the primetime Don’t Forget the Lyrics, had a recurring role on How I Met Your Mother, and also works on Whose Line is it Anyways?, is the host of this show. Pros- This show is fun to watch. Improvisation on the show helps keep it entertaining. Cons- The contestants can be dumb. Parts are predictable. Some of it can be considered too easy for a game show. Note to Parents- This is probably good for kids of all ages, provided they aren’t in school when they are watching it. Recommendation- It all depends on what works with your schedule. I watch it from time to time and imagine that others would like it too. Prediction- This could last a long time. It has lasted long enough for now, but it’s unknown what could change the ratings and result in it potentially ending. Plus, if it came back once, it could come back again. Reception: somewhat positive. Grade: B+.

Best and Worst Show from 2015

Well, here’s my regular quick post were I finish with the last major and biggest award from both the Silver Globe awards of mine and the Golden Huckleberry awards of mine. What was the best show from 2015? What was the worst show from the 2015-2016 TV season? Read on and find out.

Best show on television in 2015: The Late Show with David Letterman

Worst show on television from the 2015-2016 TV season: American Idol

That’s pretty much all for this quick blog post. You can read the winners of both my good awards and bad awards in previous blog posts. It will tell you what was nominated for best and worst show on television from the previous TV season or year.

A Look Back at My Fantasy Schedule for the 2016-2017 TV Season

Boy, I've been doing a lot of this blog. I'm surprised that I've been able to finish all of these updates for you. Now I have a bunch of random posts written and I might have to do them if other things aren't done in time. I can only hope that I can just keep doing updates over and over again. I will mostly be scaling back to just weekly updates on Saturdays and occasional random updates on other days. There will not be anything linked to me watching Survivor in a while. I will let you know if there are any major changes in this blog, but I'm kind of getting tired of updating it. Have I ever done this many posts in a month before?

Remember when I posted a fantasy schedule for what I thought the next season of TV would look like? Well, I’m back with a look back at that schedule. What did I get right? What did I get wrong? And what crazy things are the networks doing? We’ll see what some of what I thought happened versus what actually did happen the next season.

ABC: What I got right- I was right thinking that a new show would air after Dancing with the Stars. I was right thinking that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would be moved back an hour so that they would have two hours of comedies on Tuesdays. I was right with all of the comedy predictions as to what would stay and what would go. I was right thinking that a new show would air on Wednesdays at 9. I was right with a lot of the predictions of what would air at different timeslots as most of them didn’t change. I was right thinking that a lot of the obscure summer shows would be cancelled (even though it wasn’t actually official in any way).

ABC: What I got wrong- I believe that I am wrong about Repeat after Me coming back. I’m probably wrong about Bachelor in Paradise getting cancelled. It appears that I thought that Uncle Buck wouldn’t air at all. I made no prediction about The Catch. I was wrong predicting that a new show would air at 8 on Sundays. I thought that Secrets and Lies would be a summer show instead of waiting to air during the fall. I didn’t know that Scandal would be moved to midseason and a new show would air in its place. I got a lot of the timeslots wrong with comedies such and not knowing when some would move to or when the two new ones would air.

CBS: What I got right- While I was wrong about the timeslot, I was right thinking that NCIS: Los Angeles would be moved to Sundays. I was right predicting that there would be a new comedy on Monday at 7:30. I was right thinking that there would be any comedies on Monday. I was right predicting that a new comedy would air on Thursdays after The Big Bang Theory. I was right predicting the cancellations of CSI: Cyber, Rush Hour, and Person of Interest. (I was right about a lot of other cancellations, but most of the others had already been announced.) I was right thinking that a new show would air on 9 on Thursdays. I was right thinking that Undercover Boss would once again be at midseason. I was right thinking that around two new dramas would air at midseason. I was right thinking that The Odd Couple would finally air during the fall season.

CBS: What I got wrong- I switched the timeslots of Madam Secretary and NCIS: Los Angeles. I was wrong predicting the cancellation of Code Black and the renewal of Limitless. I did not have the Amazing Race at midseason or Hawaii Five-0 at the fall season. I was wrong thinking that any comedies, new or old, would be at midseason (methinks this means that we’ll see a cut of the number of comedies sometime into the season). I was wrong thinking that the CSI franchise would have a new installment so soon. I was wrong thinking that Supergirl would still be on CBS in this next season. I did not have enough new dramas on the schedule for the fall. I made no predictions with Thursday Night Football, although I had no idea that it would be teamed up with NBC. I didn’t know that there would be two hours of comedies on Mondays or that Scorpion’s timeslot would be moved back as a result. I guessed all of the returning comedies’ timeslots wrong, except for some of The Big Bang Theory.

CW: What I got right- I was right thinking that a new show would air after The Flash. I was right thinking that The 100 and iZombie would both air at midseason. While I was technically wrong about a new show airing at 7 on Mondays, it is technically new to the network. I was right predicting the timeslots of Jane the Virgin, The Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supernatural. I was right thinking that only one new show would be at midseason. While none of them were officially cancelled, I was right thinking that none of the new summer shows last season would return this season.

CW: What I got wrong- I was wrong thinking that anything new would air during the summer on this network, although a new version of MadTV did return. I had no idea that Supergirl would move to this network. I was wrong thinking that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend would be at midseason. I was wrong thinking that The Originals would air during the fall. I got Supernatural’s timeslot wrong.

FOX: What I got right- I was right thinking that new shit would air during the summer. I was right when I said that there would be more new shows than they needed. I was right thinking that a new animated comedy would air after The Simpsons. Except for Sleepy Hollow, I was right with all of the shows that I thought would be cancelled getting cancelled.

FOX: What I got wrong- There was a whole lot that I got wrong. I didn’t know when they’d air the shortened final season of Bones. I got many airdate predictions wrong such as thinking that the new 24 would air during the summer this season. I only thought that one new thing would air during the summer part of the schedule, it seems. I was wrong thinking that Grandfathered would return. In fact, there was so much that I was wrong about, I’m not going to bother listing any more. This network has started acting too much like a cable network, which has actually hurt its ratings a lot.

NBC: What I got right- While I got the exact name wrong, I was right thinking that Chicago Justice would air at midseason sometime. While I was wrong about it being a new show, I’m probably right thinking that a crappy reality show will air at 7 on Fridays. I mean, why are there so many shows that are just airing lame stuff from online? Why not just go to www.youtube.com and type in “some sort of stupid video” and watch all the results that play? I was right about most of the regular shows being at midseason as normal. I was right thinking that a new comedy would air after Superstore. I was right thinking that only one hour of comedy would air during the fall.

NBC: What I got wrong- Once again, I got a plethora of things wrong that it would be hard to list them all and, instead, I’m just listing the most notable mistakes. I misplaced the hour of comedies. I made the mistake of both thinking that Emerald City would air during the summer and that it would be cancelled shortly thereafter. (I still don’t know if I’ll be right about its inevitable cancellation, although if it’s as good as I hope it is, then I don’t want it to be cancelled. Sadly, it probably will be as it has nothing going for it.) I was wrong about the show I Can Do That being brought back this summer (although it was renewed before they gave it the shaft). I was wrong thinking that Get Out Alive and Running Wild would be cancelled. I failed at predicting various timeslots throughout the season.

Well, I feel that I did better at this the first time, although that list had its own flaws as well. I could never get the list of a network right, unless I owned the network myself. While that is one of my many dreams, I just don’t see that ever happening. Besides, even after announcing a schedule, there tends to be something different on at least one network by the time the fall actually rolls around. I guess that we will see if anything I was wrong about changes again.