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Why Are Returning Favorites Returning to Fewer Viewers?
Ellen Pompeo in Grey's Anatomy by Mitch Haddad/ABC
A not-so-funny thing happened last Thursday: ABC's Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy fared "well" against their venerable CBS competition, yet delivered their lowest ratings ever, falling 27 percent and 22 percent (respectively) below their prior season averages.
Similarly, Fox's House is down markedly from its season average, though a good deal of that trend can be ascribed to its Monday time slot and thus the absence of an Idol lead-in.
Shouldn't the hottest shows on television be getting welcomed back by throngs of impassioned, for-too-long-deprived-by-the-strike viewers?
Or could it be that the WGA strike — as did O.J. Simpson and Judge Ito back in the day — afford people the opportunity to realize that (some semblance of a) life can go on sans television?
What's your take? How can it be that ratings are not as robust as they were before the strike? Were we not all sitting by the remote anxiously waiting for the TV season to resume?
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May 5, 2008 5:30 PM
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before the strike i wouldn't miss an episode of grey's. now i feel like i've lost track and barely remember to watch it when it's on. the strike absolutely effected the way i watch television. i hardly watch tv at all anymore.
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May 5, 2008 8:04 PM
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I call it the OOSOOM Factor [Out of Sight, Out of Mind].
Simply put, even though fans of the various shows could relate to and sympathize with the writers during the strike, having their favourite shows go on an unscheduled hiatus threw them off by forcing them to do other things.
Had this been a simple, scheduled hiatus, I doubt the dropoff would have been nearly as pronounced.
As a result, whatever other options were chosen, those options got far more attention than they would have during a regularly scheduled hiatus and that resulted in a lot of people discovering that there were other things they could enjoy as much as [if not more than] their favourite shows.
If the actors' strike impinges too far into the beginning of the new season in the fall, there will likely be another significant dropoff.
At least, that's how I see it.
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May 5, 2008 8:07 PM
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The rash of cancelled shows have been blamed on the writer's strike. I am completely sympathetic to the writer's but blaming them for lackluster ratings is unfair.
In my opinion, why should I watch any of the returning shows when they will probably be cancelled by the "suits" who are looking to replace scripted shows with cheaper "reality" shows that insult the viewer's intelligence. The networks do not value their viewers, so why should the viewers value the networks offerings. Or maybe, it just the Neilsen families who are not watching but the rest of the country is!!
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May 5, 2008 8:18 PM
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Grey's and NCIS are still a MUST see but the others have lost their sting. Rules of Engagement is the best sitcom with 2 1/2 men following.
I still watch CSI, Numbers, Criminal Minds, Women's Murder Club but I am not obsessed.
Bring Heather Locklear back to tv please.
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May 5, 2008 8:26 PM
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I love Grey's, but since it came back I haven't caught a single episode. The Writers' strike did me in. I couldn't tell what was coming back from what wasn't. Also, I figure, I can watch episodes online so I can catch up at any time. It's hard to get back in now, after over 4 months of not having the shows on regularly. The only show I've sort of paid attention to since their returns are Desperate Housewives & Brothers & Sisters and most of the time I'm just listening to dialogue while doing something else.
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May 5, 2008 8:43 PM
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I believe baseball went through the same thing after their strike years ago. Everyone was disgusted by all the whining. Attendance and viewers were down once the strike was over. After a while though, everyone forgot about it and things got back to normal.
As for Grey's, it doesn't help that we're all just a little more than tired of most of the characters behaving like asinine children. Meredith has to be the worst. Every time she has a scene with Derek I yell "runaway!" to McDreamy. That is when I actually watch.
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May 5, 2008 8:46 PM
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The strike took away all interest I had in TV in general. I loved the new show Chuck but even so my enthusiasm is gone. I'm a big 24 fan, but it won't be back til 2009! What's the point in getting interested in shows-they will just be cancelled anyway!
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May 5, 2008 8:54 PM
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I actually had never watched Grey's until the strike. And the only reason I started watching was Patrick Dempsey after I saw him in Enchanted. The show was totally addicting and it just so happened that I finished watching the old episodes about a week before the new episodes aired so I was still interested and remembered what was going on before the strike. Although, the thing with Grey's is that the 4th season just isn't as good as past seasons. Rose needs to go away, Lexie needs more airtime, George and Izzie as a couple is just wrong, Cristina is so annoying whenever she gets around Hahn (who is not hot enough for Mark), and I miss Addison.
However, I've given up on all the shows I watched before the strike. I couldn't remember what was going on with each show, and I lost interest. I found other things to do with my time (like study) and can't be bothered to make sure that I'm home in front of my TV when my shows come on.
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May 5, 2008 9:40 PM
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Because everyone already knows Merideth and McDramy are getting back together and she has become one of the worst charecters on television!!!
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May 5, 2008 9:42 PM
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The "suits" are going to have to realize that their days of playing poker with some of the better shows only staves off true fans and sends people like me prancing off for a good book and a mellow CD. Television is becoming less and less important to their once loyal fans. They've only themselves to blame.....At this point there is nothing worth missing the next chapter of a good book for, and authors are seeing a surge in profits for our "new" old entertainment, the written word.
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May 5, 2008 9:43 PM
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I used to love Grey's and Ugly Betty but I think I am bored with the characters now. It is the same stories over and over. I didn't find the new episodes on Thursday that entertaining or interesting. I still like Patrick Dempsey but I can miss Grey's. I am glad he has moved to the big screen.
During the strike I started watching October Road and got hooked on that and now I hear it may be canceled. I found the characters refreshing and the stories funny and interesting. I am frustrated that I get into a story only to have the show go away without stories finished. It makes me not interested in watching any new shows.
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May 5, 2008 10:30 PM
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Simply put, the strike lasted way too long.
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May 5, 2008 10:30 PM
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When folks get out of a habit, its hard to get them back. I have been watching Grey's since it returned, and have been very happy with the show since is been back. But I still have to remind myself on Thursday that the show is on.
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May 5, 2008 10:30 PM
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The only show I MUST watch is Lost. I DVR it and watch it when it airs, cuz I'm freaky like that.
i also like NCIS, but that's about it. i used to watch Grey's but i really don't care about it anymore. I can see Patrick Dempsey on the big screen now and he was really the only reason i watched before. i want to slap/maim/kill Meredith, so i just can't watch anymore. the strike made it clear that you just got to cut loose the shows you can't live without. Through out the entire strike, all i cared about was Lost. i knew NCIS would return, but with Lost's complete season up in the air, it really had me worked up and soooo ready for the new episodes to air...i wonder how lost is faring in comparison to UB and GA? and i guess that means that CSI is still on top, huh? i like grissom...but you can see CSI in reruns any minute of any given day, so i don't have to watch it first run.
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May 5, 2008 10:34 PM
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