Jay Leno Not the Only Prime-Time Loser

Networks retune their lineup to court young viewers
By Jen Paton,  Newser User
Posted Nov 16, 2009 9:54 AM CST
Jay Leno Not the Only Prime-Time Loser
Hopes were high when Leno's new show premiered.   (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Network TV's big hits—Modern Family, The Cleveland Show, NCIS: Los Angeles—join a pack of losers and losing news: NBC viewership is down 10% among young adults, ABC and CBS have slipped, too, and Eastwick, Hank, and Trauma have already been canceled. The LA Times surveys the playing field, mid-season.

  • Comedy rules—kinda: Modern Family has reeled in 10.6 million viewers, but networks are still struggling to find the Friends or Seinfeld of the late aughts.

  • Time slots still matter: Network execs thought DVR would change everything, but Fox saw an 89% bump among young adults on Mondays after moving House out of its Tuesday slot.
  • Crime dramas are (still) huge: The season's No. 1 new show is NCIS: Los Angeles with an average of 17 million viewers.
  • Jay Leno is (still) not: Leno's new time slot has been a double curse for NBC: Viewers are down at both 10pm and 11:35pm.
(More television stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X