Desperate attempt to keep it on the air - they'd intended to take it down to one episode, but that one episode was supposed to be scheduled in the Tuesday slot, it was NOT intended for Friday as that article seems to imply. The only surprise is that they took this long to bung it into a Friday only slot. I suspect Utopia is not long for this world. It's basically a timeslot filler, until the baseball world series allows them to shuffle a whole load more of their underperforming stuff into that Friday space, and Utopia is gone for good. It was a very big gamble that everyone but Fox could see was going to crash and burn.

They needed a new talent show, and they went with a reality show instead - such a horrible mistake! I'm continually surprised that no US network has revived something like the Popstars format in over a decade - given how damn huge One Direction is, the creation of a new US boyband must surely be something that would work. I liked the format, but I suspect Simon Cowell's presence on the network until last year was preventing them picking up anything that wasn't his 'baby'. Now though, that's not an issue - and the talent fatigue that you find with single entrant talent shows year after year wouldn't be an issue after more than 10 years not on the air.

They've got to find something to challenge The Voice's domination - that wins almost because there's nothing else on. American Idol looks old and tired, but they're committed to yet another season - each time I pray it'll be the last, but it continually disappoints me with more renewals! I guess Fox have no option but to keep renewing it, when they don't have any other options.

I loved Popstars!!! In the US, it aired on The WB (pre CW) and it ran for two seasons. The first season had Eden's Crush and the show and the band did well while they were on air. Their debut single went Gold there. The second season was a complete flop and the band never took off because the label went under. I think The CW attempted again (only in vein/loosely based) but with the Pussycat Dolls brand. Also running for two seasons, neither had good ratings.

I agree with what you said about the talent show faitgue. Even if Popstars revived now, it would most likely tank (even on cable). Rising Star was a disaster for ABC this summer. Idol is likely to hit further series lows when it returns midseason. France revived Popstars, a few years back. While premiering well, it rapidly sank to flop zone. In fact, there was an 80% drop between the premiere and finale!!!

I think American are sick of talent show which is why they are either flopping or falling in ratings

Just commission a few new dramas or comedies.

Talent shows are cheap and can fill endless hours of a network's schedule. Dramas/comedies are expensive to develop, secure the right talent and, even when all the supposed elements are in place, have no better chance of survival than anything else.

I get what you're saying that talent shows are falling in ratings, but The Voice is still hitting a 4 in the ratings, with over 12 million viewers regularly, despite being on it's 7th season. That has to say there's an audience for talent shows - not just this talent show alone. The right format, I think, would draw in viewers back to Fox, I just don't know what that is. You can't repeat XF - that didn't work, clearly - and AI feels so tired. The Voice has cornered a lot of the market for solo acts now, which was why I was musing about groups being the next possibility. But Fox can't afford to put wall to wall dramas and comedies on their network - they've not done a full 12 hours of original content, non-reality scheduling for over a decade. They're certainly not the network many production companies are likely looking at as a potential home for their new shows, given just how hard everything is failing. Fox are all about the in-house development right now, but that pipeline is finite. There's only so much one production company can develop at any one time.

Very true dizzle

Bad Judge, A-Z, Gracepoint, Vampire diaries and Reign premiere/return tonight

If i recall correctly, I think Gracepoint is a one off series anyway

I'm not sure that's true - it's being called a 'limited series' I believe because of the number of episodes, not because it won't be renewed beyond this season. Broadchurch, after all, got a second series in the UK, I expect the same for it's US version Gracepoint, if it does well. It's certainly a highbrow show that Fox would desperately want to do well - it's far more likely to get awards buzz than almost anything else on it's network. Why limit that to just one season?! David Tennant already has some recognition on US TV, but he's never been part of a long running US show. That may be about to change. I enjoyed Broadchurch, so it does hamper my ability to watch Gracepoint with fresh eyes - despite them saying they've changed the ending. But that won't be the case for most US viewers. Fingers crossed for that one, cos it's become a problem for UK shows transferring to the US in this way to succeed. Rewrites are so problematic. Shameless and The Office are some of the only ones that managed the transition almost seamlessly, and became their own successful shows.

Bad Judge sounds fun, but my eyes rolled so far back in my head when I read the synopsis that a wild living, high achieving, career woman is 'tamed' by the appearance of a random child in her life. God! Reign is cheesy, soapy nonsense - perfect CW fare then! Not my choice of the evening though!

I think with The Voice, it was the format, the casting and the timing. The blind auditions and spinning chairs gimmick worked and it bought surprise hit ratings on their first season. This was also around the time when Idol was still delivering good ratings as an almost brand new panel was introduced (JLo, Steve Tyler, Randy), despite having the same format. So, I think people saw The Voice as a semi-alternative to Idol and TXF (which underperformed). I just wished that they kept the original semi-finals (penultimate live show) format where the coaches give percentages to their remaining acts and combine them with the viewers' percentages (which was revealed on air). It was interesting to see if the coaches' opinion was in sync. I suppose the problem was that you have some indecisive judges who cop out and give 50/50. Regardless, The Voice's ratings fall once the live shows begin because it becomes like all other talent shows now (the iTunes bonus is rubbish). The Voice started in April 2011, so it hasn't been on that long. Plus, they air twice a season like Survivor and Top Model until 2012. It is still impressive that they manage a 4 rating now though.

I do agree that with the right format and gimmick, people are going to watch. However, as of now, the viewers are just exhausted of over-saturating talent shows. FOX would have to make their next season their final one. As if the ratings weren't the only issue, they suffer commercially in their Live Tours as well (which are now in smaller venues and theatres). The Voice Live does better and decent, but they're no arena tours.

If Gracepoint is a success, i hope there is a new case every season. I find dragging out the same case for more than one season can be a bit tiring. The Killing did this and lost half it's audience, plus Broadchurch Series 2 has already hinted it's a continuation of the same case saw in series 1. Good luck to David Tennant though. He is fantastic actor who has always been one actor i have wanted to see crack the US.

Might still check it out though mainly because it has Kate Walsh in it. I loved her in Private Practice, even though I stopped watching that show as I found it emotionally draining after season three.

I am really looking forward to Bad Judge because the preview really made me laugh. But like most NBC's comedies of the last several years, i get bored and barely make it to the end of the season. About a boy was a yawn and I never got the love for Parks and rec, 30 rock or Community.

About A Boy wasn't great, but I can see why it was renewed. A decent performer in it's slot really, when you look at the other failures of last season. I never got the perpetual adulation of 30 Rock - although I suspect that was a lot of self-congratulatory stuff about a comedy about the industry - Tina Fey is a fantastic comedy actress and writer, but I just couldn't stand Alec Baldwin showboating in every episode! I was happy when it ended really. Left space for newer things.

Community was always a bit hit or miss, but the hits were incredibly sharp and funny. The early seasons also spent too much time trying to service Chevy Chase, who turned out to be the weak link in the cast. After he went, it felt much better. For me though, P&R is my favourite comedy - although that first season was a slog to get through, simply because they didn't quite have the right formula at that point. Once Rob Lowe and Adam Scott joined the cast, something just clicked and it's been near flawless ever since, for me. Amy Poehler is a genius at what she does, I just love everything about that cast.

With the cancellation of Community, and P&R finishing on a reduced episode order this season, NBC do need a couple of new comedy hits. Kate Walsh is really good in so many things she's been in, I have decent hope for this one, despite the mildly dodgy premise threatening me with a cutesy kid on a weekly basis!

Another reason Dizzle, is i have a odd relationship with the comedy genre anyway.

Early reports suggest Stalker won it's time slot but it's ratings were neither amazing, nor terrible.

I really liked About A Boy, it's just a nice feel-good show. I find it a funny and easy watch and am very glad its getting a second season.

Wednesday early ratings:

CBS:
Survivor- 9.47m (2.4)
Criminal Minds- 11.54m (2.7)
Stalker- 9.07m (2.0)

ABC:
The Middle- 7.05m (1.9)
The Goldbergs- 6.67m (2.2)
Modern Family- 10.00m (3.5)
Black-ish- 7.96m (2.5)
Nashville- 5.15m (1.5)

NBC:
The Mysteries of Laura- 8.89m (1.4)
Law and Order SVU- 7.81m (1.8)
Chicago Fire- 6.68m (1.6)

FOX:
Hells Kitchen- 3.84m (1.4)
Red Band Society- 3.33m (1.1)

CW:
Arrow (r)- 700,000 (0.2)

The "Marry Me" comedy to be shown on NBC seems to be a critical darling but I don't really see the ratings for it. I see "Happy Endings" type of ratings.

From neogaf forums:


If the above is true, FOX's nightmare will continue

I think FOX should move RBS to a different slot. Like i said on the week it premiered, putting it against the shows it is up against is ridiculous.

My predictions is for it to get a 2.5 and AAB to get 2.1. MM airs straight after The Voice doesn't it?

ABC continuing its adjusting up reign! Modern Family adjusted two tenths, Mysteries of Laura, The Middle, The Goldbergs, Black-Ish and Nashville all adjusted up one tenth. Chicago PD adjusted down. Goldbergs is smashing it!

CBS:
Survivor- 9.49m (2.4)
Criminal Minds- 11.65m (2.7)
Stalker- 9.05m (2.0)

ABC:
The Middle- 7.42m (2.0)
The Goldbergs- 7.09m (2.2)
Modern Family- 10.56m (3.7)
Black-ish- 8.29m (2.6)
Nashville- 5.34m (1.6)

NBC:
The Mysteries of Laura- 8.98m (1.5)
Law and Order SVU- 7.73m (1.8)
Chicago Fire- 6.63m (1.5)

FOX:
Hells Kitchen- 3.89m (1.4)
Red Band Society- 3.33m (1.1)

CW:
Arrow (r)- 690,000 (0.2), 670,000 (0.2)

TVD and Reign are the first CW shows starting. TVD should return with a 1.0 in my opinion, a lot of talk online, Reign I'd say 0.7, before settling to 0.5-0.6.

I see a 1.1 for SPN on Tuesday and around a 0.9-1.0 for Arrow.

I think a 0.7 for Reign is a bit optimistic. I think 0.6 and I wouldn't be surprised to see it hit 0.4 a few times in the season.

According to early reports

Bad Judge did ok
Shondaland stole the night again
Gracepoint, A-z, and reign didn't do very well

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/201...strong/310199/
Terrible for Gracepoint. Just adds insult to injury following the flops of Utopia and RBS

Interesting that last year, the downfall was on ABC and a few years before, it was NBC but this year's downfall goes proudly to FOX.

Their next premiere is Mulaney.

Now looking ahead at midseason, they have

Glee's final season (which won't help)
Bordertown (could seth's magic work a fourth time)
Backstrom (a comedy crime drama from the creator of Bones)
Empire (along the lines of ABC's Nashville but rap music)
Wayward Pines (a mystery drama like Gracepoint)
Weird Loaners and The last man on earth (two comedy shows, one is futuristic)

FOX is having an awful season. ABC is unbeatable on Thursdays.

Not very good for The CW. The Vampire Diaries will be OK if it stays around that level, but I suspect it will drop a tenth or two. Reign will be cancelled at the end of the season if it even makes it that far.

I've been holding off on watching Reign to see how it's Season 2 ratings were. Think I'll give it a miss.

FOX doesn't have anything airing or upcoming that interests me at all- other than Gotham.

CBS
NFL Kickoff - 10.02m (2.8)
NFL Game - 12.87m (4.4)

ABC
Grey's Anatomy 9.07m (2.6)
Scandal - 10.41m (3.3)
HTGAWM - 11.76m (3.2

Fox
Bones - 6.30m (1.5)
Gracepoint - 4.83m (1.3)

NBC
The Biggest Loser - 4.72m (1.3)
Bad Judge - 5.86m (1.3)
A to Z - 4.81m (1.2)
Parenthood - 4.36m (1.3)

Another great result for ABC's ShondaNight! ShondaNight helped ABC hit a five year high on Thursday nights and HTGAWM is reported on 'tvbythenumbers' to have the "largest-ever Live+3 ratings lift in total numbers of any telecast on any network".

Grey's has also improved the 8pm slot year on year from 5.8m (1.6).

I had reign down as a cancellation for this season. It was showing a decline in ratings in the second half of season 1 and I never expected it to bounce back for this. I think The CW wouldn't find any excuses to keep it on the air as it hasn't even premiered outside of the US to gather a worlwide fanbase, plut it is a period drama and it is filmed in two different countires which means it must be expensive. But it was doing much better than The carries diaries and even better than the renewed Hart of dixie and Beauty, so it's a renewal was hardly a shock.