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After downsizing the upcoming seventh season of Bones from 22 to 13 episodes because of the pregnancy of star Emily Deschanel, Fox has now increased the order to 17 episodes, our sister site TV Line reports. The additional episodes will likely not air this season but over the summer or may be held for next season.
Not that there was ever any doubt that Tim Kring’s Fox pilot Touch starring Kiefer Sutherland would get on the air, but the network wanted to reserve final judgement until after it sees the finished pilot. Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly told reporters at TCA today that he saw the pilot last night and it was “extraordinary”, firmly sealing the project’s midseason series pickup. “It’s a new character but it does have some dose of Jack Bauer in it,” Reilly said about Sutherland’s new role.
While Touch will be joining Fox’s schedule this season, veteran medical drama House might exit it. “I can’t confirm that this is the last season of House,” Reilly said during the Q&A session, adding that a decision on that will be made in “late fall.” The contract of star Hugh Laurie is up after the end of this season, and creator/executive producer David Shore had indicated that he signed a new deal for the upcoming eighth season because he wanted to give the show a proper ending. Reilly alluded to that, noting that the original creative team of the show “that has kept the quality strong” has remained intact and “they want to go out strong, not limp on for several more seasons as a vestige of itself.” Reilly also hinted that there is a scenario where House end its run on Fox this seaosn but producer Universal Media Studios tried to continue it on another network.
There is also no decision on the future of Fox’s other veteran drama, Bones, but Reilly sounded far more upbeat about its future. As for cult favorite, Fringe, “I don’t expect Fringe to grow, but if it does exactly what it did last year, we will be very, very happy,” Reilly said. The fate of another fan favorite, comedy Breaking In, remains up in the air after the network canceled the series starring Christian Slater after a short midseason run but then shouldered the cost of extending the options on the cast with studio Sony TV. Today, Reilly said that Breaking In will be a contender for Fox’s 2-hour midseason comedy block along with series Raising Hope, I Hate My Teenage Daughter and New Girl and pilots Little In Common and Family Album. “We will revisit what makes that 2-hour block later in the fall and make a decision (on Breaking In)”, Reilly said. Read More »
As the 51st Monte Carlo Television Awards confirmed, TV procedurals remain the world’s most popular drama format. CSI was crowned the world’s #1 television franchise at the 6th International TV Audience Awards. It pulled in 65.3 million viewers worldwide in 2010. The only other shows that came near it were CSI Miami and House. And both of those are procedurals, too. According to TV consultancy TAPE, the various CSI strands were top of the U.S. imports in France, Germany, Spain and the UK. Meanwhile procedurals NCIS, Hawaii 5-0, and House were among the most popular U.S. imports in Italy. So what is it about the format that makes it so appealing to international audiences?
For a start, procedurals are the TV equivalent of comfort food. By the end of each episode, justice is done, the disease contained, order restored. They’re reassuring for viewers. Crucially for foreign audiences, the format is easy to understand. Also, there’s hardly any serial component, so shows like CSI Miami and NCIS can be viewed in any order. Go on vacation, miss a couple of episodes? No problem, nothing has changed. That’s why Blue Bloods – a show which sounds a bit dull on paper — does so well internationally compared to a critics’ darling such as Mad Men. CBS Studios International president Armando Nunez has praised Blue Bloods as “perhaps not 
as sexy to talk about, but it has proven a success both on the network and in terms of global distribution”. Blue Bloods has sold around the world not just to tiny channels but to big ones like Sky Atlantic in the UK, Australia’s Network Ten, and Discovery Latin America. John Peek, director of TAPE, whose clients include ABC, NBC and cable channels A&E and TNT, says Blue Bloods’ popularity stems from mixing up a police procedural with a family drama. CBS recently tapped Law & Order veteran Ed Zuckerman to make the show even more procedural. Peek says: “The continuing trend is for procedurals because they use a predictable structure. You know what you’re getting, which makes them palatable when they’re dubbed. Shows that obey the basic rules are easier for audiences overseas to get to grips with.” Read More »
Fox will stick to a mostly traditional fall rollout, with the bulk of its series launching during the official premiere week of Sept. 19, including a two-night, four-hour premiere of The X Factor on Sept. 21 and Sept. 22 that is consistent with the way Fox’s American Idol debuts. One surprise: The two-hour premiere of Terra Nova will not air Sept. 19, using the promotional platform of the Primetime Emmy Awards that air on Fox the night before, but a week later, on Sept. 26. Fox also has set November premiere dates for I Hate My Teenage Daughter and Bones, which will follow X Factor once it segues from two-night, two-hour episodes to its regular pattern. Here is Fox’s fall premiere schedule: Read More »
Fox and 20th Century Fox TV have made Saffron Burrows’ departure from the upcoming Bones spinoff The Finder official. The producers of the show had put off making the final decision on her future until after the upfronts, but her character in the episode of Bones, which served as a … Read More »
The suspense surrounding Michael Scott’s successor as boss on The Office boosted the season finale of the veteran NBC comedy series (3.8/10), which was up 12% from last season’s finale and ranked as the highest-rated scripted show of the night in adults 18-49. The hourlong finale of Parks and Recreation (2.2/6) was flat with last year’s season ender at 8:30 PM. (NBC aired Office reruns in the 8 PM hour.)
The penultimate results show of this season’s American Idol (6.2/19) was flat with the fast national for last week’s show (it was down 5% from the final but is expected to rebound again in the finals this afternoon.) The season finale of Bones (3.2/8) was even with last week and up 14% from the dramedy’s season finale last year. Bones edged the season finale of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy in total viewers (10 million vs. 9.6 million). Fox once again dominated the night in 18-49 and total viewers.
Grey’s Anatomy (3.4/9) was down a whopping 34% from last season, with the season finale of Private Practice (2.5/7) down 22%. Both were the series’ lowest-rated finales ever but were actually up two tenths each from last week. Wipeout (1.7/5) at 8 PM was flat.
The CBS series also posted declines vs. last year in their season finales. Read More »
Right after NBC, it is Fox’s presenting its fall schedule tomorrow. After making some major scheduling moves last year with shifting American Idol to Wednesdays and Thursdays and launching a Glee-anchored comedy block on Tuesdays, the network is expected to … Read More »
Apologies for not filing a rating story earlier, it was a pretty big busy morning in TV news today. With the final ratings for last night in, here are the biggest highlights:
NBC’s The Office (3.5/10 in 18-49) was down 17% from last week’s episode, which marked the departure of star … Read More »
Fox made the renewal official this morning after star David Boreanaz broke the news via Twitter last night.
FOX has renewed the hit series BONES for a seventh season, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.“BONES is creatively fresh, it’s a rock-solid player
Given that the last time around Bones‘ two-year renewal closed hours before Fox’s upfront presentation after long and sometimes contentious license-fee negotiations, this time the two sides seem ahead of schedule with a pickup two weeks before the upfronts. “Season 7 is GO for Bones,” star David Boreanaz tweeted tonight. … Read More »
It looks like no renewal deal is coming today for Fox’s veteran medical drama House. Or Bones. The network’s two longest-running and strongest drama series are in a similar position: … Read More »
Will Ferrell’s debut on The Office (3.9/11 in 18-49, 7.7 million viewers) last night gave a boost to the NBC comedy, which was up 15% from its most recent original March 24 in 18-49. The ratings gains carried over to Parks and Recreation (2.6/7, 5.2 million), up 8% for its best numbers in almost three months; 30 Rock (2.2/6), up 16%; and Outsourced (1.7/5), up 21% from last week, when it had a repeat as lead-in. But things were far less uplifting in the 8 PM hour. Community (1.4/5, 3.5 million) was down 22% in 18-49 from its last original March 24. Then there was the premiere of The Paul Reiser Show (1.1/3, 3.3 million) at 8:30 PM. It was down a whopping 48% from the January debut of Perfect Couples in the time slot to rank as NBC’s lowest-rated in-season comedy series premiere ever.
Fox’s American Idol (6.1/19, 21 million) matched its fast-national rating from last week (the reality juggernaut always goes up in the finals). At 9 PM, Bones (3.7/10, 11.9 million) was up 16% from last week to log its highest 18-49 rating in two months. It as also the second-most-watched program of the night behind Idol. Fox easily won the night in all measures. Read More »
The American Idol result show (6.1/19 in adults 18-49, 20.6 million viewers), which sent frontrunner (and fifth consecutive female contestant) Pia Toscano packing, was down 9% from last week in the adults 18-49 demographic. Bones (3.4/9) returned to the Fox … Read More »
Once again, usage in the 8 PM hour was down week-to-week as viewers adjust to the switch to daylight saving time. Last night, the drop was bigger than usual, 12.4%. All 8 PM shows were impacted. Fox’s American Idol (5.6/18 in adults 18-49, 19 million viewers) was down the most, 16%, from last Thursday. ABC’s Winter Wipeout (2.0/7) was down 9% from its most recent original on Feb. 24. NBC’s newly renewed Community (1.7/6) was down 6% for a season low, while new comedy Perfect Couples (1.2/4) was down 14% from Feb. 24 for a series low.
At 9 PM, Fox’s Bones (3.4/10, 11.9 million) bucked the down trend, up 6% in 18-49 and 13% in viewers from last week. ABC tried out 10 PM medical drama Private Practice in the tentpole 9 PM position occupied by the series that spawned it, Grey’s Anatomy. The result was not pretty: Private Practice drew a 1.9/6, down 17% from its most recent original for a series low. Following an Office rerun, NBC’s Parks and Recreation (1.8/5) was down 25% from its last original, which followed a new Office, to tie its series low. NBC had the only original offerings in the 10 PM hour: 30 Rock (1.7/5), down 26% for a series low, and Outsourced (1.4/4), flat and tied as a series low. Read More »
After the dramatic American Idol results show last week featuring the elimination of 11 semifinalists, which shot up 15% from the week before and 30% from last year, the show came back to Earth last night with a respectable showing as broadcasters faced big NBA games on TNT. The hourlong … Read More »
What a depressing overnight ratings report we got this morning. ABC and NBC posted their lowest Thursday nights with original programming this season with all of their series hitting or tying season lows in 18-49. CBS’ The Big Bang Theory also hit a season low. Fox’s American Idol and Bones, … Read More »
Geoff Stults (Happy Town) has landed the lead in the proposed Bones spinoff aka The Finder, which will be introduced in Episode 19 of the mothership series. The spinoff, based on The Locator books written by Richard Greener, centers on … Read More »
Fox’s American Idol continued to keep the pace from premiere week last night, while Bones rose to its best showing in 4 years. But, after a stronger than expected debut last week, NBC’s 3-hour comedy block is starting to show cracks.
Just like it did on Tuesday, American Idol held nicely to its premiere week numbers. Last night, the hourlong show from 8-9 PM drew a 7.6/21 in adults 18-49 and 22.3 million total viewers, down only 3% from last Thursday. Helping things was the fact that Idol‘s biggest competition in the 8 PM hour, CBS’ hit comedy The Big Bang Theory (2.4/7), was a repeat last night vs. an original last week, as was the rest of the CBS lineup except for freshman comedy $#*! My Dad Says (2.3/6), which needs to use up its fresh episodes before it hands off the 8:30 PM slot to Rules of Engagement next month. Against Idol, $#*! dropped 18% in the demo from last week after earlier this month logging matching week-to-week performances behind an original an repeat Big Bang. Also taking a ratings hit in the 8 PM hour was ABC’s reality series Winter Wipeout (2.4/7), down 8% last night, following a 28% drop in its first face-off against Idol last week. Like CBS, ABC aired repeats for the rest of the night. Read More »
CBS’ improbable run of 3 consecutive nightly wins in both adults 18-49 and total viewers with lineups featuring some or all repeats came to an end last night when ABC won the 18-49 race with a 3.1/8. CBS, which … Read More »
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