(Please follow the link for the complete SciFi Wire article.)
12:00 AM, 29-OCTOBER-08
How Did The Fall TV Shows Fare?
As the fall TV season hits its stride, the winners and losers have emerged, and it's a bloodbath out there. Ratings in general are horrible, and the major networks are still reeling from last year's writers' strike and a splintered viewership.
Three series have already been pulled from the airwaves, including CBS' The Ex List.
Herewith, the first of two SCI FI Wire assessments of how new and returning SF&F shows made the grade, in descending order. Today, we look at the new shows. Tomorrow, returning series.
(In the past if a TV series was on one of the four big broadcast networks, it needed to bring in 10 million viewers or so to prove it was worthy. For The CW, the number was lower, and 3 million viewers did the trick. Oh, how things have changed!)
The Mentalist (CBS) Premiered with 15.55 million viewers. Last week, 15.29 million viewers. OK, he's a fake psychic, and it's not really science fiction, but we'll claim any show that does this well. It's the only certified hit for the new season, drawing great numbers against Fox's Fringe. Beyond that, it manages to keep 90 percent of its viewers from lead-in NCIS. That sounds like a match made in TV heaven. Grade: A+
Sanctuary (SCI FI) Premiered with 3 million viewers. Television's first mostly virtual series kicked off great, and it looks like a worthy successor to exiting SCI FI Friday shows Stargate Atlantis and Battlestar Galactica. Grade: A
... That's not all folks! There are more new series headed our way in the coming months, including the syndicated Legend of the Seeker, which premieres this Saturday, and Joss Whedon's highly anticipated Dollhouse, set for Fox early next year. Stay tuned! --Kathie Huddleston
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