Rueben's Ramblings

The following list showcases a number of television tidbits that have arisen over the last couple of weeks:

1. It does not look like ABC will be renewing its summer series The Gates especially since there has been no news – whatsoever – from the network about the future (or lack thereof) of the show.

2. CBS has been touting their new series (and reboot of the classic) Hawaii Five-0 as the number one new show of the fall season since right after the pilot aired. The ratings certainly seem to reflect that theory. The network also has the second most watched new show of the fall season: Blue Bloods

3. So far this season (all three weeks of it), the FOX series Lone Star has been canceled and the new ABC series My Generation has been canceled as well. The new NBC series Outlaw has not been officially canceled, but production on the show has been halted, making it – more than likely – the next show to be pulled from the primetime landscape.

4. The outlook for several other new fall shows, including Chase and Undercovers on NBC and The Whole Truth on ABC are less than optimistic. Any of these shows could easily be the next one to go.

5. The returning shows that are currently in jeopardy of not being renewed include Fringe and The Good Guys on FOX, Parenthood and Chuck on NBC and Medium on CBS. While it is too soon to tell if the networks will, indeed, pull the plug on any of these shows, but the numbers are not very positive. Of course, Fringe and Chuck have received low ratings in past seasons but have both been renewed, but that luck could change this time around.

6. A number of bloggers and critics are touting the new AMC series Rubicon as the best new show that no one is watching. The ratings certainly reflect that the show is not performing well; and despite a terrific cast and an interesting premise, Rubicon is an extremely slow moving series. With only two more episodes to air I can’t imagine the action getting any better.

7. The REAL best new show of the season that no one is watching (at least in my estimation) is the FX series Terriers, which – yes – has a terrible name that doesn’t fully reflect the premise of the show. The show is actually very compelling and gripping to watch. It airs Wednesdays at 10 PM and is worth a look if you haven’t seen it yet.

8. Two returning shows – Castle on ABC and Glee on FOX – have experienced even higher ratings this season than last. In fact, both shows have been in the top 30 shows for all three weeks of the fall season.

9. Syfy has decided to air both of their shows Stargate Universe and Caprica on Tuesday nights with Sanctuary the only show returning to Friday nights. However, the ratings for the latter two shows on their new night are very low compared to their previous numbers. It would seem to make sense for the network to move SGU and Caprica back to Friday nights, having a 3-hour block of programming, but perhaps that just isn’t feasible for the network.

10. Nearly all of the new shows this season have seen drops in their ratings over the past three weeks. These shows include The Event and Law & Order: Los Angeles on NBC; The Defenders on CBS and No Ordinary Family on ABC. Of these four shows, The Event has experienced the worst viewer fall out.

11. Remarkably, the two new shows on the CW – Hellcats and Nikita – are both holding their own with decent ratings. Hellcats is averaging 2.3 million viewers with Nikita averaging 3 million viewers. Since this network does not air in as many markets as the major networks, these averages are on course with the averages for their hit shows The Vampire Diaries, Smallville and Supernatural.

If you have any questions about new and/or returning shows, please ask.