Six Shows on the Ropes

It is one of TV's annual rites of fall: A handful of new broadcast shows fly high, the rest hold steady or hope for life support. As November sweeps unfold, here are six high-profile shows struggling to find their way.

The pilot earned rave reviews, but this Mel Gibson-produced comedy about a single dad and his brood of five boys isn't clicking. Complete Savages is pacing with a 2.0 rating in 18-49s and 5.6 million viewers, off from last fall's time-period occupants Married to the Kellys and George Lopez, which averaged a 3.0 rating in the demo and 8.2 million viewers.

This Sin City medical show needs a remedy. On Friday nights, the drama, starring Rob Lowe and former Sopranos mobster Joe Pantoliano, is averaging a weak 2.2 rating in 18-49 and 8.4 million viewers, off about 15% from last fall's performance by The Handler, a show that got canned.

After a solid start, Pride is losing its roar. Since late September, the animated comedy is averaging a 3.5 rating in 18-49s and 8.2 million viewers, well below Frasier's average 4.6 rating in 18-49s and 12 million viewers in the same slot last fall. Last week, Pride fell to its lowest marks, a 2.8 rating in the demo and 6.6 million viewers. (Many shows suffered some damage last week against the World Series.)

Heather Locklear's airport drama is experiencing turbulence. NBC just moved LAX to Wednesdays at 8 p.m. to get it out of a tough Monday 9 p.m. slot, where it averaged a soft 2.9 rating in 18-49s and 7.6 million viewers. But the show was roughed up in its first Wednesday outing Oct. 27 against ABC's hit Lost, dipping to a 1.9 rating in 18-49s and 6.6 million viewers.

The Seinfeld curse lives on. This Jason Alexander comedy is underwhelming in the ratings, with an average 3.4 rating in 18-49s and 10.6 million viewers, down 15% from what Still Standing, now Listen Up's lead-in, posted at the same time last fall.

This teen soap is a slow starter. In its original Wednesday slot, The Mountain averaged a modest 1.5 rating in people 12-34 and 2.7 million viewers, making it one of broadcast's least-watched dramas. To revive it, The WB is plugging The Mountain into Jack & Bobby's former Sunday-night slot. The network is usually patient with its freshman shows. One Tree Hill is a prime example: A quiet show in its first season last year, the drama is now a hot sophomore hit.