Upfronts 2011 Reality Check: Freshman Series Scorecard
It's easy to believe that the broadcast networks in general had a better batting average this season than in 2010-2011, popping hits like CBS' 2 Broke Girls, ABC's Once Upon a Time and Fox's New Girl. But in all fairness, they also took a lot more swings. While the network presidents touted 24 new series on the upfront stages in spring 2010, in 2011 they boasted 46 -- and that's not even counting off-cycle additions such as Rock Center With Brian Williams, Rob, Fashion Star, Betty White's Off Their Rockers and The L.A. Complex.
As we head into broadcast upfront week, it's never a bad idea to take stock of the season that was. Along with hits, there were as always shows that were canceled quickly (The Playboy Club,How to Be a Gentleman, Work It) and others that were allowed to quietly fizzle out (Pan Am, Prime Suspect). But a general move away from tired formats seemed to help the overall upfront-to-renewal ratio, even if not all the big bets succeeded (farewell, Terra Nova).
In the face of television's increasingly fragmented audience, and NBC and The CW still battling from behind, programming execs would be wise to learn from this year's successes and missteps. Toward that end, below you will find the winners and losers of last year's upfront week. Here's hoping for an even better scorecard, same time next year.
ABC
SHOW | STATUS | HOW THEY SCORED |
Charlie's Angels | Canceled | Failed reboot was the network's first booted show |
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 | Renewed | This late midseason comedy reaped the benefits of a Modern Family lead-in |
GCB | Recent finale | Billed as a soapy successor to Desperate Housewives but couldn't live up to the hype |
Last Man Standing | Renewed | Asked to anchor Tuesdays on its own, the Tim Allen comedy's ratings trended downward but star power helped keep it afloat |
Man Up | Canceled | Man-in-a-woman's-world comedy fell flat with viewers |
Missing | Airing now | Thursday at 8 p.m. claims another ABC series as the Ashley Judd drama is certain to be canceled |
Once Upon a Time | Renewed | The season's top-rated new drama is a self-starter on Sundays |
Pan Am | Off the schedule | ABC hung on to the period drama through January, but jettisoned it from the midseason schedule |
Revenge | Renewed | Sudsy drama is a big buzz hit if not a ratings monster |
The River | Off the schedule | Paranormal drama sunk in the Nielsens, will not return |
Scandal | Renewed | The Shonda Rhimes drama rated consistently in late midseason |
Suburgatory | Renewed | A suitable family comedy bridge between The Middle and Modern Family |
Work It | Canceled | Critically despised cross-dressing comedy did not work; was pulled after two episodes |
CBS
SHOW | STATUS | HOW THEY SCORED |
2 Broke Girls | Renewed | The season's top-rated new comedy is already a bona fide hit |
A Gifted Man | Canceled | Earned respectable numbers on Fridays, but not enough to return on the Eye |
How to Be a Gentleman | Canceled | Downgraded to Saturdays before being shut down last October |
NYC 22 | Canceled | Cop drama premiered to just a 1.5 rating among viewers 18-49 and didn't improve |
Person of Interest | Renewed | The J.J. Abrams series was the second-highest-rated new drama of the season |
Unforgettable | Canceled | Retention out of NCIS: LA could have been stronger, meaning this procedural was forgotten in the network's fall schedule |
The CW
SHOW | STATUS | HOW THEY SCORED |
The Frame | Never aired | A planned second midseason reality entry never happened when the net couldn't find a producer for the series |
H8R | Canceled | Viewers (and critics) H8D this reality show, which was canned after four episodes |
Hart of Dixie | Renewed | Earned respectable retention out of a weakened Gossip Girl |
Re-Modeled | Canceled | Modeling reality series earned The CW's lowest-rated premiere ever |
Ringer | Canceled | Despite Sarah Michelle Gellar's star power, the noir drama never found its audience |
The Secret Circle | Canceled | Didn't take off despite the network's strongest lead-in, The Vampire Diaries |
Fox
SHOW | STATUS | HOW THEY SCORED |
Alcatraz | Canceled | Prison break drama from J.J. Abrams started strong but steadily declined |
Allen Gregory | Canceled | Jonah Hill's animated comedy about a precocious 7-year-old came and went last fall |
The Finder | Canceled | Bones spinoff was downgraded to Fridays midway through its run |
I Hate My Teenage Daughter | Canceled | Multiple time slot changes couldn't jumpstart this multi-camera family comedy effort |
Napoleon Dynamite | Canceled | Animated reboot had a better midseason showing than Allen Gregory, but not good enough to get renewed |
New Girl | Renewed | The Zooey Deschanel comedy had a breakout premiere and helped define Fox's future comedy brand |
Terra Nova | Canceled | Big hype but moderate ratings; Fox execs didn't like the upside on the pricey time-traveling drama |
Touch | Renewed | Kiefer Sutherland drama premiered very strong out of American Idol but has steadily fallen off; auspices no doubt helped earn second season |
The X Factor | Renewed | Simon Cowell's return was not the game-changer it was hyped to be; producers are mixing up the judges and format to differentiate the show in season two |
NBC
SHOW | STATUS | HOW THEY SCORED |
Are You There, Chelsea? | Canceled | ...or, Are You There, Viewers? Chelsea Handler's multi-camera comedy proved lackluster |
Awake | Canceled | Kyle Killen had worse fortune with Lone Star, but his latest drama effort still got the axe |
Bent | Canceled | Despite positive reviews, Amanda Peet comedy was D.O.A. in midseason |
Best Friends Forever | Canceled | Friendship comedy shelved after four episodes; replaced with additional episodes of Betty White's Off Their Rockers |
The Firm | Canceled | Thursday at 10 p.m. claimed its second victim in February; legal drama is burning off its season on Saturdays |
Free Agents | Canceled | Fall's second casualty, pulled after four episodes |
Grimm | Renewed | Supernatural procedural was a surprise success on Fridays, and NBC's first renewal |
The Playboy Club | Canceled | Fall's first casualty, yanked after three episodes in favor of Rock Center With Brian Williams |
Prime Suspect | Canceled | Plenty of encore airings couldn't save this British cop drama remake, which was shut down after its initial 13-episode run |
Smash | Renewed | Not the runaway hit NBC was hoping for, but its solid 2.3 adults 18-49 rating earned it an early renewal |
Up All Night | Renewed | NBC brass like the show creatively, but a move to the post-Office time slot in midseason didn't dramatically increase ratings |
Whitney | Renewed | Rookie was shifted from flagship Thursday to Wednesday but still squeaked out a pickup |
It's easy to believe that the broadcast networks in general had a better batting average this season than in 2010-2011, popping hits like CBS' 2 Broke Girls, ABC's Once Upon a Time and Fox's New Girl. But in all fairness, they also took a lot more swings. While the network presidents touted 24 new series on the upfront stages in spring 2010, in 2011 they boasted 46 -- and that's not even counting off-cycle additions such as Rock Center With Brian Williams, Rob, Fashion Star, Betty White's Off Their Rockers and The L.A. Complex.
As we head into broadcast upfront week, it's never a bad idea to take stock of the season that was. Along with hits, there were as always shows that were canceled quickly (The Playboy Club,How to Be a Gentleman, Work It) and others that were allowed to quietly fizzle out (Pan Am, Prime Suspect). But a general move away from tired formats seemed to help the overall upfront-to-renewal ratio, even if not all the big bets succeeded (farewell, Terra Nova).
In the face of television's increasingly fragmented audience, and NBC and The CW still battling from behind, programming execs would be wise to learn from this year's successes and missteps. Toward that end, below you will find the winners and losers of last year's upfront week. Here's hoping for an even better scorecard, same time next year.
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