2014-15 TV Season

NIELSENWAR 2014-15: The NBC Schedule Grid and Instant Analysis

Posted May 11, 2014 by Mitch Metcalf

  NBC has kept a lot of is pieces in place, but also made some significant changes for next season, especially on its once-signature Thursday night.  Let’s dig in. MONDAY:  No surprise that THE VOICE is staying where it is, but 10PM is a risk.  NBC will keep THE BLACKLIST there only until November 10, […]

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2019-20 TV Season

NIELSENWAR: The NBC Fall 2019 Schedule & Analysis

Posted May 12, 2019 by Mitch Salem

  We’ve reached the broadcast networks’ Upfront Week… which used to be a lot more central to our television lives than it is now.  Ratings everywhere are down, and there’s no reason to think they’ve hit bottom, which has caused seismic changes in the ways networks make scheduling decisions.  Among other things, with revenues from […]

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2019-20 TV Season

NIELSENWAR: The Fall 2019 FOX Schedule & Analysis

Posted May 13, 2019 by Mitch Salem

We’ve reached the broadcast networks’ Upfront Week… which used to be a lot more central to our television lives than it is now.  Ratings everywhere are down, and there’s no reason to think they’ve hit bottom, which has caused seismic changes in the ways networks make scheduling decisions.  Among other things, with revenues from on-air […]

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2014-15 TV Season

NIELSENWAR 2014-15: CW Makes Its Decisions

Posted May 8, 2014 by Mitch Salem

  Once again, CW demonstrated that it operates under different economics than the other broadcast networks.  Much of its revenue comes from episodes streamed online via Netflix and Hulu, which makes sometimes puny on-air ratings acceptable.  Also, virtually everything it airs is produced by one of its in-house studios, Warner Bros Television or CBS Television […]

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2014-15 TV Season

NIELSENWAR 2014-15 Trailer Review: CW’s “The Flash”

Posted May 15, 2014 by Mitch Salem

  (NOTE:  as of Thursday afternoon, CW had only released a 30-second teaser for its new JANE THE VIRGIN, and nothing at all for midseason shows iZOMBIE and THE MESSENGERS.  We’ll post reviews of the rest of the network’s trailers as soon as they’re available.) THE FLASH:  Tuesday 8PM on CW THE FACTS:  Viewers of […]

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2016-17 TV Season

UPDATED NIELSENWAR UPFRONTS: ABC Fall Schedule

Posted May 17, 2016 by Mitch Salem

  ABC’s fall line-up is a mix of the audacious and the not-so-much. UPDATED with reactions to trailers, which are available here.     ABC needed to shake things up for next season, and to an extent it has, although even if things go well, there will be more to do.  It’s relying on its […]

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Fall Pilots

PREMIERING TONIGHT THE SKED SERIES PREMIERE REVIEW: CW’s “Reign”

Posted October 17, 2013 by Mitch Salem

  Read All Our Fall Pilot Reports here. REIGN:  Thursday 9PM on CW – Potential DVR Alert The CW is often–and rightly–considered a network of very limited ambitions, with just two modes of operation:  rom-com soap and supernatural soap.  But its new REIGN, while well fortified with suds, is as big a swing for the […]

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2014-15 TV Season

NIELSENWAR 2014-15 Trailer Review: NBC’s “A To Z”

Posted May 11, 2014 by Mitch Salem

  A TO Z:  Thursday 9:30PM on NBC THE FACTS:  The title refers to Andrew (Ben Feldman) and Zelda (Cristin Milioti), who both work at an online dating company, and who, since this is a rom-com, are of course fated for each other.  The series creator is Ben Queen, whose first series this is, and […]

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