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[10/02/09 - 08:53 AM] The 10 Things You Need to Know About the New Season: #5 - Scripted Shows Fare Better on Cable By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC) |
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Please note: As a courtesy, please do not reproduce these comments to newsgroups, forums or other online places. Links only please.
Welcome once again to "The 10 Things You Need to Know About the New Season," our annual feature about, well... the 10 things you need to know about the new season. The goal of this venture is to address not only common questions people have about television but to also demystify (or potentially reaffirm) stigmas out there about certain networks, time periods, genres and so forth. So with that in mind let us put on our journalistic caps and give you the cold hard truth about what's potentially ahead for some of your favorite new and returning shows...
5. Half of all scripted cable shows make it to a second season.
Yesterday we pointed out that 33% of all new dramas and 30% of all new comedies make it to second seasons on the broadcast networks. But what about cable? Here's a breakdown of how new scripted shows on cable have fared in the past 10 years (i.e. those that have launched from 9/1/99-6/1/09):
network | comedy | drama | total |
a&e | | 3/4 (75%) | 3/4 (75%) |
abc family | 1/5 (20%) | 6/10 (60%) | 7/15 (47%) |
amc | | 3/3 (100%) | 3/3 (100%) |
bravo | 1/2 (50%) | | 1/2 (50%) |
comedy central | 11/25 (44%) | | 11/25 (44%) |
e! | 1/3 (33%) | | 1/3 (33%) |
espn | | 0/2 (0%) | 0/2 (0%) |
fx | 2/5 (40%) | 7/9 (78%) | 9/14 (64%) |
hbo | 8/14 (57%) | 8/11 (73%) | 16/25 (64%) |
ifc | 6/8 (75%) | | 6/8 (75%) |
lifetime | 1/2 (50%) | 5/11 (45%) | 6/13 (46%) |
mtv | 6/21 (29%) | 0/1 (0%) | 6/22 (27%) |
nick at nite | 1/1 (100%) | | 1/1 (100%) |
oxygen | 1/4 (25%) | | 1/4 (25%) |
showtime | 5/9 (56%) | 14/19 (74%) | 19/28 (68%) |
soapnet | | 2/3 (67%) | 2/3 (67%) |
spike tv | 1/10 (10%) | 0/1 (0%) | 1/11 (9%) |
starz | 2/3 (67%) | 1/1 (100%) | 3/4 (75%) |
syfy | 1/2 (50%) | 6/15 (40%) | 7/17 (41%) |
tbs | 5/6 (83%) | | 5/6 (83%) |
tnt | | 5/10 (50%) | 5/10 (50%) |
usa | 0/2 (0%) | 7/12 (58%) | 7/14 (50%) |
vh1 | 1/3 (33%) | 0/1 (0%) | 1/4 (25%) |
total | 53/122 (43%) | 67/112 (60%) | 120/234 (51%) |
The overall numbers shouldn't be much a surprise: cable traditionally has a more patient attitude. After all, original content is about as big of a promotional tool a network can have for its brand. And for the overwhelming majority of networks that have tried scripted programming, it's paid off. (Only ESPN, Spike TV, Oxygen, VH1 and MTV have fared worse than the broadcast networks in launching scripted programming.) And for dramas it's even better - 60% of them made it a second season - while networks like HBO, Showtime and FX fare that well with every original program they launch. All in all, the cable shows you've added to your lineup this fall are more likely to be around than the broadcast ones.
MONDAY: Why don't cable channels pick up canceled broadcast network shows?
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[06/30/25 - 11:02 AM] "Sinners" with Black American Sign Language (BASL) Debuts July 4 on Max in the U.S. This groundbreaking release marks the first time a streaming platform will exclusively debut a film interpreted in BASL.
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[06/30/25 - 10:38 AM] Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest to Air July 4 on ESPN Networks Returning to the iconic corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues on Coney Island is 16-time Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, Joey Chestnut.
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[06/30/25 - 10:01 AM] NASA+ Is Coming to Netflix This Summer Audiences now will have another option to stream rocket launches, astronaut spacewalks, mission coverage, and breathtaking, live views of Earth from the International Space Station.
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[06/30/25 - 09:31 AM] Video: "Apocalypse in the Tropics" - Official Trailer - Netflix Through a deep examination, this documentary from Oscar nominee Petra Costa explores the profound impact of evangelism on Brazil's political landscape.
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[06/30/25 - 09:23 AM] All-New Series "Survival Mode" Premieres Monday, July 7 on NBC Across nine episodes, the series chronicles some of the most recent devastating disasters - including the Maui wildfires, the Amtrak 501 derailment, Superstorm Sandy, and the sinking of the Costa Concordia - through firsthand accounts from survivors and rare archival footage.
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[06/30/25 - 09:01 AM] Video: "Going, Going, Gone: The Magic of the Home Run" - Official Trailer - The Roku Channel This one is dedicated to the dinger. Comedian Roy Wood Jr takes us on a baseball journey all about the long ball.
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[06/30/25 - 09:01 AM] "Miley Cyrus: Something Beautiful" Visual Album Coming to Disney+ and Hulu July 16 The visual album premiered June 6 at the Tribeca Festival ahead of its one-night theatrical release in the U.S. and Canada on June 12.
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[06/30/25 - 08:01 AM] Video: "America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys" - Official Trailer - Netflix On August 19, experience the historic rise of one of the greatest teams in all of sports.
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[06/30/25 - 07:26 AM] Disney+ Adds Three New Premium Reality Commissions to Its Growing Slate of UK Unscripted Original Series Highlights include the return of Britain's original and much-loved dating series "Blind Date", reimagined for a contemporary audience.
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[06/30/25 - 07:01 AM] Video: "My Oxford Year" - Official Trailer - Netflix An ambitious American fulfilling her dream of studying at Oxford falls for a charming Brit hiding a secret that may upend her perfectly planned life.
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[06/30/25 - 06:37 AM] ESPN Reveals Special Honorees for The 2025 ESPYS Presented by Capital One Airing Wednesday, July 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Streaming Live on ESPN+ Oscar Robertson will receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, Katie Schumacher-Cawley will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and David Walters and Erin Regan will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
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[06/30/25 - 01:01 AM] Video: Netflix Unleashes Teaser for "Troll 2" When a dangerous new troll is awakened, unleashing devastation across Norway, beloved adventurers Nora, Andreas and Captain Kris are thrust into their most perilous mission yet.
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[06/29/25 - 10:31 PM] A Secret Society, Ritualistic Killings, and a Century-Old Curse Netflix and YRF Entertainment's "Mandala Murders" Premieres July 25 "Mandala Murders" is a first-of-its-kind mythological-crime thriller that promises to pull audiences into a world where every clue leads deeper into a long-buried prophecy.
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[06/27/25 - 11:48 PM] Development Update: Week of June 23-27 Updates include: Scott Speedman to topline ABC's "RJ Decker" pilot; Joel Kim Booster to pen latest "Pitch Perfect" spin-off at Peacock; and "Doctor Odyssey," "Grosse Pointe Garden Society" among the latest cancellations.
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[06/27/25 - 02:29 PM] "Live with Kelly and Mark" Gears Up for Summer Rising Week to Week in All Key Measures Wednesday, June 11, was the most-viewed day of the week among Total Viewers (2.164 million).
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