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[09/28/09 - 12:34 AM]
The 10 Things You Need to Know About the New Season: #1 - 68% of New Shows Fail
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...
1. Only 32% of new network shows make it to a second season.
The CW's "The Beautiful Life" will eventually have a lot of company: in the past 10 seasons, only 32% of new shows on average made it to a second season. Last season it was even worse: just 11 of the 44 new shows (or 25%) made the cut for a sophomore run. The best survival rate? 35% during the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 seasons. In other words, for better or worse, between 29-34 of this season's 45 (and counting) newcomers will be axed by May 2010. Don't believe us? Check out the hard data:
| season | abc | cbs | fox | nbc | upn | wb | cw | total |
| 1999-2000 | 3/12 (25%) | 6/12 (50%) | 2/12 (17%) | 5/15 (33%) | 1/7 (14%) | 5/10 (50%) | | 22/68 (32%) |
| 2000-2001 | 5/12 (42%) | 4/10 (40%) | 4/12 (33%) | 5/17 (29%) | 2/8 (25%) | 3/7 (43%) | | 23/66 (35%) |
| 2001-2002 | 4/16 (25%) | 4/11 (36%) | 5/17 (29%) | 7/15 (47%) | 2/5 (40%) | 4/11 (36%) | | 26/75 (35%) |
| 2002-2003 | 7/21 (33%) | 5/12 (42%) | 4/17 (24%) | 8/17 (47%) | 2/6 (33%) | 5/13 (38%) | | 31/86 (36%) |
| 2003-2004 | 2/17 (12%) | 4/8 (50%) | 7/22 (32%) | 3/11 (27%) | 2/9 (22%) | 4/11 (36%) | | 22/78 (28%) |
| 2004-2005 | 9/21 (43%) | 3/11 (27%) | 6/17 (35%) | 6/20 (30%) | 2/8 (25%) | 2/7 (29%) | | 28/84 (33%) |
| 2005-2006 | 2/17 (12%) | 6/12 (50%) | 4/11 (36%) | 3/16 (19%) | 1/5 (20%) | 1/8 (13%) | | 17/69 (25%) |
| 2006-2007 | 7/27 (26%) | 4/10 (40%) | 3/14 (21%) | 6/17 (35%) | | | 2/4 (50%) | 22/72 (31%) |
| 2007-2008 | 9/21 (43%) | 3/11 (27%) | 3/11 (27%) | 4/15 (27%) | | | 2/8 (25%) | 21/66 (32%) |
| 2008-2009 | 6/17 (35%) | 2/8 (25%) | 5/10 (50%) | 3/17 (18%) | | | 1/8 (13%) | 17/60 (28%) |
| total | 54/181 (30%) | 41/105 (39%) | 43/143 (30%) | 50/160 (31%) | 12/48 (25%) | 24/67 (36%) | 5/20 (25%) | 229/724 (32%) |
* the above table has been revised to reflect the fates of 2009's summer series
From this we can also glean a few other pieces of info - CBS (39%) and The WB (36%) had the best survival rates while FOX (30%), UPN (25%) and The CW (25%) had the worst. But considering that both UPN and the WB don't exist anymore, that doesn't necessarily translate into longevity as a whole.
So brace yourself, chances are the majority of the new shows you've added to your viewing schedule won't be back this time next year.
TOMORROW: Which day of the week is the toughest to launch a new show?
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[10/24/25 - 07:14 AM]
FOX Sports Readies for Major League Baseball's 121st World Series Presented by Capital One
Action leads off Friday, October 24, between the National League and current reigning World champion Los Angeles Dodgers and American League champion Toronto Blue Jays from Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports App and FOX One.
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[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind" Season 9: The Reunion - Official Trailer - Netflix
Denver singles shake up their search for "the one" and step into the pods, braving twists, turns and love triangles to find their soulmate sight unseen.
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[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Experience the Family, the Fun, and the Fantastic! Marvel Studios' "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" Lands Exclusively on Disney+ November 5
Continuing the celebration of Marvel's First Family, the announcement was made live from SpaceCon 2025 in San Antonio, where The Fantastic Four: First Steps Immersive Pop-Up Experience invites attendees to step inside the iconic Baxter Building.
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[10/24/25 - 06:00 AM]
The CW Network and Xfinity Celebrate 11 Years of the NASCAR Xfinity Series by Presenting the Third Stage of the Championship Race Commercial-Free
Taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, November 1, the commercial-free stage presented by Xfinity was created to thank the loyal race fans who have supported the NASCAR Xfinity Series for more than a decade - helping the series grow through their unwavering enthusiasm, increased viewership, and continued trackside attendance.
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[10/23/25 - 05:01 PM]
Video: "As You Stood By" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When two women plot to end an abusive marriage through murder, an unexpected visitor arrives - threatening to shatter everything they've carefully planned.
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[10/23/25 - 02:33 PM]
Largest Audience for "NBA Tip-Off" Doubleheader Since 2010 as NBA Returned to NBC and Debuted on Peacock
Tuesday night's audience across NBC and Peacock peaked at 7.1 million viewers from 10:45-11 p.m. ET as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a one-point win over the Houston Rockets in double overtime.
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[10/23/25 - 02:28 PM]
The 305 Just Got Hotter: "Love & Hip Hop: Miami" Moves to BET Season 7 Premieres Tuesday, November 4 at 8 PM ET/PT
The upcoming seventh season dives deeper than ever into Miami's thriving entertainment scene, following a cast of stars who are rebuilding, rebranding, and redefining success in real time.
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[10/23/25 - 01:30 PM]
Critically Acclaimed Noir Thriller, "Dark Winds," to Return to AMC and AMC+ Sunday, February 15
The series' gripping fourth season focuses on the search for a missing Navajo girl, which takes Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito from the safety of Navajo Nation to the gritty terrain of 1970s Los Angeles in a race against the clock to save her from an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime.
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[10/23/25 - 12:01 PM]
Video: BET+ Releases Trailer for Horror Film "A Demon's Revenge"
In the film, following the bloodshed in Belize, Peaches, played by Jhoné Lucas, delves deeper into Caribbean folklore and the terrifying truth that lurks beneath.
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[10/23/25 - 12:00 PM]
FOX Entertainment Acquires Equity Stake in Chain, Forging Strategic Partnership with Experiential Food Phenomenon Co-Founded by B.J. Novak
Included in the investment is a first look development deal through Chain Media.
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[10/23/25 - 11:28 AM]
"High Potential" Rises to Season High as Show Nears Fall Finale
ABC's popular drama rose to a multiplatform season high in Total Viewers (12.50 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.31 rating) after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.
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[10/23/25 - 11:13 AM]
USA Network Renews "The Rainmaker" for Second Season
Across the first nine premiere episodes of the season, "The Rainmaker" has averaged 1.3 million total viewers.
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[10/23/25 - 11:06 AM]
Global Box Office Sensation "Wicked" Arrives Nov. 19 on NBC
The NBC telecast of "Wicked" leads up to the November 21 premiere of "Wicked: For Good," the epic finale to the global cultural phenomenon.
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[10/23/25 - 11:01 AM]
Video: Paramount+ Releases Official Trailer for New Documentary "My Nightmare Stalker: The Eva LaRue Story"
The powerful two-part documentary premieres Thursday, November 13, exclusively on Paramount+.
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[10/23/25 - 11:00 AM]
What's New on HBO Max This November
New original series include "I Love LA" and "The Seduction"; as well as documentaries "Alex vs ARod," "One to One: John & Yoko," and "Thoughts & Prayers."
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