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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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[09/29/26 - 09:01 AM] Video: Trailer & Key Art Debut - Hulu's "Phony" "Phony" premieres on October 20 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the US, and Disney+ internationally.
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[09/29/26 - 09:00 AM] Paramount+ Presents a Historic Week of Combat Sports Headlined by "UFC 332: Silva vs. Wang," The First Full Main Card of a UFC Numbered Event Ever Simulcast on CBS and Paramount+ CBS coverage of UFC 332 will immediately follow college football on Saturday at 7:30 PM, ET/ 4:30 PM, PT.
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[09/29/26 - 08:16 AM] Video: "Campus Drivers" - Official Teaser - Prime Video The adaptation of C.S. Quill's saga premieres November 6 on Prime Video.
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[09/29/26 - 08:07 AM] Discovery Channel October Programming Highlights New seasons of "Contraband: Seized at the Border" and "Rocky Mountain Wreckers" will join the previously announced return of "Gold Rush."
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[09/29/26 - 08:01 AM] Investigation Discovery Spotlights the Haight Family Tragedy in New Special "Toxic: What Happened in the Haight House?" The two-hour special premieres Tuesday, October 27 from 9-11pm ET/PT on ID and will be available to stream on HBO Max, anchoring the network's 5th annual "No Excuse for Abuse" campaign for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
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[09/29/26 - 07:31 AM] Joins the Cast of AMC Global Media's Critically Acclaimed Drama, "The Audacity" Hollander will portray Big Tim, the powerful tech billionaire and CEO of Cupertino, whose carefully curated public persona masks his insatiable appetite for control and revenge.
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[09/29/26 - 07:16 AM] "Icebreaker" Sticks the Landing, Adding Six to Round Out Series Regulars Gabriel Tierney, Auli'i Cravalho, Peter Berry, Chaneil Kular, Devin Craig, and Aidan Shaw join the previously announced leads Daisy Jelley and Connor Simos.
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[09/29/26 - 07:05 AM] Paramount+ Announces Upcoming Slate of British Series from A24 These series include the upcoming comedy, "It Gets Worse," the coming-of-age drama, "Major Players," and the TV adaption of the award-winning, New York Times-bestselling novel, "The Ministry of Time."
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[09/29/26 - 07:01 AM] Video: "Rivals" Season Two Trailer Debut Romance and rivalry takes centre stage as new trailer teases what lies ahead the rest of the season for the residents of Rutshire.
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[09/29/26 - 06:01 AM] Video: Apple TV Unveils Trailer for Gripping New Drama "Nocturne" "Nocturne" will make its global debut on Friday, October 30, 2026, with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Friday through December 25, 2026, on Apple TV.
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[09/29/26 - 05:01 AM] Video: "The One About Matthew Perry" - Official Trailer - Netflix This documentary series chronicles the Hollywood success, outspoken advocacy and tragic death of the beloved "Friends" star, as told by his inner circle.
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[09/29/26 - 05:01 AM] Apple TV Announces Second Season for French Drama "Careme" Starring Benjamin Voisin "Carême" follows the thrilling story of the world's first celebrity chef, Antonin Carême (Benjamin Voisin), who rose from humble beginnings in Paris to the height of culinary stardom in Napoleon's Europe.
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[09/29/26 - 02:01 AM] Video: "Ranma1/2" Season 3 - Official Trailer - Netflix The slapstick, action-packed romcom returns with a third season!
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[09/28/26 - 08:01 PM] Scrubs On: "Miracles of the ER" Premieres November 12 on Netflix From the award-winning creators of "Tears on Fire," the series reunites director Isaac Li, writer-director Huang Ching-tsu and producer Jade Lee for a pulse-pounding look at life on the front lines of emergency care.
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[09/28/26 - 07:01 PM] Video: "100 Days of Deception" - Official Trailer - Netflix Hoping for freedom, Gyeongseong's top pickpocket infiltrates the Japanese colonial government to steal secrets - only to fall for her target's son.
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