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[10/01/09 - 12:37 AM]
The 10 Things You Need to Know About the New Season: #4 - Genre Doesn't Matter Either
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...
4. No major genre fares better than another.
Are audiences giving up on traditional multi-camera sitcoms in favor of single-camera ones? Do dramas fare better than their comedic brethren? Or do reality shows perform the best? The answer to all the above: no. The truth is scripted and unscripted shows more or less succeed and fail at the same rate. Sure there are some problematic genres (animation, improv and newsmagazine) but the most prolific categories (multi-camera comedies, single-camera comedies, dramas, reality competition shows and docusoaps) all stay fairly close to the average 31% survival rate of new shows. Take a look at each genre's success rate in the past 10 years:
| genre | abc | cbs | fox | nbc | upn | wb | cw | total |
comedy
(animated) | 0/1 (0%) | 0/1 (0%) | 1/2 (50%) | 0/3 (0%) | 0/2 (0%) | 1/3 (33%) | | 2/12 (17%) |
comedy
(improv/sketch) | 2/4 (50%) | | 0/6 (0%) | 1/6 (17%) | | 2/5 (40%) | | 5/21 (24%) |
comedy
(multi-camera) | 9/29 (31%) | 10/25 (40%) | 6/18 (33%) | 4/26 (15%) | 7/15 (47%) | 5/14 (36%) | 1/1 (100%) | 42/128 (33%) |
comedy
(single-camera) | 5/15 (33%) | 0/4 (0%) | 6/16 (38%) | 6/13 (46%) | 1/3 (33%) | 0/7 (0%) | 0/1 (0%) | 18/59 (31%) |
| drama | 17/58 (29%) | 24/52 (46%) | 12/46 (26%) | 16/52 (31%) | 3/16 (19%) | 10/24 (42%) | 3/9 (33%) | 85/257 (33%) |
| game show | 2/11 (18%) | 2/5 (40%) | 3/8 (38%) | 4/9 (44%) | | | | 11/33 (33%) |
| newsmagazine | 2/14 (14%) | | 1/2 (50%) | | | | 0/1 (0%) | 3/17 (18%) |
reality
(competition) | 8/22 (36%) | 5/13 (38%) | 6/27 (22%) | 11/37 (30%) | 1/7 (14%) | 3/10 (30%) | 1/5 (20%) | 35/121 (29%) |
reality
(documentary) | 4/18 (22%) | 0/4 (0%) | 5/16 (31%) | 3/6 (50%) | 0/5 (0%) | 3/4 (75%) | 0/3 (0%) | 15/56 (27%) |
| sports | 1/1 (100%) | | | 1/2 (50%) | | | | 2/3 (67%) |
| total | 50/173 (29%) | 41/104 (39%) | 40/141 (28%) | 46/154 (30%) | 12/48 (25%) | 24/67 (36%) | 5/20 (25%) | 218/707 (31%) |
Among the more interesting trends: CBS has kept 40% of its new multi-camera shows around for a second season but none of its single-camera shows; NBC conversely is batting 46% for its single-camera comedies while just 15% for multi-camera ones. By the same token CBS has had success with 38% of its reality competition shows but none at all with its docusoaps whereas FOX and NBC have seen more failures in the former genre. All in all, you definitely can get the sense of each network's brand from the above data.
TOMORROW: Are cable channels really more patient than the broadcast networks?
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[10/08/26 - 09:01 AM]
AspireTV to Premiere "A Memorable Christmas" Dec. 4
Asia'h Epperson, Mike Merrill, Kamel Goffin, and Stephen Cofield Jr. star in the movie.
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[10/08/26 - 08:54 AM]
FOX Nation Set to Premiere "Houdini: Back from the Dead," Marking Platform's First Full-Length Project Created Entirely with AI-Generated Imagery
The new three-part series will premiere Wednesday, October 14.
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[10/08/26 - 08:22 AM]
HBO Original Series "City of God: The Fight Rages On" Returns for Its Second Season November 8
The new season examines the impact of escalating violence, political corruption, and community resistance as it explores the complex dynamics between crime, politics, justice, and culture.
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[10/08/26 - 08:13 AM]
Food Network Unwraps Its Most Delicious Holiday Season Yet
Highlights include new seasons of "Holiday Baking Championship," "Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking," "Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas" and "Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown."
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[10/08/26 - 08:10 AM]
Video: "Leonard and Hungry Paul" - Official Trailer - Now Streaming - Wonder Project
Meet Leonard and Hungry Paul. Two quiet friends find joy in the little things in this warm, gentle series narrated by Julia Roberts.
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[10/08/26 - 08:09 AM]
NFL Stars Ryan Fitzpatrick and Vince Wilfork Face Off in the Ultimate Food Showdown in Discovery Channel's All-New "Men v. Food"
Co-hosted by NFL superstars Ryan Fitzpatrick and Vince Wilfork, the series reimagines the fan-favorite classic with a serving of epic new food challenges and adventures across America's biggest football cities.
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[10/08/26 - 08:00 AM]
Video: Bill Murray Tees Off in Official Trailer and Key Art for Paramount+'a "A Course Called Ireland"
The six-part documentary series featuring Bill Murray and author Tom Coyne playing their way across some of Ireland's most legendary golf courses.
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[10/08/26 - 07:01 AM]
TNT Sports Unveils 2026-27 Men's College Basketball Slate Headlined by National Championship Rematch & Marquee Big East and Big 12 Showdowns
The 67-game slate across TNT, truTV and HBO Max features 21 teams in NCAA.com college basketball insider Andy Katz's preseason Power 44, with 16 matchups between ranked teams.
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[10/08/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "The Altruists" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Young, idealistic and suddenly worth billions, they tried to do good - but unleashed the worst in each other. A toxic love story inspired by a real fraud.
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[10/08/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV Debuts Un-fore-gettable Trailer for the Second Season of Sports Comedy "Stick"
The 10-episode second season premieres Wednesday, November 4, 2026 with two episodes, followed by one episode weekly until December 30, 2026 on Apple TV.
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[10/08/26 - 06:05 AM]
Video: Prime Video Unveils Official Teaser and Announces Launch Date for its New Film "Storm," Starring Bach Buquen and Clara Pacini
The film will be available on January 15, 2027, exclusively on Prime Video, in France and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
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[10/08/26 - 06:01 AM]
Netflix and Shondaland Announce New "Bridgerton" Spinoff Series Based on Beloved Matriarch Lady Violet
Similar to the massive global hit "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story," the series will chronicle the early life of a young Lady Violet and tell the story of her romance with Viscount Edmund Bridgerton.
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[10/08/26 - 06:01 AM]
CBS and Nickelodeon Announce Multiplatinum Grammy-Nominated Recording Artist Alex Warren as Host of 2026 "Kids' Choice Awards" ("KCAs"), Live on Saturday, Nov. 14
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[10/08/26 - 06:01 AM]
Apple TV Lands Crime Drama "Dustfall" Starring Anna Torv
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[10/08/26 - 06:00 AM]
Peacock's Compelling Three-Part Documentary "The Wolves of Real Estate: The Alexander Brothers" Premieres Sunday, October 25
The three-part documentary series tells the story of three brothers who were recently convicted of preying on women for more than a decade, masquerading as party boys while allegedly drugging and raping women.
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