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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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[10/01/26 - 12:16 PM]
UPtv to Premiere "Big Bridal Giveaway" Oct. 3
In "Big Bridal Giveaway," wedding dreams come true when deserving brides-to-be trust a team of romcom movie stylists to transform them into the radiant brides they've always envisioned.
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[10/01/26 - 12:16 PM]
Comedy Central Announces Premiere Date for Season Four of "Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head"
Season four will premiere on Wednesday, October 14 at 10:30pm ET/PT with 12 episodes.
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[10/01/26 - 11:48 AM]
Sherri Shepherd Joins Lifetime's Annual "Stop Breast Cancer for Life" Campaign with New PSA in Support of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Shepherd who brings her signature warmth and candor to a message about the importance of knowing your risk, prioritizing screening and advocating for your health.
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[10/01/26 - 11:46 AM]
Video: "9-1-1" - Season 10 Official Trailer
LA-LA Land doesn't have a protocol for LA-VA Land...
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[10/01/26 - 11:12 AM]
BET Names Anthony Anderson Host of Soul Train Awards 2026
Returning to the BET stage, Anderson will lead an unforgettable celebration of the artists, music, and enduring cultural legacy of the iconic "Soul Train" franchise, with a night of performances, tributes, and honors.
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[10/01/26 - 11:09 AM]
Video: "9-1-1: Nashville" - Season 2 Official Trailer
Watch your back 113.
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[10/01/26 - 10:40 AM]
FOX Nation Strikes Deal with Supermodel Christie Brinkley for Docuseries "Uptown Girl: The Christie Brinkley Story" Coming 2027
Comprised of three one-hour episodes, the intimate series offers a revealing first-person portrait of the woman behind one of the most recognizable faces in pop culture, whose extraordinary life has played out in the public eye for more than five decades.
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[10/01/26 - 10:31 AM]
Prime Video Renews Hit Series "Neagley" for a Second Season
Amazon MGM Studios confirmed the news on social media this morning.
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[10/01/26 - 10:08 AM]
CBS Conjures Up Halloween Fun in Primetime and Daytime
Highlights include the one-hour "Ghosts" special event.
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[10/01/26 - 10:01 AM]
Award-Winning Presenter Rebecca Lowe Joins Netflix's Broadcast Team for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027
The addition marks another milestone for Netflix's historic coverage of the tournament, which will feature English and Spanish-language broadcasts in the United States, and English and French-language broadcasts in Canada.
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[10/01/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: NBC Debuts Official Trailer & Key Art for "Newlyweds"
"Newlyweds" is a later-in-life love story about Jeanie (Téa Leoni), a free-spirited woman, and James (Tim Daly), a buttoned-up professor, who marry impetuously after a whirlwind courtship.
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[10/01/26 - 09:39 AM]
Emmy Award-Winning "Ask This Old House" Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Building Confident Homeowners - New Season Premieres Thursday, October 1
The Emmy Award-winning series helps homeowners solve real home improvement problems with trusted, practical advice from some of the most experienced experts in the trades.
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[10/01/26 - 09:32 AM]
"Shrinking" Season 4 Adds Judith Light and Scott Foley to the Cast
These two are in good company.
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[10/01/26 - 09:10 AM]
ESPN Announces 2026-27 "Inside the NBA Presented by Eli Lilly" Regular Season Schedule
The schedule begins with coverage of NBA Opening Week on October 21 and 22 and continues weekly throughout the season's first four weeks, giving fans an early-season destination alongside ESPN's NBA coverage.
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[10/01/26 - 09:01 AM]
HBO Max Celebrates Halloween 2026 with "Horror Comes Home" Collection
Available today and throughout October, viewers can explore a best-in-class lineup of acclaimed new releases, blockbuster franchises, genre-defining classics, and exclusive titles, delivering a month of unforgettable scares.
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