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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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[07/18/25 - 09:09 AM] "Bobby's Triple Threat" Is Back With Brand-New Addition to Bobby Flay's Hand-Picked Trio of Culinary Titans The 10-episode season premieres Tuesday, September 2 at 8pm ET/PT on Food Network and streaming the next day on HBO Max.
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[07/18/25 - 08:06 AM] Jaw-Dropping Custom Builds and Outrageous Family Antics Collide in "Truck Dynasty" Premiering Tuesday, August 12 at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel Florida's Apocalypse Manufacturing owner Joe Ghattas is a self-made boss in the custom truck industry, known for his bold designs and loyal following that includes hardcore enthusiasts, world-famous rappers, sports superstars, and elite supermodels.
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[07/18/25 - 08:01 AM] Hallmark Channel Adds Hit Series "Gilmore Girls" to Its Lineup Beginning August 25 Just in time for the fall, the Gilmore family and the beloved residents of Stars Hollow will add twice the warmth and joy to Hallmark Channel's widely adored slate of heartfelt programming.
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[07/18/25 - 07:36 AM] Peacock Exclusively Streams Wes Anderson's "The Phoenician Scheme" Beginning July 25 From Oscar-nominated writer and director Wes Anderson, the film stars Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton and Michael Cera.
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[07/18/25 - 07:01 AM] Video: Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford - Official Teaser Trailer - Netflix Two of boxing's most dominant forces, Saul "Canelo" Álvarez and Terence Crawford will face off in a once in a lifetime fight for the unified Super Middleweight championship on Saturday, September 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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[07/17/25 - 10:01 PM] Video: "Final Draft" - Official Trailer - Netflix Twenty-five athletes, most retired, compete to win 30M yen to launch their second career. Can they overcome tough physical and psychological challenges?
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[07/17/25 - 07:04 PM] Video: Preview - Summer Nights 2025 - Coming in August Tune in for all-new movie premieres this August on Hallmark Channel Saturday nights at 8/7c!
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[07/17/25 - 04:15 PM] "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" to End After 2025-26 Broadcast Season Colbert announced the news during tonight's taping at the Ed Sullivan Theater.
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[07/17/25 - 02:17 PM] Thrilling True Crime Docu-Series, "True Crime Story: Smugshot," Returns to SundanceTV Thursday, August 14 Created and executive produced by award-winning documentary filmmakers Amy Bandlien Storkel and Bryan Storkel, the six-episode series spotlights entitled individuals involved in elaborate criminal behavior.
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[07/17/25 - 01:31 PM] Netflix: What We Watched the First Half of 2025 This report, which captures ~99% of all viewing in the first half of 2025, shows that people watched a lot of Netflix - over 95B hours - spanning a wide range of genres and languages.
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[07/17/25 - 01:16 PM] Freida Pinto to Star in Netflix's "Unaccustomed Earth" Inspired by the internationally beloved Jhumpa Lahiri short story collection of the same name, "Unaccustomed Earth" is an epic, soapy, and culturally vibrant drama about a tight-knit Indian American community navigating love, desire, and belonging.
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[07/17/25 - 01:06 PM] Samuel L. Jackson to Headline His First TV Series As Paramount+ Greenlights "NOLA King," The First Spinoff of the Hit Series "Tulsa King" Jackson's character, Russell Lee Washington Jr., will be introduced in the upcoming, highly anticipated third season of "Tulsa King," slated to premiere in September.
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[07/17/25 - 12:53 PM] New Series "The Mother Flip" Premieres Saturday, August 16 at 12pm ET/PT on A&E's HomeMadeNation Best friends and savvy flippers Kristy Etheredge and Rebecca Franchione, along with contractor Roy Salinas, transform the worst homes in Texas' Hill Country into big profits.
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[07/17/25 - 12:11 PM] AMC Networks' August Highlights Include "Nautilus," "Irish Blood," "Kidnapped," "The Furry Detectives" and More! The month also features new seasons of Sundance TV's "True Crime Story: Smugshot," and We TV's fan-favorite series "Life After Lockup."
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[07/17/25 - 11:35 AM] ESPN "Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Capital One" Schedule Update: Division Leaders Collide as Detroit Tigers Visit Philadelphia Phillies on August 3 This marks the third "Sunday Night Baseball" appearance of the 2025 regular season for the Tigers and the fourth appearance for the Phillies.
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