or


[10/05/09 - 09:08 PM]
The 10 Things You Need to Know About the New Season: #6 - Shows Rarely Change Networks
By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC)

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...

6. Shows changing networks is the exception, not the rule.

Of the 707 shows to premiere on broadcast television (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, UPN, The WB and The CW) in the past 10 years (those that have launched from 9/1/99-6/1/09), guess how many of those aired on two different networks? Excluding the WB/UPN merger, just 18. And if you expand that pool to include the 74 returning shows for the 1999-2000 season, that number grows to only 29. Take a look:

1/3/97 - jag (cbs, from nbc)
9/17/98 - for your love (wb, from nbc)
9/11/00 - hughleys, the (upn, from abc)
9/12/00 - mysterious ways (pax, from nbc)*
9/22/00 - sabrina, the teenage witch (wb, from abc)
10/8/00 - pjs, the (wb, from fox)
9/12/01 - candid camera (pax, from cbs)
10/2/01 - buffy the vampire slayer (upn, from wb)
10/9/01 - roswell (upn, from wb)
1/19/02 - making the band (mtv, from abc)
2/28/03 - grounded for life (wb, from fox)
9/5/04 - surreal life, the (vh1, from wb)
10/3/04 - america's most talented kids (pax, from nbc)
2/14/06 - world's most amazing videos (spike tv, from nbc)
6/4/06 - simple life, the (e!, from fox)
7/18/06 - contender, the (espn/versus, from nbc)
9/11/06 - monday night football (espn, from abc)
10/4/07 - law & order: criminal intent (usa, from nbc)
2/4/08 - paradise hotel (mynetworktv, from fox)
3/5/08 - high school reunion (tv land, from wb)
3/23/08 - futurama (comedy central, from fox)
10/1/08 - friday night lights (directv, from nbc)
10/3/08 - wwe smackdown (mynetworktv, from cw)
1/6/09 - scrubs (abc, from nbc)
4/18/09 - nanny 911 (cmt, from fox)
6/1/09 - i'm a celebrity, get me out of here! (nbc, from abc)
6/16/09 - singing bee, the (cmt, from nbc)
9/25/09 - medium (cbs, from nbc)
TBA - secret millionaire (abc, from fox)

The above means in the past decade, just 3.71% of series have ever made the leap from a broadcast network to another home. And of those only 14 were scripted shows. In other words, on average just one scripted and one unscripted show per season wind up in new homes.

So why such long odds? First and foremost, shows rarely switch networks because they are successful. They switch because they failed the original broadcaster and, if picked up by someone else, have the cloud of "someone else's garbage" hanging over it. Secondly is the cost. Shows on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC simply cost more to produce that shows on cable. This is why there's always talk of behind-the-scenes upheaval (cast, crew, budget, etc.) when a potential move is being discussed. And finally, history shows that outside of a few notable exceptions, the overwhelming majority of network jumps don't pan out in the long run. Of the aforementioned shows, so far only six ("The Contender," "For Your Love," "JAG," "Making the Band," "Mysterious Ways" and "The Surreal Life") went on to run longer on their new networks than their original ones.

At the end of the day, switching networks is a rare feat. So while we hear the cries of "HBO should pick up 'X!'" or "Syfy should pick up 'Y!'" each year, the reality is that the hurdles involved - cost, perception and risk - are only overcome by the very few.

TOMORROW: The iTunes, Hulu and DVD question.

* was intended to move to PAX from the start





  [october 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[10/24/25 - 02:30 PM]
Video: First Look at Upcoming New Drama "Memory of a Killer" Starring Patrick Dempsey and Michael Imperioli - Premiering This January on FOX
Dempsey stars as a hitman, Angelo Doyle, leading a dangerous double life while hiding an even deadlier personal secret - he has developed early onset Alzheimer's.

[10/24/25 - 02:02 PM]
"20/20" Is Friday's Most-Watched Newsmagazine Across the Board
In addition, "20/20" posted its best Adults 25-54 in more than four months.

[10/24/25 - 02:01 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 Across the Board, Leading NBC in All Key Demos for the 4th Straight Week
"Nightline" grew year to year across the board: Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49.

[10/24/25 - 01:05 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Makes Television History - Rising for Fifth Straight Week
The October 21 episode scored 6.63 million Total Viewers and a 1.38 rating among Adults 18-49, hitting new season highs in both demographics.

[10/24/25 - 08:01 AM]
Netflix Announces "Hollywood Arts," A Brand-New Spinoff of Hit Live-Action, "Victorious," with Daniella Monet Returning as Star and Executive Producer
The series is set to debut on Netflix in 2026, followed by releases on Nickelodeon and Paramount+.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.