LET THE FINALES BEGIN!

Let the Finales Begin!

Finale – Root: FINAL – but are they REALLY final? Not anymore. We have episode finales, mid-season finales and end of season finales. With all of these finales, how and when do we know when it is really over? And worse, when will it come back? You know, back in the day I would, and actually still do, look forward to the TV GUIDE Fall Preview issue that would come out in or around August. There are pictures of the casts of new shows, with synopses of course, and quick reviews of the returning shows. We could count on a “SEASON” to start in the fall and end about the time school let out for the summer. But now, the lines have been blurred to a point of non-existence. And the “SEASON” as we know it, where did that go? Now there are new seasons of shows popping up all the time.

Today the biggest difference in the Major Networks and the Cable Networks is the “SEASON”. As we have grown to find out the Cable Nets reduce their season to 8 to 13 Episodes and the Major Networks shoot for 18 to 24. And if you are a movie channel that produces your own programming – it could be as few as 6 for the series. Didn’t we call those Mini-Series? Heck, The Thorn Birds, Roots and Beulah Land (look it up) would be regular TV shows and not the Special TV Event that they were in the day. However, I digress.

The Major Nets tried to do what the Cable Nets do and shorten their Fall and Spring season for impact purposes; shorter fall season, a big cliffhanger in November or December and then return in February or March to railroad you into an even bigger cliffhanger in the spring. It works for the Cablies, why not? Well, they were wrong. The big boys on the block; Lost, Desperate Housewives, Heroes and even ER found that the SPLIT season sent viewers to the other side of the Island. We are finding that the Cablies are taking the opportunity to start their new shows when the Majors are deciding to take a few months off. Even ER, which started its season with a big bang by adding the ever-popular John Stamos to its cast, was trying to resurrect its lost viewers after a 7-week break.

The Majors are taking these breaks, in hopes, to lessen the amount of reruns during its normal season. That way you get 3 months of almost consistently new shows back to back. Then, they can commercially push the show to entice even more viewers to watch. But this doesn’t always work. Look at HEROES. It left for 7-weeks, it had a huge media push “Are you on the List” and came back with 3 million less viewers. 3 MILLION. That is more than the population of the City of Chicago. Mind Blowing.

So now, like 24, the Majors are looking into the quickie season. Start in January end in the spring. Give them a quick and hard season with very few reruns and knock it out of the park. OOOPS – wrong again. 24 is down this season too. Maybe the season starting almost 8 months later isn’t the answer either. But, I know other shows are already looking into this format.

So, what do they do? How do the Nets bring you back? The spring has shown lower viewership across the board. It is actually down by about 2.5 Million viewers. One problem may be the invent of the DVR/TIVO. The Nets and the ratings Gods don’t know how to track this miracle of modern science. They say that they will be able to track the show you are watching on your DVR/TIVO if you watch it within one day of its original broadcast. Now if you are anything like me - that NEVER happens. So, my vote isn’t counted. Hello???? We’re out here watching – WE PROMISE!!!!

In this SEASON of finales, don’t treat it as a time to move on and forget who your friends are. They will be returning SOON, we hope. Just because there is a new SUMMER season right around the corner doesn’t mean “out with the old and in with the new.” Try to spread the love. Keep the Majors striving to make you laugh, cry and wonder. I am not saying that the Cable Nets should not have your attention, because The Closer starts soon and Kyra Sedgwick has my attention any day.

THIS IS BEAU TALKS, AND

AFTER THESE MESSAGES, WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK.