"Dancing" tramples the competition
We're not going to be doing this ratings update thing forever; just long enough for you to know which new shows you shouldn't be getting too closely attached to lest your heart be broken at their inevitable cancellations. So, Tuesday:
ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" steamrollered pretty much everything with 18 million viewers. It even dinged CBS's "NCIS," which stands up strong against "American Idol," but last night managed a soft (by its standards, at least; strong by most others) 13.1 million viewers. "House" had a similarly not-up-to-its-usual-juggernaut-standards 13.4 million viewers at 8 p.m. and NBC's "Deal or No Deal," forced into a placeholder's position, managed a mere 10.7 million viewers after doing so much better on Monday.
"Dancing" won the 9 p.m. hour, as well, with CBS's "The Unit" sturdy with 12. 1 million viewers and NBC's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" OK with 11.6 million. "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" perked up at 10 p.m. with 14.4 million viewers, good enough to win the hour.
And though today's Daily News named "Standoff's" Rosemarie DeWitt as someone worth keeping an eye on this season, the ratings imply you better not get too attached to her: "Standoff" got rolled by the competition at 9 p.m. with only 7.9 million viewers.
At 10 p.m., "Boston Legal" followed "L&O: SVU" with 11.6 million viewers. CBS's new "Smith," even without those pesky commercials, managed 10.7 million curious sets of eyes. Not bad, but given that cast, you'd be forgiven for expecting something more (from the numbers -- and, frankly, from the show itself).
Tonight, it's the end of the world as we know it on CBS's "Jericho;" will viewers feel fine?
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About this blog
David Kronke was appointed Mayor of Television after a bloodless coup in 2000. Since then, he has improved infrastructure, championed greater educational opportunities and fought for reforms that have utterly erased corruption and incompetence from the television industry. Since Mr. Kronke has ascended to power, Television is a far better place.
What the hell is this world coming to? "Dancing with the Stars"? Really?
I can only hope that you were misinformed about the ratings, because that is truly mind-boggling.
I must say, I watched a good chunk of the two-hour "Dancing With the Stars," and it was very, very entertaining. Sure the "stars" are C-list, but the whole drama of them learning their dance steps under the tutelage of a professional ballroom partner (how this sort of thing pays money is a mystery, though) and then doing it live -- with a live band and real singers, no less -- is pretty gosh-darned cool.
Then those three loopy "Idol-esque" judges weigh in. There are worse things on TV than watching Jerry Springer in a pinstriped pimp suit doing the quickstep, I assure you. Like "Jerry Springer" the talk show. Or "CSI: El Segundo."