Maybe it’s a relic of a bygone age, where only a few television networks fought it out in the battle to win your eyeballs for an evening or even an hour. But the new crop of fall TV is still being reported on, and the news is not good.
Here in Canada it’s the same-old same-old… Until the hockey season starts there will be no Canadian-made TV breaking into the top-ten of primetime shows. Digital Home Canada has posted the list of what 18-49 year-olds in this country watched most in the first week of the new season:
- House (Global) – 1.93 million
- Grey’s Anatomy (CTV) – 1.42 million
- Survivor: China (Global) – 1.34 million
- Heroes (Global) – 1.14 million
- CSI (CTV) – 1.11 million
- CSI Miami (CTV) – 1.1 million
- Desperate Housewives (CTV) – 1.01 million
- CSI New York (CTV) – 963,000
- Prison Break (Global) – 920,000
- Family Guy (Global) – 827,000
To dismiss the problem and say that Canadian-made TV drama and comedy can’t compete because it sucks is a bit simplistic; I’ll go a few steps further and say that it’s fundamentally broken, and will continue to be until the CRTC grows a pair and puts and end to the free ride that domestic advertisers and broadcasters get via signal substitution.
South of the border in the US and A Reuters is reporting a 7% in viewership for the same market segment. So where is everybody?
Some, like yours truly, are holding out until later in the season when Lost and other guilty pleasures make their return to the small screen. Others, also like yours truly, have their attention divided amongst many more channels in the digital cable universe. I personally split most of my television-watching time between BBC World and (big surprise) G4techTV. Many viewers further split their viewing time between that, BitTorrents of shows from other markets, video podcasts and more… Just like yours truly!
How about you? Where do you get your TV fix? If you’re 18-49 there are probably a lot of desperate TV execs out there who are dying to know!
7 Comments
I tried to watch most of the shows in the first week, to give them a chance. As usual the american shows came out in full force. Some were good (Heroes, Family Guy, Ugly Betty) some where pretty mediocre (Grey’s, CSI and *barf* Gossip Girl). But at the same time I try to watch the Canadian shows, like Corner Gas. I’m happy to see we have at least one Canadian stronghold. I also try to catch classics like This Hour Has 22 Minutes, the Rick Mercer Report, and The Hour. Basically, it looks like the only network bringing out good Canadian shows in volume is the CBC. Other highlights for me are catching the odd Miss Marple or Dr. Who. I’ve never really gotten into Canada’s crime shows.
But lets not forget BSG, one of the best Sci-Fi shows to date. Plus, I think its filmed in BC with mostly Canadian actors, which is a bonus.
And yet my bittorrent client if left wondering: Whatever happened to Top Gear?
AC:
I am TV-free in my digs. I don’t have cable and my apartment faces NE, so I don’t even get broadcast signals. Am I missing TV? Nope. If I want to watch a TV show, I’ll just wait for the inevitable DVD to appear at the video store. I plan on watching the Sopranos for the first time this winter, as soon as I get the urge to rent something.
Strangely, at work, I haven’t heard people talking about their shows as in past years, but I’ve been a bit busy and may have just missed the water cooler chats. Or maybe TV sucks so much even the suburbanites have given up on it?
Ed
Elias, hopefully you caught Top Gear’s “Drive to the North Pole” special on BitTorrent, at least… I’m a big of that show as well, but miss the half-hour version (without the celebrity guests and cool wall) on BBC World.
Ed, if the suburbanites have given up on TV does that mean they’re all skanking it up down at The Keg? Eww…
I did catch that actually. It was pretty awesome. I still have “Oh look its got babies! Sweeeeeeeet!” as my incoming text messaging sound. But where is the new Series? Wasn’t it winter sometime when they actually had a show on?
I caught Bionic Woman which is also shot in BC and has a very BSG feel … but that’s it. I haven’t sat down to watch TV for almost three years, aside from late night AOTS and X-Play on G4TechTV.
But now she has an excellent webcast webbalert so TV’s just about completely in the crapper.
Top Gear update for Elias:
Apparently there will be a new episode this Sunday:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/2wv2n7
Thanks, its about time they came out with something. And perhaps they should get over the Veyron. I know, its cool, and yes, it can go really really really fast, but aren’t there are other cars out there Top Gear?