PERFORMANCE/SCHEDULE ANALYSIS
(Updated as of August 2, 2009)
CURRENT AND SIGNATURE PROGRAMS:
BRIDEZILLAS (REALITY)
Follows the worst of the worst brides in the days and weeks leading up to their weddings.
Status: Currently airing.
I WANT TO SAVE YOUR LIFE (REALITY)
This undercover intervention series will attempt to save the life of an overweight person whose family is concerned for their well-being.
Status: Premiere Date: April 25th at 10pm. Eight, 30 minute eps. Produced by High Noon Entertainment.
LITTLE MISS PERFECT (REALITY)
WE tv is taking on the controversial world of kids beauty pageants in a new documentary series. The network has ordered six one-hour episodes which follow Florida families entering their 5 to 11-year-old daughters in a beauty competition. The show will follow the luxurious daily lives of the rich and famous as they shop their way through ultra-expensive stores to buy outrageous things.
Status: Premiere Date: February 18th at 10pm.
MOST POPULAR (REALITY)
A new game show featuring an all-female jury judging seven contestants with one ultimately named "Most Popular".
Status: Premiere Date: August 2009. Six, 1-hour episodes.
RAISING SEXTUPLETS (REALITY)
After a two year struggle to conceive, Jenifer and Brian Masche find themselves with sextuplets.
Status: Premiere Date: June 11th at 10pm. Six, 1-hour episodes.
MAY 2009 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
TOP PRIMETIME SHOWS:
PLATINUM WEDDINGS, GOLDEN GIRLS, BRIDEZILLAS, THE LOCATOR, 20/20 ON WE, WOMEN BEHIND BARS, 48 HOURS ON WE, I WANT TO SAVE YOUR LIFE, CINEMATHERAPY
SCHEDULING STRATEGIES:
Structurally, these folks obviously care about predictability and stability. In June, schedule changes were predictably minor. The successful CINEMATHERAPY-BRIDEZILLAS one-two punch moved from Thursday to Friday. AMAZING WEDDING CAKES and RAISING SEXTUPLETS each showed up in two new slots.
If schedule simplicity remains a hallmark at WEtv, its range of offerings is instructive to anyone contemplating a pitch there. GOLDEN GIRLS, a 1985-1992 ensemble (of older women) sitcom, 20/20 ON WE, and WOMEN BEHIND BARS might all be said to tell stories in ways that have been around for a long, long time. RAISING SEXTUPLETS, BRIDEZILLAS, I WANT TO SAVE YOUR LIFE and AMAZING WEDDING CAKES are all more hip to 21st Century structuring and packaging. They all coexist in a coherent, female-friendly schedule.
UPCOMING PREMIERES:
**September 27th - MY FAIR WEDDING (season #2) at 10pm.
MAY 2009 PRIMETIME RATINGS ANALYSIS:
May 2009 vs. May 2008 Ratings
Yearly % change* H'hold F25-54 P25-54
Monday 8-11pm 57% 15% --
Tuesday 8-11pm -36% -24 % -33%
Wednesday 8-11pm -36% -32% --
Thursday 8-11pm -17% -16% -23%
Friday 8-11pm 6% 13% 10%
Saturday 8-11pm -35% -21% -29%
Sunday 8-11pm 21% 0% -5%
MTWTFSS 8-11pm -13% -11% -14%
*The Nielsen Company's National Television Audience Sample
The stable schedule delivered a stable increase of HH 5% month-to-month. But beneath that calm surface, there were some significant ups and downs. .
Sunday nights were up again, with a combination that really works: Two BRIDEZILLAs at 8pm and 9pm, followed by AMAZING WEDDING CAKES. This neat package was way up in May, and it was up again in June, by HH 48%, F18-49 33% and F25-54 32%.
Friday's powerful CINEMATHERAPY-BRIDEZILLAS combination (moved from Thursday last month) boosted its new night 60% with younger women and 42% among older female viewers. And the hole left by CINEMATHERAPY's move was filled very effectively on Thursday nights with a mix dominated by RAISING SEXTUPLETS. Thursdays were up F18-49 60% and F-25-54 33%. Sunday, Thursday and Friday benefit from good flow, as well as popular titles. Original productions prevail here, too.
The bad news: all other nights were off, month-to-month. Monday's GOLDEN GIRLS, Tuesday's WOMEN BEHIND BARS and Wednesday's 20/20 ON WE fell HH 15%, HH 6% and HH 11%, respectively. These all-night stacks, while relatively inexpensive up-front, may ultimately prove costly if such trends last.
Year-to-year, Monday through Sunday was down HH 13%, which has got to be worrying. Anyone walking through their doors with an inexpensive original production that can follow in the footsteps of June's Thursday, Friday and Sunday night offerings, might find an interested network executive.
Eight of the top ten telecasts in June were either BRIDEZILLAS or AMAZING WEDDING CAKES, with four each. And, despite Monday night's overall decline this month, six GOLDEN GIRLS episodes made it into the top 20 telecasts.
PROGRAM ACQUISITIONS:
GHOST WHISPERER (off-net CBS. Share with SciFi Channel)
GIRLFRIENDS (Off-net CW, last three seasons)
FBI FILES
PROGRAM RENEWALS:
THE LOCATOR (season #2, 14 episodes)
BRIDEZILLAS (season #6, 22 one-hour episodes, slated to debut June 2009)
PROGRAM CANCELLATIONS:
None announced.
