Are The Bachelor's ratings ...
Question: Are
The Bachelor's ratings really that much better than
The Nine's, or is it just much cheaper to produce? I don't really need an answer, but my point is that crappy shows like
The Bachelor keep getting cranked out, and intriguing shows like
The Nine are given little chance to succeed. I am so disappointed in the lack of time the networks give to new shows. Some of the longest-running shows in television history weren't overnight successes, yet now some get pulled after two or three episodes. I allowed myself four new shows at the beginning of the fall season:
Brothers & Sisters,
The Nine,
Six Degrees and
Standoff. I agree with
Six Degrees' hiatus, as it was pretty over the top; but I feel a connection to
The Nine's characters and really want to know what happened during the rest of the 52 hours. I am glad that after all the bad press
Brothers & Sisters got, it appears to have some staying power. And
Standoff: Well, it is the right fit for Fox, so I think it will at least finish out the season.
Answer: What I'm taking from this rant is a sense of frustration that I'm feeling from so many viewers who invested time in this season's glut of serialized dramas. As I've said repeatedly, everyone knew going in that it was going to be a risk, and only a very few were destined to succeed. Right now, I'm cheering on
Brothers & Sisters,
Ugly Betty,
Men in Trees and, of course,
Friday Night Lights — and I'm glad
Heroes is a hit, although I'm still not entirely sold on its actual quality. To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised more shows haven't been outright canceled so far, and I can't for the life of me see what ABC sees in
What About Brian to give it a full-season commitment. But to address the initial question: There's no point in comparing shows like
The Bachelor with something like
The Nine. Even if it weren't a matter of economics (while reality shows are getting more expensive by the season, it's fair to say that
The Nine is way costlier), ABC needs fluff like
The Bachelor for very specific counterprogramming reasons. It's by no means one of the network's signature shows.
The Nine, however, was intended to be one of ABC's shows of the future, and its failure (both creatively and in the ratings) is among the network's biggest recent disappointments. Believe me when I say ABC would much rather have a
Nine working on its schedule than a
Bachelor, which is fading into obscurity, but not fast enough for most of us.
