Movie Box Review

Maybe ABC should have left "Bitches" in the title.

ABC:  GCB (aka Good Christian Bitches, aka Good Christian Belles) had a very unimpressive debut, a 2.2 that was way below Pan Am's premiere in the fall.  (In fairness, the DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES lead-in to Pan Am was a lot higher than last night's rating.)  GCB wasn't able to win its hour, and considering that it was only 0.2 ahead of 3rd place CSI Miami, the likelihood is that once it settles into post-premiere numbers, it'll be in last place at 10PM.  ABC was hoping this could be the show that inherits the 9PM Housewives slot next season, but the signs aren't good.  Meanwhile, Housewives itself, as it nears the home stretch of its run (7 episodes left), was up a nice 0.3 from its pre-Oscar week airing.  The queen of ABC's Sunday night, though, is ONCE UPON A TIME, with a terrific 3.4 that was more than a half-point higher than anything else on network TV last night.

NBC:  CELEBRITY APPRENTICE, like every other major reality franchise this year (except The Voice), is substantially down from last season, in the neighborhood of 30%.  (Things aren't going to improve much next week, when its lead-in becomes Harry's Law, a show even CBS thinks skews old.)  But the show still won the 10PM hour, and a win is a win.

CBS:  Even with a solid 2.8 lead-in from THE AMAZING RACE, THE GOOD WIFE took a tumble to a season low 1.8, and while the show probably isn't in danger of cancellation--it's the only classy drama on the network--it had better hope those upscale viewers don't go anywhere.  (It'll be interesting to see what happens March 25, when Mad Men, a show that defines "upscale," makes its return in the same timeslot.)  CSI MIAMI was only 0.1 above its own season low, but faced atypical competition with the much-hyped GCB premiere.

FOX:  Another day at the office for the animation line-up, with every show within 0.1 of its rating 2 weeks ago.  FAMILY GUY and THE SIMPSONS, though, are down 25-30% from last season's average.

It's Monday, and that means SMASHWatch is on.  Tonight is the show's opportunity to hold or even increase last week's rating, thanks to repeats on both ABC and CBS.  Also, tonight was meant to be the 2-hour season finale of ALCATRAZ, but due to last week's rescheduled NASCAR race, it's just a 2-hour episode.  CBS and CW are all-rerun, and CASTLE is a repeat after a new BACHELOR.  

CBS fell to a weak second-place for the night (2.1 rating from 7-11 pm).  Amazing Race rebounded nicely to its premiere of this cycle after a rough outing last week against the Oscars and not too far off last year's pace (2.8 last night and 3.2 on the same night last year, a nominal decline compared to so many other shows).  But Good Wife just can't get it going at 9 pm, on track for another season low, while CSI: Miami flirts with its season low at 10.  Last year on this night: 60 Minutes (1.7), Amazing Race (3.2), Undercover Boss (3.0) and CSI: Miami (2.9).    





NBC was basically off the air from 7-9 pm with Dateline (1.0) and a repeat Celebrity Apprentice from 8-9 (1.1).  The original episode of the Trump reality show from 9-11 pm averaged a 2.3 (rating by half hour: 2.2... 2.3... 2.3... 2.4).   A definite rebound from last week's outing versus the Oscars but well off last year's pace and surprisingly lower than the cycle-premiere rating.  On this night last year:  Dateline (1.4), America's Next Great Restaurant (1.8) and Celebrity Apprentice (3.1).

NBC has unaccountably decided not to air a midseason schedule consisting of a test pattern and the words "For the love of God, bring back football..." scrolling at the bottom of the screen.  On the contrary, today they announced several notable premieres and moves:

Monday:  As expected, THE VOICE will return to run 8-10PM, followed by the new musical drama SMASH.

Tuesday:  BIGGEST LOSER continues 8-10PM, but starting Feb 28, it will be followed by the new reality show FASHION STAR, with PARENTHOOD, which as a serialized series repeats horribly, taking a break.  However, no word as yet on when or where on the schedule Parenthood will reappear.

Wednesday:  In a movie that makes sense, UP ALL NIGHT will be moving to Thursday with the other single-camera comedies, and the network will launch a multi-camera hour they hope will appeal to young women, with WHITNEY followed by the new ARE YOU THERE, VODKA?  IT'S ME, CHELSEA.  Then the newsmagazine ROCK CENTER, displaced by Smash on Mondays, takes the 9PM slot, followed by SVU.

Thursday:  30 ROCK returns to the schedule at 8PM, followed by PARKS & RECREATION, THE OFFICE and now UP ALL NIGHT.  No word on where this leaves COMMUNITY.  At 10PM, PRIME SUSPECT (not officially cancelled, but clearly on life support) is replaced by the new series version of THE FIRM.

Friday:  Once CHUCK is properly buried, the reality show WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE will be the lead-in to GRIMM, followed by DATELINE.

Saturday:  Reruns, reruns, reruns.

Sunday:  The unfillable hole where football used to be will be covered over with DATELINE, HARRY'S LAW and CELEBRITY APPRENTICE.  It's fair to say there will be a ratings decline on this night.

So where does all this leave the Peacock?  Clearly Monday is set up as the big night of the week.  Tuesdays will likely stay more or less as is in the ratings, and although the Whitney/Chelsea hour is logical, it's not likely to be high-rated.  Thursday should get an uptick with 30 Rock and Up All Night in the place of Community and Whitney, and The Firm very much a question mark.  On Fridays, 8PM will improve on Chuck because, well, anything would improve on Chuck.  And Sundays will see a huge, inevitable decline from the halcyon days of football.