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Ratings Report: Are You Smarter Than A Wedding Planner?
by Dan Gomez
Before we begin this ratings report, let me hit you with some TV lingo: Hammocking.
This is when a network schedules a new series, usually one they have high hopes for, between two highly popular, highly rated shows in the hopes that the new show will pick up viewers from the previous show. Still with me? Ok.
Because of Hammocking, TV viewers were forced to watch years of such unfunny sitcoms as "Suddenly Susan" and "Caroline in the City" but it also gave us great shows like "Seinfeld". Now that the vocabulary lesson is over, we can get to the real reason for this blog.
"American Idol" was far and away the most watched show Wednesday night with 28.6 million people tuning in but FOX's strategy to hammock (there's that word) the premiere of "The Wedding Bells," David E. Kelley's new drama about wedding planners, between Idol and the local news failed. 16 million viewers left the new series at the altar after "Idol" ended.
Now compare that to last week’s ratings for FOX's "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” The Jeff Foxworthy game show debuted last Tuesday with 26.5 million viewers and for the three nights it aired after "Idol," it only dropped an average of 4 million people.
Even critical favorite "House" has been getting a boost in the ratings thanks to "Idol." I guess America would rather watch cute elementary school kids and cantankerous doctors than the trials and tribulations of wedding planners. Well Mr. Kelley, they can't all be "Ally McBeal".
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