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Year-end ratings put CBS on top

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For the seventh time in the last eight years, CBS has emerged as the overall ratings winner for network television.

Nielsen’s annual ratings report indicates that CBS was boosted to the top of the heap thanks to the record-breaking broadcast of the Super Bowl showdown between the Colts and the Saints. This year’s Super Bowl was the most-watched television broadcast in history, bringing in more than 106 million viewers for the network. CBS also scored the highest-rated scripted program of the year, in NCIS. CBS also boasts the three most popular new programs of the year: NCIS: Los Angeles, The Good Wife, and Undercover Boss.

In second place is Fox, who averaged about two million fewer viewers each night than CBS. But Fox scored a major victory of its own: a 3.6 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, which placed Fox on top in this all-important age range that advertisers seek the most. American Idol remains Fox’s juggernaut, earning the “number one show on television” status for the seventh year in a row.

ABC came in third place for the season, boosted heavily by Dancing With the Stars. NBC landed fourth in the broadcast network ratings, though if not for the Winter Olympics, its overall ratings for the season would have been down from last year.

The CW, unsurprisingly, came in fifth place.

CBS shows jumping ship?

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Ah, Spring. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and network TV shows are being renewed or canceled. Or… something else.

Deadline Hollywood (which admittedly is known for reporting rumors more than facts) has an interesting exclusive today: they’re reporting that CBS shows Ghost Whisperer and The New Adventures of Old Christine are under consideration to possibly move networks over to ABC.

Both shows — which have been successes for CBS for years — are currently “on the bubble,” which means that CBS is considering canceling them due to falling ratings. But if that should happen, ABC is ready to swoop in and save the day. Ghost Whisperer is currently paired with Medium on Friday nights; Medium jumped from NBC to CBS last year, so CBS losing Ghost Whisperer to ABC would be especially ironic.

ABC is reportedly interested in coupling Julia Louis Dreyfus’ Old Christine with The Middle, a show they believe has a similarly popular female sitcom star in Patricia Heaton.

Remini developing daytime show

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King of Queens star and practicing Scientologist Leah Remini may become the newest daytime TV star. She is reportedly developing a daytime show that will air in CBS. Details about the show are sketchy and being kept secret but it rumors are it’s not going be a the usual talk show formula.

Here’s hoping it’s not going to be a show where Remini talks about how cool Xenu is.

Jericho cancelled

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“Jericho” had a second shot at life when fans rallied to have it returned, but…it’s over, folks.

CBS has cancelled the show, with the season finale airing on Tuesday, March 25.

“Without question, there are passionate viewers watching this program; we simply wish there were more. We thank an engaged and spirited fan base for keeping the show alive this long, and an outstanding team of producers, cast and crew that went through creative hoops to deliver a compelling, high quality second season. We have no regrets bringing the show back for a second try. We listened to our viewers, gave the series an opportunity to grow, and the producers put a great story on the screen. We’re proud of everyone’s efforts,” said CBS in a statement.

About This Charlie Sheen/CBS Flap…

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You may be wondering why, if this is a website dedicated to television, you haven’t seen any coverage of Charlie Sheen‘s highly-publicized implosion. If that’s the case, then this post is for you.

1) Erati’s tagline is “TV With Brains.” That means we cover intelligent TV shows, stuff with rich substance and subtext and powerful human drama. A lot of our coverage is of genre TV, because almost all of the genre shows on today are asking the big, intelligent questions in thoughtful and creative ways. This outlook rarely lends itself to coverage of sitcoms.

2) I have never found Two and a Half Men funny. I know the show is the top-rated comedy on television, I know there are gazillions of fans. But every time I’ve come across an episode of the show, I watched as it went for the obvious joke every time. There’s no creativity, no sparkle or wit or intelligence to it. It’s paint-by-numbers comedy, and I’m embarrassed for the human race that this is what we think of as the epitome of television humor. You can do better, people!

3) While I’m not a fan of 2.5 Men, I do respect series creator Chuck Lorre. He’s gone on to other successes, such as The Big Bang Theory, and his much-discussed vanity cards at the end of every episode show that he’s a bright, self-deprecating man with a level head on his shoulders. His response to Charlie Sheen’s antics of late has shown class. My refusal to cover his show has nothing to do with Lorre himself.

4) Charlie Sheen is a tool. Witnessing his rantings and ravings against Chuck Lorre and the show that made him a star has been a study in classic narcissistic self-destruction. His ego is out of proportion, his lifestyle is dangerously out of control, and his grandiose level of self-involvement is nauseating. Despite claims to the contrary, every time he opens his mouth, the words that come out make it painfully obvious that he’s still drinking. You couldn’t write the special brand of crazy he’s spouting these days, and he’s burning an awful lot of bridges in the process. The man is a train wreck. Actually, it’s worse: he’s a caricature of a train wreck.

5) I’m sorry Charlie fans, but I don’t get why Sheen is such a highly-paid star. Everything I’ve ever seen the man in, he’s mugged to the camera with the same smirk on his face, and given the exact same delivery no matter the line or the scene. This wouldn’t be so bad if his one-note snarky sarcasm was at least funny. He ain’t all that. He’s a mediocre actor at best, and not deserving of the fame and fortune that’s been heaped on him.

If you want to follow the saga of Sheen vs. Lorre, there are plenty of places online you can find that. Rather than add to the noise, rather than provide this poor excuse for a man or his unfunny TV show with a platform, I’d rather write about things that have… you know… brains.

Buy all Two And A Half Men seasons on DVD here