CBS comedies, led by "Two and a Half Men," have scored the biggest ratings gains this season, while CW shows and ones that have moved to Friday are taking the biggest slides.
No show has fallen like NBC's soon-to-depart "Chuck," which is down to less than half its previous average rating. But ratings trends are ominous for many long-running dramas and reality shows.
The Friday losses are to be expected: The night, where "Chuck" is serving out its last season, has long been a TV no-man's land. And the CW losses aren't as severe as they look, because the network has such a targeted audience -- it focuses on young women -- that even minor drops can look huge in terms of percentages.
To track this fall's biggest ratings gainers and losers, TheWrap looked at Nielsen ratings in the 18-49 demographic, the one most important to advertisers, for every returning network show. We focused on gains and losses by percentage (see charts).
We looked at the start of the current fall season through the week of Nov. 13, compared to the equivalent time period last year.
CBS vs. CW
CBS, whose comedies dominate the list of shows on the upswing (left), co-owns the CW, where every returning show this season has been down.
Kelly Kahl, senior executive vice president of CBS primetime, is in charge of scheduling for both networks. While CBS's bright spots are more obvious, he points to promising starts for the new CW shows "Hart of Dixie," "Ringer," and "The Secret Circle."
And no, he doesn't worry that CBS could be pulling viewers from its younger cousin, which it owns with Warner Bros.
"I dont think we're cannibalizing the CW. It's not a zero sum game with ratings anymore," he said. Especially considering that so many CW users watch on DVR or online, he added, "for somebody to do better doesn't mean somebody else is doing worse."
Sliding CW dramas include "Gossip Girl" and "Nikita," both of which are down 33 percent. "Supernatural," meanwhile, is down 27.3 percent.
Aging Dramas and Reality Shows
Besides the CW and Friday shows, many dramas and reality shows have suffered significant slides, even as comedies thrive. Age seems to be taking a toll on dramas and reality shows, though not sitcoms, some of which are booming even after many seasons.
"Long-running dramas and some of these long-running reality shows are taking a hit. 'Dancing with the Stars,' 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,' 'Biggest Loser' and 'Top Model' are taking a beating," said Horizon Media senior vice president of research Brad Adgate. "I think these long-running entertainment genres have lost some steam. This reinforces that comedy is back on the upswing."
