NYTimes: Writers are back but audiences for their TV shows are not

An article from the New York Times about lagging ratings for post-WGA strike shows.

"During the past two weeks network television has finally returned to a relatively full complement of scripted shows, but viewers seem to be in shorter supply, even for television’s biggest hits. Shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Desperate Housewives” on ABC, “C.S.I.” on CBS and “House” on Fox have come back with first-run episodes and recorded ratings among the lowest in their recent histories."

Dramas are the ones that seem to be hit the most because of season long story lines that have been broken by the months long strike.

"A major concern for television executives is that some viewers may have lost (or abandoned) the thread of continuing story lines for some dramas, especially serialized or soapy ones like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Desperate Housewives. In addition, the strike’s length and the irregular schedule for bringing back network shows have confused viewers. “They haven’t been aware the shows are on again,” Preston Beckman, chief scheduler for Fox, said."

Comedies on the other hand have resurfaced unphased or experiencing even higher ratings.

"CBS’s lineup of Monday comedies has returned impressively, especially the network’s 9 p.m. hit, “Two and a Half Men.” NBC’s comedy “The Office” also has performed at or near its best ratings of the season. And Fox’s animated hit “Family Guy” returned on Sunday with a strong performance. The explanation for this success is simple, said David F. Poltrack, chief research officer for CBS. “Comedies don’t have continuing story lines,” he said. Viewers can always jump into a comedy without fear of being lost in a story line they may have forgotten.

you can read the rest of the article, TV Dramas Feel Brunt of Strike Fallout, on the NYTimes website.

personally, i feel as those i have been relatively unaffected by the return of TV writers, with the exception of 30 Rock which i adore and value higher with every new episode, and The Office which i watch out of hopes that it will get out of its slump of predictability and mis-steps in story and slipping jokes(ie. Michael does something crazy, everyone is dumbfounded and shocked). with the exception of those two network shows, and everything that is shown on HBO (television gold), i could care less if people stopped watching common denominator shows like Lost or House or Desperate Housewives.

speaking of HBO, David Cross and Bob Odenkirk (makers of Mr. Show, writers/actors on the short lived Ben Stiller show), have been greenlit to make a new show. i'll make a detailed post about it soon.