FX Feels Series Ratings Heat
Competing Originals Weaken Early Nielsen Returns For ‘Dirt,’ ‘Riches’
By R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 3/21/2008 11:36:00 AM
The competition is evidenlty finally catching up to FX.
Increased original fare from cable networks such as AMC, Oxygen and Black Entertainment Television are contributing to the sluggish ratings start of its two sophomore series The Riches and Dirt, both of which are down double digits from last season’s viewer performances.
Three weeks since its March 2 debut, Dirt – starring Courtney Cox as an unscrupulous tabloid magazine editor – is averaging 1.6 million viewers in its Sunday 10 p.m. timeslot, 25% below the 2.1 million viewers generated for its January-to-March 2007 run. In the network’s target 18-49 demo, the show is down 29% to 1.1 million viewers from 1.5 million in 2007.
Similarly, the March 18 debut of The Riches drew 1.5 million viewers, well below the 4.5 million that the series – which stars Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard – generated in its March premiere episode last year.
FX senior vice president of planning and research Steve LeBlang said both shows are up against much stronger competition than last year, which accounts for much of the show’s declining viewership numbers.
Indeed, Dirt is pitted head to head against AMC’s Bryan CranstonstarrerBreaking Bad, which is averaging 1.3 million viewers and 805,000 viewers in 18-49 demo. Last year Dirt was up against repeats of TNT’s The Closer and first-run episodes of BET’s reality series College Hill.
As for The Riches, the series’ sophomore debut butted heads with new episodes of BET’s College Hill Atlanta and Black Poker Stars, as well as Bravo’s new reality series The Real Housewives of New York City. College Hill Atlanta averaged 1.9 million viewers, while Black Poker Stars -- a celebrity tournament featuring such stars as Anthony Anderson -- drew 877,000 viewers.
Bravo’s Real Housewives drew a series high 944,000 viewers against The Riches in the 10 p.m. timeslot.
Not that last season was a cakewalk for The Riches: The series had to wrestle with perennial ratings grappler World Wrestling Entertainment’s Raw series and MTV’s popular reality series The Hills, as well as repeat episodes of Law and Order on TNT.
“Five years ago there was a small list of original series that cable networks were offering in prime time,” LeBlang said. “This year cable networks are offering 59 original series in total during the 2007-08 season, a five-fold increase since 2002.”
In addition, LeBlang said that new technologies such as DVRs and TIVOs have cut into the premiere audiences for Dirt and The Riches. Last year, DVR numbers for both shows added 300,000 more viewers to the overall tally, and LeBlang expects a similar increase this year.
In other FX news, the network announced it will debut the third season of its reality series 30 Days on June 3. The six-installment season will find creator and host Morgan Spurlock working in a coal mine and living on a Native American reservation. In past seasons, Spurlock spent 30 days living on minimum wage in Columbus, Ohio, and served a month incarcerated in a county jail in Richmond, Va.
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I agree the increase of cable original series is hurting the ratings for these shows.
However they do seem to be holding their own against there competition. They are fresh and edgy unlike anything else out there. It would be a shame to loose them. I'm already awaiting a third season and second has just begun.
Suzi Corbitt - 3/22/2008 11:25:00 PM EDT -
Except for Law Order I've never heard or obviously watched the non FX shows. Nor do I want to. Dirt and The Riches are without question the best of them
all. It would be a shame if FX where dumb enough not to bring Dirt and The Riches back next season. There is nothing at all like The Riches on T.V. It's a totally different concept and very edge of your chair!!
Lynn - 3/22/2008 10:53:00 PM EDT -
Well i think it would be a very great shame if ,"The Riches " ,did not get a third series.I dont have cable but am eagerly awaiting my dvd of the first series and did manage to catch a few episodes of that series thanx to friends.It is beautifully acted by the entire cast,but i must single out Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver as superb performances.The storyline has plenty of room for expansion and new areas of exploration and it is a smashing watch.People dont mean a lot to networks.figures do i suppose ,as your article demonstates but a million plus are watching without any real advertising, repeats or weight from the network.And its been off screen for a year,it needs a third series and deserves one.
moira davison - 3/22/2008 9:53:00 PM EDT
