You have questions. I have some answers.
Q: Can you explain how data concerning TV viewers is captured to determine a show's ratings? Does the process include viewers who record a show to watch it later? What about viewers who watch shows that are streamed online? Is there a direct correlation between advertising fees and ratings?
A: TV ratings have been controversial over the years, especially when a seemingly popular show is cancelled because advertisers won't buy time in it _ say, because they think the audience is too old. (As TV critic Scott Pierce once said, "It isn't so much that the shows had been around for a while, it's that the people who watch them have been around for a while.") But the best-known ratings service, the Nielsen Company, promises its customers a "constant, real-time stream of information, revealing tuning behavior during programs and commercials. We can tell clients which commercials are being watched, as well as which ones have the strongest engagement and impact. We analyze which position in the program or commercial block is most effective for a specific brand and which markets will create the best return on investment for brands."
Nielsen measures viewership through in-home meters, which "can identify who is watching and when, including 'time-shifted' viewing _ the watching of recorded programming up to seven days after an original broadcast. ... Chosen at random through proven methodology, Nielsen's U.S. TV families represent a cross-section of representative homes throughout the country." Meters measure viewing nationally and locally, along with paper diaries during the major ratings "sweeps" periods (February, May, July and November) _ you know, when seemingly every TV episode and local newscast acts as if it's "very special." Nielsen is also tracking mobile-device viewing via "census-style data from third parties."
Then it's up to the advertisers and programmers to decide what to do with that information.
Q: In the opening of "Blades of Glory" there is an opera song and it's also played on "The Sopranos." Please tell me the name of the song and who is singing it.
A: That's "Con Te Partiro" (also known as "Time to Say Goodbye"), sung by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. Not from an opera, it was written for Bocelli and is one of his best-known songs; it has appeared on several soundtracks and been covered by other artists, including _ yes _ Vampire Weekend.
Q: Do you know when or if there will be a third season of "The Carmichael Show"? Why are seasons 1 and 2 not on DVD?
A: NBC has ordered another round of the topical comedy, although I have not seen a return date. The timing of DVD releases of shows varies, especially with other options such as on demand, streaming and downloads cutting into purchases of shows on disc. Amazon Video has the first two Carmichael seasons, as does iTunes. And, at this writing, five episodes from the second season are on NBC.com.
Q: I loved "Justified" and have been searching for news of its return. Any idea if it will be coming back? And if so, when?
A: You're not alone in loving the drama based on the Elmore Leonard novella "Fire in the Hole," and inspired by the tone and style of Leonard's work, even after his death in 2013. But star Timothy Olyphant and showrunner Graham Yost decided to end the series in 2015 after six seasons. "Our biggest concern is running out of story and repeating ourselves," Yost told the Hollywood Reporter at the time. "This was a long conversation. There were financial incentives to keep going, but it really felt, in terms of story, that six years felt about right."
