And they're off... ! As the new US TV season gets under way this week, UK buyers will be nervously awaiting the ratings from America for their latest purchases.
Within a month, it's a safe bet that several of the shows bought by UK broadcasters on the basis of pilots over the summer will have been canned by the US networks because of poor ratings.
Read about week 2 of the new US TV season here.
Here's the leader board for week 1 new launches: Brothers & Sisters - 16.1m Shark - 15m Studio 60 - 13.4m Six Degrees - 13.3m Jericho - 11.4m Smith - 10.7m The Class - 10.6m Kidnapped - 7.5m Justice - 5.7m
Monday was the first day of the US 2006-07 TV season. Here's how some newbies did:
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin's hotly anticipated new NBC drama, bought by Channel 4 and due to launch in the UK early next year.
Began with 13.4 million viewers, landing in second place in a tough 10pm slot against established CBS hit CSI: Miami. Mediaweek ratings man Marc Berman marked Studio 60 down as one of Monday's winners; Variety reckoned "NBC might have hoped for stronger initial sampling". Both highlighted a drop off in audience in the show's second half hour as potentially a bad sign.
The Class: CBS sitcom starring Brits Sean Maguire and Lucy Punch, from Friends producer David Crane. Bought by Channel 4.
Led off CBS' Monday primetime schedule at 8pm with 10.6 million viewers, coming second in the slot behind NBC's Deal or No Deal in total viewers, 3rd among 18-49 year olds. Mediaweek's Berman puts the show in his could be better/could be worse category; Variety rates it "good but not great" - like Studio 60's first night numbers.
Vanished: Fox's high concept thriller is actually in its fifth week, having been launched in August to try and get it established before the autumn competition hotted up. Bought by Channel Five.
Running at 9pm after Prison Break (in its second series, also a Five show), Vanished drew 7.5 million viewers, ending up fourth in its slot behind rival shows on NBC, CBS and NBC. Prison Break had 9.4 million at 8pm, putting it third in the slot in total viewers, but second among the advertiser friendly 18-49s. Mediaweek's Berman reckons Vanished is a loser; Variety pointed out that it improved on last Monday's lowest rating episode to date, against tougher competition.
Tuesday September 19:
Smith: new CBS drama starring Ray Liotta as a criminal mastermind, launched with 10.7 million viewers at 10pm, placing it 3rd in the slot in total audience, 2nd in 18-49s. Competition at 10pm for drama, bought by ITV, included a second season debut for ABC's Boston Legal, with 11.6m; and the start of the 8th run of NBC veteran Law & Order: SVU (14.3m). Berman's verdict on Smith: positive start; Variety: solid but unspectacular.
Standoff: third episode of Fox's new drama - a Sky One buy - starring Ron Livingston and Rosemarie DeWitt as FBI hostage negotiators who are dating sank to its lowest audience yet, 7.9m, & fourth place at 9pm. Berman: loser; Variety: on a par with previous week.
Wednesday September 20:
Jericho: post nuclear apocalypse CBS drama, bought by ITV. Launched with 11.4m, landing second in the 8pm slot behind ABC's Dancing With the Stars (14.9m). Berman: winner.
Kidnapped: NBC thriller, a Channel 4 buy, debuted with 7.5m, 3rd in the 10pm slot. Berman: loser.
Justice: Jerry Bruckheimer legal drama for Fox, coming to Living TV. Attracted 5.7m, placed fourth in viewers; fifth in 18-49s. Berman: loser.
Thursday September 21:
Two US ratings heavyweights, ABC's Grey's Anatomy and CBS' CSI, returned for new series slugging it out at 9pm. And medical drama Grey's Anatomy came out on top, with 25.1m viewers, against CSI's 22m. Both are on Five & Living TV in the UK.
In the 10pm slot, newbie dramas Shark and Six Degrees lost out to NBC's old warhorse, ER, debuting for its 13th series. CBS' Shark, bought by Five, stars James Woods as a hot shot lawyer, and launched with 15m; while ABC's Six Degrees, coming to ITV from Lost creator JJ Abrams, debuted on 13.3m. ER had 15.6m. Berman: both Shark and Six Degrees were "sampled but considerable tune out".
The US version of The Office (UK: ITV2) returned to NBC at 8.30pm with 9.1m viewers, landing third in the slot. Before it on NBC, the 2nd series of My Name is Earl (UK: Channel 4) returned with 8.9m at 8pm, also coming third in its slot.
Sunday September 24:
Desperate Housewives (UK: Channel 4) began its third series at 9pm on ABC with 23.9m, making it one of the top rating US network shows of the week - though nearly 5m down on last September's 2nd series launch episode. In the same slot, CBS' Cold Case (UK: Sky One), opened its fourth run with 15.9m.
New ABC drama Brothers & Sisters (UK: Channel 4) - starring Calista Flockhart, Rachel Griffiths and Sally Field - launched at 10pm with 16.1m, thanks to a hefty inheritance from Desperate Housewives. But it was still beaten by CBS' Without a Trace (UK: Channel 4), starting a new series with 17.4m.
