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"Kings" Is an Even Bigger Flop On Saturday Nights

By Seth Freilich | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (18)

kings-butterfly.jpg

NBC recently pulled “Kings” from its Sunday night home because it weren’t doing so well in the ratings. And when they announced it would air in the dead zone of Saturdays at 8, the writing was on the wall. Too bad, really, because although it’s not without its flaws, it has some really good elements, and it was just something different. Different is good sometimes.

Well the ratings may have been bad on Sundays, but they were an unmitigated disaster last Saturday — last week’s airing was the least watched network show of the night, pulling in a 0.6 rating among the treasured 18-49 demographic (that means that only 0.6% of all 18-49 year-olds in the country watched the show). So NBC has decided to yank the show until after sweeps, and its current plan is to start burning off the remaining seven episodes in the same time slot on June 13.

But here’s what bugs me — Saturday night’s airing was followed by reruns of “Law & Order: SVU” and “Southland” (sorry Dustin, you’re dead wrong — this show is horseshit), which only pulled in 0.9 and 0.7 ratings, themselves, in that 18-49 demo. Not exactly bottled lightening, you know? And so I’m skeptical that the reruns of the fading “Law & Order” that are gonig to air in place of “Kings” for the next month+ are really going to do that much better. Plus, we don’t know what the DVR plus-seven numbers look like yet (that is, the number of folks who record the show and watch it within a week), but I gotta figure that number has be higher for new episodes of “Kings” than for “Law & Order.”

Besides, Saturday’s the dumping ground — it’s where shows are supposed to crawl up in the corner and die. So why you gotta punish “Kings” for doing exactly what everyone expected, NBC? And now I gotta wait another 6 weeks to see some more of my Ian McShane? Cocksucker.









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Comments

Well, so much for the hope that one of the few new shows that wasn't about cops, lawyers, doctors or forensic scientists pretending to be all of those would prosper in this market. Dammit all.

Posted by: MrSparkle at April 22, 2009 1:21 PM

Without this site, I would've forgotten that this show was on at all. NBC was promoting the shit out of it around the Super Bowl, then nothing.
I just hope The Unusuals gets a fair shot.

Posted by: Kballs at April 22, 2009 1:34 PM

Oh, is THAT what happened to it? Hubby and I looked for it on Sunday and were baffled. Way to go NBC!

Posted by: Reba at April 22, 2009 1:48 PM

Seth Freilich- you really hate, Ben Mckenzie, don't you? You trashed and ridiculed his acting in the O.C. You trashed him in "Junebug" and "Johnny Got His Gun" and now you call his show "horseshit". What gives?
It's a good thing most critics (and audiences) don't agree with you.

Posted by: cohen at April 22, 2009 2:11 PM

Oh, they moved that? I kinda lost interest in it a few weeks ago.

Posted by: lizzieborden at April 22, 2009 2:28 PM

Ya know, between this and the probable canceling of Chuck I'm about ready to tell network tv to shove it up their asses. Or at least NBC.

Off to see about the cost of upping my sattelite package to include the premium channels. Or, whats good on DVD?

Posted by: hersheygirl at April 22, 2009 2:35 PM

This is one of those shows that I kept meaning to watch, then just completely forgot about. It looked good, but who the hell watches network tv on Saturday? And I don't have DVR, so there's very little chance I'll watch it. Too bad.

Posted by: figgy at April 22, 2009 2:39 PM

If it wasn't for my DVR I would've missed the Saturday show completely. Had no idea of the move.

But without Sunday Night Football, why are people going to watch NBC on Sundays? Its all filler until football returns. If they dont have quantity they could of at least put some quality.

Fuckers

Posted by: L.O.V.E. at April 22, 2009 3:03 PM

I never fail to be amazed at how US networks mess around with tv shows.
It seems the idea of letting a show gradually gain an audience is anathema to them. Not every good show is an instant hit. Some of the best have been slow burners. But to the current crop of network fucknozzles, a show has to have a hit like crack, or it's off to the knacker's yard with it!
It's frustrating and utterly absurd.

Posted by: Tarn at April 22, 2009 3:59 PM

This sucks. Kings is one of the few good new shows. I am so sick of all the cop shows and reality crap and this was a nice little gem of a show. Sure, like all shows it isn't perfect, but for a first season I thought it was far better assembled than most.

Posted by: evie at April 22, 2009 6:40 PM

This would be a interesting contrast with Caprica if they could have moved it to SciFi instead of killing it.

Posted by: idiosynchronic at April 22, 2009 6:46 PM

I hate to point out but even though Southland's ratings on Saturday were not that good, it was also a rerun 2 days after the original air date. Kings on the otherhand was a first run episode. It did worse than the repeats!

Posted by: Diddle at April 22, 2009 9:10 PM

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Posted by: 11 at April 22, 2009 11:25 PM

'Diddle'...agreed however i don't believe NBC promoted Kings that well. It's like they spent all that money and didn't know what to do with it.

They should stop developing shows that aren't hospital drama's or police drama's. As it seems they don't know what to do with them.

Why premiere a new show on Sunday night? Looks like NBC just dumped the show because they didn't know what to do with it.

Anyway the DVD will be out soon...RIP Kings...:(

Posted by: Neena at April 23, 2009 5:46 AM

NBC, is crazy for pulling Kings. It's a pretty good show that I regularly record on and watch from the DVR. I missed he pilot episode and wound up catching it on Hulu. Think NBC - Seinfeld's numbers weren't that great out of the gate either (not comparing the two mind you...)

Posted by: Orlanzo at May 4, 2009 6:52 PM

Alright NBC corporate money hounds, You pulled our reason to watch an artfully written series and although we know our opinion will fall on deaf ears, permit me to impart a thought; just tell me how to purchase the series on Video. It's that good.
Yankin the show the way you did was a total disrespect that we won't forget. Not everyone is hanging on whose gonna be the next American Idol. Some of us can appreciate a fine work.

Posted by: Juan B at May 14, 2009 2:03 AM

Allow me to add: Another rookie cop show! Please..Been done to death.. And Conan coming to the Tonight Show...will finish killing the "classy intellectual monologues" Johnny stamped on the show's history.

Posted by: Juan B at May 14, 2009 2:11 AM

I really enjoyed "Kings" because it was different than the shows that seem to be robotically pumped out of the networks like another, pre-arranged Disney pop band. My husband and I were totally disappointed when it wasn't on anymore all of a sudden. My tiny opinion won't change anything, but at least someone will know there are some of us out there who could care less about all the "CSI" and reality shows. Thanks!! :)

Posted by: Mary Anne at May 31, 2009 10:48 AM