TVRGs Best and Worst of 2020: Best New Reality TV Franchise

One of the better trends to emerge from the 2010's was a renewed marketing and franchising of Lego toys.  They've spawned countless successful films, and in 2017 the Brits put their television blocks into crafting Lego Masters.  One by one, other countries such as Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany laid out their bricks to replicate the same success.  The United States grabbed the platform in early 2020 and perfected the same success with an ultra-compatible lead-in, The Masked Singer.  Hosted flawlessly by Will Arnett, he not only helped solidify an evening which children could enjoy entertainment without brash adult humor, but helped FOX craft a solid hold on Wednesday evenings once again.

Having violated viewers with disgusting showing of Almost Family (read about that here with WORST FRESHMAN SCRIPTED SERIES), FOX brought morality back to table after its cancellation and got back to the basics.  Lego Masters also debuted at an opportune time as the world came unglued with the COVID-19 pandemic, and viewers needed comfort food to bring them back to simpler times.  What a better tool to use than a toy everyone grew up with?  Lego Masters takes more of a team-based approach to reality competition similar to The Amazing Race or gameshows like Family Feud.  And once again they proved reality TV does not have to be unpleasant drama or some overbearing soul screeching or crying into the camera.  It's a game!

Given COVID-19 decimated the television landscape with shutdowns trimming script orders, broadcast networks are likely leaning toward unscripted fares which are less costly.  Rather than delivering another run of the mill reality franchise which displays people at its worst, FOX chose to have one centered on building vs. destroying.  The designs and challenges also allow for escapism similar to competing franchises' expensive overseas shoots.  Lego Masters is COVID-friendly in a controlled setting and keeping the building blocks on the competition vs. a grab at exotic locations.  And the ratings delivered solid to above average, ranging between 0.9-1.2 after a landmark 1.6 debut.  These sturdy numbers already earned the series an expansion board into the 2020-21 season, and viewers cannot wait for some old fashion competition and fantasy.

TVRG’s Best And Worst: Most Entertaining Reality TV Show

Sex, violence and the weather seem to be what television networks think needs to create high ratings.  Be grateful FOX ignored that and launched The Masked Singer, a fun, family-friendly reality TV franchise updating the singing competition model made popular by The Voice and American Idol.  While both targeted the coveted teen and young adult audience, The Masked Singer targeted their kids and parents.  The costumes are fun, energetic and get the kiddies raving.  Long before wearing masks in 2020 became a frightening reality and political statement, FOX made it hip and left a little mystery to its viewers, something it long lacked.  Adults enjoy the mystery of cracking who's vocals are hidden behind the outrageous costumes.  All walks of life are welcome, no matter how old or young.  Parents have longed for the days their children could enjoy a family-friendly network show without suggestive elements being lined in, as well as not wanting to pull their hair out with shows only centered on children which can be found on PBS, Disney Junior or Nick Jr.

TVRG’s Best and Worst of 2020: Best Reality TV Franchise

For 19 television seasons (by calendar year, not by reality TV seasons), ABC's The Bachelor has delivered Mondays as solidly as scripted juggernaut Grey's Anatomy through good seasons and bleak.  And ABC has held more bleak seasons than prosperous during that run, and The Bachelor always delivers, nearly year round.  Designed as a fantasy/reality platform initially for ladies to market themselves to a luckless gentleman, ABC continually updates the format, most strongly with The Bachelorette.  The franchise is fun, beautiful and at times a bit saucy.  But there are several reasons viewers keep coming back.  It has multiple seasons and franchises scheduled throughout the year, and it has a taste for everyone.

TVRG’s Best and Worst of 2020 -- The Freshman Scripted Series You’re Not Watching

FOX pulled the rug out from underneath its fans in 2018 and shifted its priorities to dramas and unscripted series, and soaring into 1st Place this year was its coveted prize.  Along with this resurgence came tougher competition for its new series, which FOX seems heavily vested in developing.  Prodigal Son debuted on Mondays in the plum timeslot following 9-1-1's tsunami arc, and at the least has delivered 60-percent of its lead-in with ratings ranging from 0.7-1.0.  Solid indeed for 2020, but that is also bolstered and stacked against 9-1-1's 1.2-1.7 episode deliveries.

FOX went big at the risk of going broke with its pilots, choosing controversial choices such as Almost Family as well as Prodigal Son's icky concept of the son of a serial killer solving cases.  While less controversial than Almost Family, Prodigal Son pushes the envelope with violence, demonstrated when the lead Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne) chopped off a victim's arm in the pilot to save him from an explosion.  Where Prodigal Son moves past its controversies is its sympathetic lead Malcolm, a mentally fractured man scarred at his serial killer father Dr. Martin Whitly's (Michael Sheen) hands.  Now incarcerated, the sociopathic doctor manipulates and worms his way into his son's life by offering insight to help him solve current murders he is investigating.  The cast is appealing, and the chemistry is impeccable along with plot pacing.  The only element missing is stronger ratings.

Payne's performance is worthy of notice as he delivers sympathetic qualities to Malcolm while undermining it with his mental sabotage from the traumas.  It is unclear where FOX plans on scheduling Prodigal Son in the next season as it appears 9-1-1: Lonestar makes an ultra-compatible fit with its parent series.  Part of the appeal and charm of Prodigal Son being scheduled on Mondays was it made two sympathetic, flawed leads carrying procedurals as ABC has housed The Good Doctor with Freddie Highmore offering a similar performance.  Let's hope FOX offers Prodigal Son a decent timeslot so it can continue to develop.  But if The Resident was offered a renewal, perhaps Prodigal Son will continue to be developed by FOX and viewers may enjoy season 3.

TVRG’s Best and Worst of 2020: Worst Freshman Scripted Series

It is all too easy to dump on Almost Family, as it was possibly FOX' weakest link on an updated schedule.  Post #Me Too, a premise of a maniacal doctor (Timothy Hutton) inseminating hundreds of women with his own seed was tasteless.  Even more tasteless, FOX gave this series a prime development bed following red-hot The Masked Singer, a family-friendly fare that pumped energy into their valued Wednesday evening.  An appealing cast couldn't make up for an appalling premise, and the ratings depicted this, as the series hardly captured a third of The Masked Singer's audience with a 0.7 debut out of a 2.0.

More appalling, FOX didn't appear to have its other deserving freshman series developed to bounce Almost Family from defiling one of it's best development beds.  Deputy may not have been original, but would have fit compatibly in the slot and perhaps delivered over the 1.0 mark.  Prodigal Son itself had a modest lead-in from 9-1-1, but why not ship it to Wednesdays and allow 9-1-1: Lonestar an earlier launch and to capitalize on its flagship's tsunami story?  More insulting was former megahit Empire was bounced off Wednesday for its final season and confined to FOX's Tuesday retirement home to wither in its final episodes when it would have been more worthy of a graceful Wednesday swan song.

It is evident FOX knew Almost Family would struggle the most among its newbies and deliberately placed it behind The Masked Singer to optimize its development.  The trouble is the timing which they forced this monstrosity on viewers was during early Fall, November and January scheduling, all times which shows receive the greatest gains.  Any of FOX' other shows should have been placed here vs. the network stubbornly holding its course and keeping it on Wednesdays through to January 15.  It was evident when ratings dropped to a 0.3 in January (following equally undeserving Flirty Dancing) viewers were saying "No means no" and the numbers reflected it.  Lessons FOX should learn from Almost Family is if the series cannot retain at least half of a massive lead-in, it needs to be relocated.  Whether to another evening, or off the schedule.