Let's Talk Smoo About: The 2015-16 Network Ratings Predictions

The numbers are in, and it appears we have an (almost) certain final rankings for the 2014-15 season:

1. NBC (2.4)

2. CBS (2.3)

3. ABC (2.2)

4. Fox (2.0)

5. CW (0.8)

The only potential change I see is if ABC miraculously pulls a 2.3 to tie CBS, but that is a 30-percent chance at best. That aside, the dynamics shifted after a 3-year holding pattern, with ABC reclaiming 3rd place and Fox falling into the fireplace. For 3 years, NBC dominated 1st, CBS closely following with 2nd, then Fox followed by ABC, trailed by CW in 5th. Moving forward, I see another potential shift among the top 3 networks. NBC still has Voice and Football, but its scripted prospects remain grim at best. CBS is where Fox was in 2012, losing traction as Idol faded. Instead of its reality platforms faltering, CBS's sitcoms and dramas are withering on the vine, generating few hits and bigger holes in its schedule. It lost its stranglehold on Mondays, and now previous megahits Criminal Minds and NCIS are becoming accustomed to 1.7-2.0 showings.

ABC's heralded resurgence is ode in part not only to quality scripted series, but the right dose of shaking up a stale schedule. And Fox also shook up its schedule, but eroded and destroyed its solid evenings. Aside from phenomenal Empire's record setting pace, there was nothing to burn for fuel in the ratings. Finally, I have to get this rhyme out:

Are you ready kids "Aye Aye Viacom"
I Can't hear you "AYE AYE VIACOM!"

Ohh...

Who lives in a 5th pineapple under the sea
"CW's on the TV!"
Absorbant and stable as can be
"Someone's Watching TV!"
If heavy renewal nonsense is fans' wish
"CW's on the TV!"
Then drop on the deck and ratings don't swim with the fish
"Someone's Watching TV!"
READY
"CW's on the TV!"

"CW's on the TV!"

"CW's on the TV!"

"Someone's Watching CW TV!" AH AHH AHH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHH...

I think this poem should remain celebratory for CW, which finally caught critic's eyes and is taking bold strokes from the run of the mill formula of scheduling. It will be a good 4 seasons before CW may see 4th place, but they are the network with the most promise.

Moving forward, I predict the following ratings for the next season:

1. NBC 2.3
2. ABC 2.2
3. CBS 2.1
4. Fox 1.9
5. CW 0.9

It sounds conceptual, but here's where these numbers are coming from by network:

ABC:

It is playing safe with most of its scheduling, keeping its prized Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings in tact. It has some promising pilots, and is finally learning to schedule low-budget filler series to bridge its unsavory scheduled times. Unless TGIT erodes and all of its pilots plummet, I see ABC plowing forward in a stable momentum. It is handicapped by a lack of sports inflation, but found its niche as the scripted king. It's sitcoms are heavy, wise as they can repeat with 70-percent retention. Reality platforms may not have a loud VOICE, but have updated their formats and are performing dandy. Tuesdays present a high chance for a renaissance, and its newly weakest evening, Sunday, seems to becoming abandoned by other networks who are buckling to sports and Walking Dead. Unless six of its heavy hitters endure a 20-percent drop in demos, a stable and solid season is forecast in the once stormy waters.

CBS:

The Tiffany network appears to be tarnishing its mighty metals, as its two heralded evenings, Monday and Thursday, are no longer 1st place fares. The biggest detriment is risky scheduling which damaged its sitcoms. CBS may still house the number one sitcom in Big Bang, but spring 2015 showed considerable rusting after a long winter of oversaturated reruns, coupled with people downgrading TBBT from must see to "I'll record it and watch it later". It happens to aging sitcoms, but CBS hastened the rusting by relying on reruns. TBBT was the most discussed sitcom between 2010-13, but the shine only lasts so long. The often discussed Chinese Firedrill CBS se nt its sitcoms through on the schedule is damaging strong sitcoms, and shelving three of its sitcoms until mid season is a recipe for disaster. And its scripted dramas perform around 2.0 or less, so what will bolster the schedule besides sports? 3rd place, or a 2nd place tie at best, is in the cards until CBS finds its next breakout hit. The continued erosion seems inevitable.

CW:

So why did I give the 5th Place Pineapple Under the Sea an uptick? It's because CW sported stable ratings during an eroding season, and innovative programming choices. Flash hasn't hemorrhaged too much of its initial performance, and left the air with the network's prized 1.5 demo. To quote the penguin in Batman Returns: "What you flush down your toilet, I flaunt on my mantle." CW seems to slowly but surely be generating buzzworthy hits, and if its shows deliver pressed turkey instead of a Thanksgiving Feast, CW may let the shows ride the summer waves instead of washing ashore like a beached whale. I frequently labeled this network the most improved network of the 2014-15 season, and predictions show the happy pineapple will endure lower levels of ratings pollution the other networks are plagued with.

Fox:

2007-08's 1st place winner still hasn't learned how to pay its utility bills, leading to a Frigid Fall and a Mean Winter in 4th place having to burn off its dead wood in the fireplace. I don't see the network experiencing considerable decline, but will still have a seat in the fireplace among the major four networks. The programming executives still are insistent on a forgettable fall followed by marvelous mid seasons, but Empire and Idol's final season cannot carry the network alone. Fox still hasn't received the memo about restoring its meal-ticket Sundays, and is top heavy on Mondays. The rest of the schedule is forgettable, and Empire is like a trip to the casino -- A winning streak sets the ratings on fire, but loss of ignition will only burn your bank account. Fox's fortunes seem to repeat its previous seasons' performance.

NBC:

The last three seasons proudly displayed the 1st place gold, but its last season relied on Sports and Voice, like dieting on 5-hour Energy Crack drinks. And the caffeine crash will be triggered if Voice declines. The fall offering of returning favorites and new pilots are middling at best, and NBC's string of freshman failures doesn't appear to be ending in the near future. For a network which delivered more critically-acclaimed series than the other networks, NBC has had trouble ridding it's camp of a grisly serial and sitcom killer like the 80's had trouble ridding itself of Freddy Kruger, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers. While CBS stands in risky position for 3rd place, NBC stands at a higher risk of losing its falsely inflated 1st place. But if the 200's didn't teach us anything, they could always result to scripting football like "reality" TV did with its "unscripted" series invasion in the last decade.

What are your predictions for the next season? Hit me with your best comments. But remember I am known for mixing trolls in with the cement in the bridge. Muhahaha....

2:36 a.m., Friday May 15 | Other comments by Oh Smoo!

Let's Talk Smoo About: ABC's 2015-16 Schedule.

A special thanks to Bill2 for posting the upcoming schedule. I'd like to do a complementary analysis to today's posting and evaluate the following schedule

Sunday

7-America's Funniest Home Videos
8-Once Upon a Time
9-Oil
10-Of Kings and Prophets

Monday

8-Dancing with the Stars
10-Castle

Tuesday

8-The Muppets/Fresh off the Boat
8:30-Fresh off the Boat/The Real O'Neals
9-Marvel's Agents of SHIELD/Agent Carter/Marvel's Agents of SHIELD
10-Quantico

Wednesday

8-The Middle
8:30-The Goldbergs
9-Modern Family
9:30-Blackish
10-Nashville/Secrets & Lies/Nashville

Thursday

8-Grey's Anatomy
9-Scandal
10-How to Get Away with Murder/The Catch

Friday

8-Last Man Standing
8:30-Dr. Ken/Uncle Buck
9-Shark Tank
10-20/20

Another Troubled Sunday Predicted:

I am officially declaring ABC to be to not only lost its hold on Sundays, but also will likely be ABC's problem night next year. Obviously, AFHV and OUAT are obvious choices against minimal scripted competition. But OUAT is fading into middling territory. The 8-10pm timeslots do not seem to present strong scheduling choices. I will check out Oil as I have a vacated soap slot, but that is it. And Kings and Prophets is not only not interesting to my viewing choices, but poorly scheduled. It feels like a show which should have followed OUAT's fantasy theme, as well as being family fare. What respectable parent would allow their children to stay up till 10pm? It will be another DVR choice show, with ABC missing the mark with parents of young children tuning in live. This timeslot would have better suited for Castle or Nashville, as adults like these shows and may have potentially stayed awake to view. I see trouble next season for Sundays.

A Missed Opportunity Monday:

Mondays are a neutral evening on ABC's schedule. It's two strong reality platforms -- Dancing With the Stars and The Bachelor/Bachelorette clearly have a niche and perform well enough to keep ABC out of 4th for the evening. Leaving these reality platforms on Mondays i s wise on the network's part, because the shows deliver between 8-10pm. Many weeks, they have even performed in 2nd place above CBS, which previously dominated the evening with powerhouse sitcoms. I'm not a reality TV fan, but have considerable respect for these two franchises as they perform with a touch of class, remain consistent where they need to and even spice in a little variety when the waters grow stagnant.

Where I feel ABC missed its mark is Castle is aging and losing viewers. Realistically, the show has two seasons tops, unless it hits a creative resurgence, it will be a fix it or forget it season for Castle. It's demos dipped to frightful levels at a 1.4 during S7, and the show is clearly aging. I predict they will erode a little further during the next se ason to 1.2 season lows, and ABC will have to make a command decision to move or cancel the show. I would have chosen to move the show to Sundays at 10pm, as its loyal viewers will follow, just like Greys Anatomy viewers chose to do. Even if the show dipped to a 1.0 in this slot, it is an improvement/season match to 2014-15's performance of Revenge. ABC should have moved Castle, but I will finalize my opinion next fall when Castle returns.

Bold Strokes May Work on Tumultuous Tuesdays

Hands Down, Tuesdays have been ABC's problem child for the last three seasons . After DTWS hemorrhaged viewers, ABC wisely condensed the series to winning Mondays and was left with the issue of what to schedule. With three hours free, ABC took risks and completely revamped the night during the 2013-14 season, with mediocre success. Agents of Shield started as a runaway hit and cooled to a middling niche performer by its sophomore season. Goldbergs performed mediocre as well, falling into the risky clutches of cancellation with a series low bottoming at a 1.3. And sigh, Trophy Wife's poor scheduling killed its potential, ending too soon. And the 10pmslot featured an endless barrage of forgettable failed series.

Where I was critical of ABC was killing Body of Proof, which would have provided the perfect bridge on launching 2 hours of entertainm ent. But that autopsy was performed two years ago, so we'll move on. The 2014-15 season proved just as problematic, as two forgettable sitcoms drowned at levels even appalling for Fridays. Shield once again performed mediocre, albeit it cooled its ratings losses to create a bridge for the troubled night. And Forever remained in an anemic, yet stable rating, averaging a 1.1 for the entire season. ABC made four good decisions on this night during the 2014-15 were giving Forever a full season, bringing in bridge series Agent Carter to cover undesirable timelsots during Shield's breaks, taking a risk by scheduling Fresh Off The Boat in the doomed 8pm place and following with reality/variety fare Repeat After Me.

These four choices helped stabilize the hemorrhages. FOTB h as gained critical acclaim, and performing on-par with Goldbergs during the previous season. With two failed sitcoms, Repeat After Me topped their performances, and I'd welcome a return in another tenuous timeslot next season. Forever's ratings were paltry, yet it had a loyal niche following to the end. It had the same stability factor Body did, and perhaps some fans may check out what replaced it. I was pleased with the choices ABC made, as the Muppets is a wise choice for the problematic 30-minute slots pared with FOTB. There is nothing else like the Muppets on this evening, and perhaps young parents will tune in with their children, a la Once Upon a Time. I'll reserve my judgment on Quantico until the season resumes. And we'll see how The Real O'Neal's debuts, but Martha Plimpton's versatile presence will afford my attention for at least the initial showing. She is a Tour de Force, and I'd follow her anywhere. Overall, I see considerable promise on Tumultuous Tuesdays an d will reel my DVR to sample this night as I only watch FOTB on Tuesdays.

Playing It Safe With Willful Wednesdays

Many questioned if ABC should move its successful sitcoms to shake things up on the schedule. But why fix what isn't broken!? With two of its heavyweights, Middle and Modern Family, aging into their 7th seasons, they could experience erosion common to longstanding shows. MF took a dip, and Middle saw some showings drop as low as a 1.7 during the last season. If Middle drops to a 1.3, ABC may move the show and allow Goldbergs to anchor the 8pm slot in favor of a new helping at 8:30. blackish's performance proved it doesn't just ride on MF's coattails, rising when its lead in fell and vice versa. Blackish will likely maintain or grow in its slot, and I am pleased. I record Goldbergs and blackish and eagerly await their returns after this season's closing acts.

With the powerhouse success of ABC Wednesdays and Thursdays, why not let the two strongest nights rest!? Two consistent seasons of scheduling will perhaps enhance viewership, similar to the 2004-06 season which Sundays were dominated by the Desperate Housewives/Greys Anatomy power showing. I still believe Nashville may have been a good option to move, but perhaps ABC may subconsciously be hinting at wanting a 5th season from Nashville. We'll see how it p erforms in the fall, or if CBS fades and allows Nashville to retain 2nd for its timeslot. Secrets and Lies will either be made or broken in this timeslot, which in my view fits this timeslot better than Sundays. Secrets and Lies is dark by nature, and will be offset by the comedies, which means a nice balance.

Thinking Thursdays Are Landmark

TGIT turned ABC's industrial wasteland into an urban hub for young professionals. Falls will remain in tact, and Shonda will reign as the queen again. ABC dropped the ball with American Crime this spring, and The Catch wi ll be better suited to bridge the mid season with Shonda's touch. ABC only runs the risk of oversaturating Shonda's talents across the board, and The Catch may not be surefire. But that is a risk all networks take with the schedule.

I could potentially see Greys eroding without Patrick Dempsey as the show opens S12, but then again, Shonda has reinvented this show so many times it could still survive as a middling drama. With CBS's Big Bang now clearly declining, Greys is still going to take 2nd place, unless Heroes somehow becomes a runaway hit. I'll laugh incessantly if Fox somehow claims 2nd (or even 3rd) place during this timeslot. Overall, ABC knew this was a good night to proudly play it safe.

Why Wiggle Founding Fridays?

The only change in store for Fridays is the graveyard which used to be occupied by Cristela. I'm not particularly excited about Dr. Ken, and that is all I will say. However, I will be keeping an eye out for Uncle Buck. I hope it fares better than the failed 1990-91 attempt by CBS, and also will tune in with intrigue to see how the show's concept is received with a new demographic telling the story. Some nasty commentators chose to sling acid about Shonda Rhimes' desires to eliminate the color lines so some roles could be told from any demographic, creating roles which are told by character instead o f race. This is a prime example, as Uncle Buck can be told with Russians, Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, etc....

ABC predominantly shares success with CBS on Fridays, and I don't see any shifts in the network's rankings next season. NBC may present some competition shifting sitcoms to Fridays, but the NBC programming killer seems to have an easy time poking holes through sitcoms in recent seasons. Overall, ABC still stands strong as a junior landmark night.

Dig Two Graves For the Two Who Started Revenge

Written by Oh Smoo

For those who read my article on Sunday, did you find the finale to at the least satisfying? I'll admit for what a fluid mess Revenge became, the finale did clean up the show to a satisfying, albeit outlandish and convoluted outcome. Victoria nearly had my sympathies as she expressed remorse for Ben's death, as well as reliving the horrors of what her mother did. I do pity Victoria as that despicable Adrienne Barbeau damaged her beyond repair. Their final exchange was reviling and satisfying all in one punch. Victor ia's mother died a lonely and miserly death, rightfully receiving the sting of Victoria's Medusa complex and her vile corpse being burned in Victoria's prized chair in her fallen castle. However, her mother brilliantly pointed out Victoria became the very thing she loathed, as she indirectly tortured her children. Patrick was forced into hiding, Daniel died after proving he would rise above his parents' dark legacy, and Charlotte will likely remained tortured, having two rehab stints before the age of 21.

I almost felt felt for for the black queen. Almost. What was the final nail in the coffin which I wanted Victoria to die was when she stated Emily started this firestorm. Wrong Victoria. It was not Emily's game of revenge chess. It wasn't even black king Conrad's d espicable terrorist act and framing white king David. As Stevie Grayson wisely pointed out, it was David and Victoria's elicit affair which set the events in motion. Had the two abstained from their affair, Conrad would have fallen sooner. Victoria and Daniel would have been left with the marred Grayson name, but she would have found a way to survive and raise an honest man of Daniel. Instead, she destroyed an innocent girl's fragile world, and lo and behold, Revenge was born. And Victoria deserved every devastating turn of events.

The other characters of course meandered like fluid through the finale. The next dayplaying villain was "White Gold", played unconvincingly by damaged and low-class Courtney Love. I prefer she be known as White Trash, as she was the final defiling act which undid Revenge. The name White Gold would imply she was a classy femme fatale. Such a name would be better suited for a woman of Lydia's caliber, or hell, even Margaux's. Margaux truly became a nuisance in 2015, but she still carried herself with polish to the bitter end. Needless to say, White Trash defiled one of Revenge's core values which was elegance and polish. White Trash made Faux-Manda look like an esteemed socialite, and even her trashy stripper gals who attended Fau-Manda's baby shower look like the upper crust of the Hamptons.

White Trash looked disheveled and rough, showcasing Love's lifetime of hard partying, drinking, drugs and bad choices on her rough face and ratty hair which even made Margaux's awful cockatoo do look polished.It wo uld have been less insulting if they would have case former porn star Traci Lords to play White Gold. To the fans who invested in a show which exhibited polish in all classes, it defiled Revenge to hire an actress who once came under legal scrutiny for trashing a house with tampons she was renting. White Trash's downfall was as anticlimatic as the press discovering Madonna once posed nude before stardom. No one gave a smoo.

I would have written White Gold's final despicable act as attacking Nolan, even with her choice dagger in the hand like they did with Nolan. I would have had a struggle between Margaux and White Gold as Margaux took responsibility for her laughable Emily-knockoff style Revenge, and falling victim to her dagger. Then enter Nolan, who stabs White Gol d in the heart, crossing the line David warned Emily not to. Perhaps Margaux could have survived, and Nolan truly haunted he took a life, even in the sake of saving a victim. Instead, we had White trash get tazed, without even a ratty hair falling out of place. Margaux went out with a whimper, which was an insult to her strong character.

Irritating or not, Margaux was always a strong woman. While commendable for for owning up to her consequences, her last scenes were as anticlimatic as White Trash's exit. I still wasn't clear why Louise finally had a moment of clarity. Perhaps the writers should have done a product placement, leaving Louise benefiting from an anti-psychotic drug. Either way, at least she finally realized she was merely a white pawn on the board whom the black queen falsely led to believe she was allied with. Instead of falling victim like so many other white pawns did, she moved aside, leaving her exposed to white queen Emily. Louise likely did so as she does have morals, and owes her positive twist of fate to Emily, who recognized her family of pit vipers was poisoning her Xanax. I would have loved one last exchange between Emily and Louise, explaining why Louise switched back from a black to white pawn.

The final showdown was written brilliantly, representing three of the four primary pieces in the game as black king Conrad fell last year. It was dramatic, and Victoria's admission that she was already dead once again almost made her sympathetic. Almost. I did, however feel that the twist of Victoria's bullet was not directed well. I would have had her hit with her fatal bullet, and the scene fades out after the commercial break with Emily's stunned face. Then return from the commercial break to discover David shot her. This is part of the flaw which explained part of Revenge's fall from a triumphant 3.2 demo to a 0.8 during season 4.

The final ten minutes obviously painted to show Emily got her happy ending. It was rewarding, albeit grandiose and too much. Louise is suddenly invited to the wedding, without any last scenes with her ex-husband Nolan, whom she had crackling chemistry. Also inexplicably placid was Charlotte, who let her grudge go to pay tribute to David. Huh? Charlotte's fury when she exited earlier this season was justified. Her supposed father Conrad ki lled Declan, the father of her baby she lost (remember that forgotten plot twist?). He also threatened her life on national TV. Victoria used her as a pawn relentlessly, leaving her in harm's way and fueling two rehab stints. Jack betrayed her by playing into her kidnapping, and worst of all, Emily proved no better than Victoria. Charlotte's rage when she tried to burn Emily at the Stowaway was actually justified. How did she let all of this rage against Emily and Jack go so easily? At least she was able to maintain her rage against Victoria, refusing to forgive or speak to her.

Fittingly, David's finale was as forgettable as I wish his story would have been this season. Did anyone really give a smoo he died? I'd welcome someone to say so, but will hold my breath l onger than the chance that Bill2 will rally against the Middle or say Trophy Wife's cancellation was justified. I would have preferred it not be implied Victoria's heart saving Emily was a dream, as the dark plot twist had me shocked and engaged. Just like so many elements in the finale, the "dream" made the twist anticlimatic. Could you imagine the horror and mystery wondering if Victoria's villainy could have embraced Emily's soul through a transplant?

I will applaud the writers for keeping the mystery rolling, as Nolan set out to help a wounded young man exonerate his wrongfully tarnished mother. His character always remained true, and in the other realm lives on uninterrupted. I enjoy shows coming to full circle, even with a new mystery launching at the last minut e. Such a twist helped make the sorrowful finale of Desperate Housewives rewarding as a new mystery launched in the last minutes.

To sum up the Revenge Chess Game, Emily and David were the quite royalty, while Victoria and Conrad on the dark side. Jack and Nolan were the white knights, while Charlotte and David were the black bishops, moving back and forth between the white and black camps. Frank was a black rook, taken out by Fauxmanda's white rook, guarding the outside of the royalty. And of course, a slew of pawns fell victim in the crossfire. The game became a convoluted mess, and I lost track. Revenge as a whole became as convoluted as the 1990's soap Melrose Place, which too was a fluid mess. The difference is the "good" on Revenge got a happy ending, while MP rewarded the dastardly. It's been a thrill ride the last four years, and am glad to give the show a rewarding swan song. Enjoy the article, which is dedicated to Revenge's greatest fan, Aciel Zoubi.

A Look Back at Revenge: How It Played Out and How It Could Have Survived

Written by Oh Smoo

Revenge was one of two shows I eagerly awaited the arrival of when the 2011-12 season began, with the other being CBS' 2 Broke Girls. I was pleased to see the show not only the show had beat the Wednesday 10pm curse, but was also tantalizing and seemed to be holding its own against the competition. My favorite episode aside from the Season 3 finale was 1x5, Guilt, which Lydia Davis met her "demise" off the top of the roof, and Daniel's beautiful seduction of Emily. This episode sped up the plots, and the critics noticed. It also began a worthy trend of humor as Lydia survived, emerging merely with a broken nail. Very few could criticize the first season, which set up all of the classic elements.

You had a soapy anti-heroine caught in a love triangle between Daniel and Jack, lower-class foil in "Amanda" showing up and taking her place in the Hamptons, Victoria and Conrad's sham marriage falling apart, psychotic Tyler terrorizing Emily and the Graysons, and Declan and Charlotte's precursor to a Romeo and Juliet tragedy. I knew from Charlotte's approximate age she was David's child, and another layer developed in the series. Season 1 ended, and ABC realized they had a cash cow, moving it to Sunday at 9pm.

The move to Sundays was warranted by ABC, which eroded to 4th place as Revenge was soaring. Mike Kelley dropped the ball. Everyone was buzzing about Revenge, and he launched the second greatest flaw in the plot, which was the Initiative. I enjoyed the back stories behind the characters, particularly Victoria's, which displayed her vulnerabilities and how she became so damaged and venomous. Other than that, this was a deplorable season, and the show's drop from the season 2 premiere t a 3.2 demo to a (gulp) 1.4 showed. Season 3 had a better semblance of the show's freshman year, but the damage was done. No one was buzzing about the show, and only loyal fans tuned in.

Then, showrunner Sunil Nayer rewarded us with the season 3 finale, which Emily and fans were rewarded as she finally took down Conrad and exposed the Graysons. FINALLY, the show had its last opportunity to be buzzworthy again. Instead, the show continued its erosion, losing not only viewers, but Crista B. Allen and Josh Bowman. In my viewing opinion, the final nail in the coffin was Daniel's shooting. We all stated what should have happened during the show's run, and I'll focus on how the show could have given us a memorable 4th season.

If they really wanted to resurrect David Clarke, why not bring him back with a twist? Emily's whole vision was she defended her "innocent" father. How would it have unraveled her if she slowly discovered David was the grand villain, whom Conrad framed as he recognized the evil David was capable of. 

Instead of some forgettable day player shooting Daniel, how tragic would it have been if David secretly shot Daniel, insinuating "Malcolm Black" did it? Then the real drama and tragedy would have unfolded, as David targeted Victoria while using Emily as his pawn. Then we could have cued back stories, which we discovered Victoria's fright when a young Emily tried to poison her wine. Victoria resulted in her cruel confinement of a young Emily, fearing the girl would turn out to be as depraved and unhinged as her mother Kara.

I would have kept Charlotte in the fold, as she could have been David's one-true soft spot. The season would have ended with Grayson Manor exploding with Victoria inside, and Emily is arrested for her murder. Season 5, even a bridged 11-13 episode arc, would see Emily wrongfully convicted and sent to prison. For a good 5 episodes, we believe Victoria is dead until we discover Nolan rescued her from the
fiery wreck and has been hiding the badly burned and disfigured socialite. Nolan's hidden entourage features Natalie, Patrick, and most shocking of all, Conrad Grayson, who is sporting a disguise and working as a prison guard in Emily's prison. Back in the Hamptons, Dvid's reign of villainy continues.

Charlotte has returned to be closer to her father, blind to him using her to further his reign of evil. Margaux remains an adversary, convinced David is plotting something. Louise, previously s een as fragile and unstable, has been working with David the whole time. She helped plot Conrad and Victoria's demises, and has taken her place in David's life as his new woman. He uses her to target Nolan for his next fall, and Jack has fled the Hamptons (while working secretly with Nolan to free Emily). Little did David know Louise was a former patient with Kara, who returns determined to seek revenge against David for his wrongful treatment of Emily. As the finale culminates, Conrad and Nolan plan to take down David, but other drama brews. Charlotte has found love with Ben and prepares to leave the Hamptons. Louise has grown unhinged and discovers Nolan's hidden entourage of living dead, and is preparing to tell David, who went to see Charlotte and bid her adieu. A storm paralyzes the power with Louise and Charlotte standing in the darkened room. Conrad prepares to shoot Louise, only to tragically kill Charlotte. The power returns, and the entire cast stands in horror as the one true innocent in the Hamptons tragically dies.

The finale features a bloodbath with everyone hungry for murder. The episode begins with Louise and David marrying, deciding to leave and start anew. As he is now her rightful heir to her fortune, he recruits Margaux to off Louise by locking her in the steam room, taking her final revenge for trying to kill her the season before. As she enters her towncar to collect David's payment, she is horrified to discover Ben driving her car, seeing her as the culprit for Charlotte's shooting. He drives their car into the ocean, as the horrified Hamptonites watch the coverage on the news. David next targets Nolan, and he awakens on his yacht, tied to Jack and prepared to sink on the doomed boat, with audience unaware of their fates.

Emily realizes David is cleaning house and tries to whisk Kara away, only to be trapped in her cottage as Victoria has set the place ablaze. In a final heroic act, Kara allows Emily to escape, perishing in the fire. Emily realizes she must confront Victoria and David for one final showdown and arranges so at "Amanda's" grave, where she has dug two more graves. The final conflict ensues, and Emily and Victoria kill David. Then Victoria shoots Emily, reminding her foe that she deserves to be set free as she was blinded by Revenge. Seeing as she has nothing left to live for, Victoria shoots herself in the head, falling into the open grave. Emily lays dying, with the camera fading out into new coverage of the bloodbaths and crime sprees plaguing the once elite H amptons.

The final scenes wrap up the show, with Emily now residing on St. Helena Island in the south Atlantic under a new identity. The audience happily discovers Jack, Stevie, Patrick and Nolan have joined her, and the three reflect on that fateful night. Conrad tried to kill Jack and Nolan on the yacht, but had a change of heart, realizing his actions harmed too many innocent people. He also rescued Emily from her death, and rounded up the three and offered them the chance to start a new life under banishment, or death. He has siphoned the remaining portions of David and Emily's money, and has fled into parts unknown. However, he left the survivors a small fortune in agreement they never return to the Hamptons, and brings Stevie to St. Helena to right the wrongs of their marriage.

If only Revenge would have played out this way instead of a devastating and disappointing 4th season, ending tonight. I will be watching tonight, and hope you do too as this landmark series ends.

Lather Up! Soap Ratings For April 27 - May 1, 2015.

Written by Oh Smoo:

Ratings Report for the Week of April 27 – May 1, 2015

Last place DAYS posted gains across the board in households, 18-49, 18-34 and 25-54 demographics. B&B managed to improve its performance in the 18-49 demo, but the rest is the usual soapy story of slipping ratings. Perhaps the writers are prepa ring the drama before May Sweeps. Perhaps it is time for soaps to revert to product placement. Otherwise, I may have to jump into the shows and get into a catfight in the hottub to spice up the demos....

Total Viewers
1. Y&R 4,564,000 (-321,000)
2. B&B 3,555,000 (-90,000)
3. GH 2,775,000 (-40,000)
4. DAYS 2,316,000 (+32,000)

Households
1. Y&R 3.32/12 (-.19)
2. B&B 2.61/9 (-.07)
3. GH 2.09/7 (-.01)
4. DAYS 1.76/6 (+.07)

Women 18-49 Viewers
1. Y&R 776,000 (-71,000)
2. B&B 586,000 (+17,000)
3. GH 517,000 (-8,000)
4. DAYS 424,000 (+33,000)

Women 18-49 Rating
1. Y&R 1.21/9 (-.11)
2. B&B 0.92/7 (+.03)
3. GH 0.81/6 (-.01)
4. DAYS 0.66/5 (+.05)

Women 18-34 Viewers
1. Y&R 184,000 (-64,000)
2. GH 155,000 (-29,000)
3. DAYS 126,000 (+27,000)
4. B&B 121,000 (-40,000)

Women 18-34 Rating
1. Y&R 0.54 (-.19)
2. GH 0.46 (-.08)
3. DAYS 0.37 (+.08)
4. B&B 0.36 (-.11)

Women 25-54 Viewers
1. Y&R 1,059,000 (-72,000)
2. B&B 821,000 (-4,000)
3. GH 699,000 (-7,000)
4. DAYS 538,000 (+19,000)

Women 25-54 Rating
1. Y&R 1.74 (-.12)
2. B&B 1.35 (-.01)
3. GH 1.15 (-.01)
4. DAYS 0.89 (+.03)

Day-To-Day Ratings – HH/Total Viewers

B&B
Monday: 2.76/3,766,000
Tuesday: 2.78/3,762,000
Wednesday: 2.67/3,673,000
Thursday: 2.56/3,504,000
Friday: 2.30/3,072,000

DAYS
Monday: 1.77/2,288,000
Tuesday: 1.79/2,298,000
Wednesday: 1.78/2,379,000
Thursday: 1.74/2,360,000
Friday: 1. 73/2,256,000

GH
Monday: 2.17/2,854,000
Tuesday: 2.19/2,904,000
Wednesday: 1.96/2,589,000
Thursday: 2.10/2,785,000
Friday: 2.06/2,743,000

Y&R
Monday: 3.39/4,740,000
Tuesday: 3.47/4,758,000
Wednesday: 3.48/4,846,000
Thursday: 3.30/4,523,000
Friday: 2.96/3,954,000

Special thanks to soapoperanetwork.com for doing an impeccable job reporting these figures. Source:

http://www.soapoperanetwork.co...

Let's Talk Smoo About: 4th Place Fox Throwing the Remaining Dead Wood Into the Fire

Like the logo? 4th place Fox literally took a seat in the fireplace, LOL! I think everyone would rather a graphic featuring a fireplace vs. sandpaper and a toilet seat. ABC tidied up its house and merely parted with low rated shows, though a few piles of smoo fit for an American Crime evaded the programming broom and dustpan. CBS revoked several low-rated shows' Tiffany's memberships, and the CW's shows falsely cheered as they didn't draw the short(est) straw. And of course, NBC' s programming serial and sitcom killer bled the schedule dry of several shows, while still awaiting to blade up a few 1.0 dwellers next season. And Fox burned off it's remaining low-rated logs in the flames.

This season brought Fox to full circle as they are once again the butt of the low-rated jokes, similar to their first 10 years on the air. Al Bundy used to self mock the network on Married With Children, even once stating ["If you really want that show cancelled, just air it on Fox."] While NBC and others endured a mean Winter, Fox battled a frigid Fall with few shows to write home about. It's hot Sundays cooled fast with Animation Domination breaking apart like a ship on the rocks, and the remaining nights remained destitute. Ratings were so low that Fox's gas co mpany turned off their heat. Desperate, Fox searched the house for firewood to keep it's 4th place/rate fireplace warm, and it dispensed of it's freshman series.

Mulaney built its house out of straw and leaves, even offending the livestock which previously smooed on these debris and had to stare at the ugly dwelling squatting on Sunday nights. The pigs and the toilet humor of Family Guy roared like the fire with glee (or like Glee), as this message showed the network lowering the bar beyond Family Guy's toilet humor never pays. Just ask that pile of pigsmoo Here Comes Honey Boo Boo on TLC. Next, Fox realized the lord doesn't show grace on poor performances on Thursdays (which made NBC seem like Must-See TV) and set fire to Gracepoint. As a limited few fans screamed l ike Fox lit their pants on fire, Aciel Zoubi enjoyed Fox igniting this pile of sticks and stones and grabbed the marshmallows. For those of you unaware of who Aciel is, she endured an epic battle with a Gracepoint troll on a neighboring site, and deserved a little humor in this reference.

The fire still couldn't heat Fox's house in December, and then the power was shut off. Fox looked at Red Band Society, which was plotted as thick as a pile of balsa. Seeing Wednesdays losing regularly, Fox scheduled a cremation, then threw the "two additional scripts" on top of this ill-performing show as it burned (off). January seemed like another bleak month, but Fox's investment in the 4th rate fireplace paid off as the fire goddess, Cookie Lyon, emerged out of the flames on Wende sdays. Several tried to extinguish her flames, but her sorcery turned their water to high proof spirits, and her heat ignited, growing weekly and increasing the show's overall viewership by more than 50-percent.

Fox hoped to coast on Cookie's fumes, but she knew when to cut out, resting on her 6.9 demo finale. They gloated like Jack Frost nipping at ABC's heels for 3rd place, but their remaining schedule couldn't keep the fire going sans Cookie and football. Even a rebounding American Idol couldn't carry this file of ashes Fox became. Before continuing, may I state American Idol wisely doused Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj's egos in kerosene as they blocked the fireplace, and Idol feels like a warm and inviting campfire instead of a stifling smoke which was their falsely inflated sense of self.

Burning on....

As March approached, Fox hoped they survived the cold season, but they slipped back into 4th place with a ratings average of 2.0 in ratings Siberia. Glee littered their Friday cabin like a pile of dilapidated and termite infested furniture, so naturally they were incinerated into an oblivion and couldn't even leave behind ashes to prove they existed. Weird Loners has yet to be burned, but is ashing like a cigarette of an inconsiderate smoker. We all knew Backstrom was wood rotten to the core, and we eagerly awaited today 's announcement that this disease would be burned to a crisp as irate critics brought the chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers for s'mores. The fireplace once again cooled, and it came down to the stronger structures in Fox's house.

People once pined for the Following, only to discover it was built of pine by season 3. Dropping below a 1.0 is still insulting for Fox, and it doesn't bring home the bacon. With only 41 shows and plummeting ratings, the syndication carpenters deemed the Following beyond repair and eradicated it like this show did to its characters over the last two years. Not all who fell into the fire and roasted deserved the burn. Sadly, Fox chopped down a mighty oak on Wednesday and cancelled The Mindy Project.

I am still baffled at their choice to take out a critical darling, both in show and actress. Mindy Kaling is a hot commodity, evident from her Office tenure and recent commercial promotions. As one who is guilty of fast-forwarding through commercials, I will admit I do occasionally rewind and watch a commercial if the graphic catches my eye. Mindy is in this category, and she has appeal. I have to remind myself that Mindy did suffer from anemic ratings throughout its run, but why now? If Fox was really that concerned, why not cut its timbers/losses at two seasons? Fox has one of the rare jewels in the TV landscape to sport three critically acclaimed sitcoms, a rare club only shared with ABC. Now we only have New Girl, limping into its 5th season, and Brooklyn 99. Props to Hulu for investigating con tinuing Mindy's legacy. If not, there's always room in the bloodbath camp at NBC the 13th, the studio producing the Mindy Project

The cold season is over, so perhaps Fox having a seat in the 4th place wasn't such a bad idea. Fox has great potential to rebuild its burnt lineup, but needs to start by firing up one or two winning evenings. My suggestions:

1. Rebuild Sundays, stat! Football helps bolster the ratings, but Fox isn't fooling anyone as we cannot buy Brooklyn 99 jumping between 1.2 and 2.5. Fill the holes, and keep the Sunday legacy strong. Sundays launched Fox, so why not pay homage and steal the crown as the number one network on this night?

2. Keep an eye on the writers of Gotham and Sleepy Hollow. Gotham was the only sensation to write home about this fall, but stands at high risk for ratings erosion if viewers tire of trite writing. Sleepy Hollow's sophomore year declined, and it could become the next Following in the fireplace.

3. Don't rely on Empire to carry the schedule. Empire is a phenom, and has everyone's eyes and press. If the show happens to fade next year, a la Revenge season 2, Fox coul d face a drop in ratings.

4. Stick to what works with American Idol. The show is back on track, and the last thing this aging show needs is the hubris of divas.

5. Find a way to raise Thursdays. Only ABC seems to be untouchable on this evening, and Fox has ripe opportunities to overtake CBS. NBC shows no signs of rebounding, and CBS is fading fast on Thursdays. No more Gracepoints or Backstroms, please!

Let's hope Empire helps Fox to financially turn on its utilities again so it will not have to throw good shows into the fire.

Let's Talk Smoo About: NBC The 13th Part 2: The Body Count Continues

As predicted, NBC was awash in another bloodbath this season and the lake ran red with blood on this Friday. The ever-annoying State of Affairs took an axe to the face, and the comment section cheered. In a move also predicted, the programming executives Shish Kabobed sitcoms One Big Happy, About a Boy and Marry me like Jason Voorhees serving up a dinner of annoying characters. Like a trite and boiler plated Friday the 13th sequel, the 2014-15 season served up the usual formula.

Could you just see this overdone horror film plot? The smart vacationers -- Grimm, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Law and Order: SVU and the Blacklist -- took the advice of highly rated The Voice and NBC Sports and avoided the doomed 1.0 average lake and campground, camping elsewhere with working phones and cars. And their premature seasonal renewal was their reward. The others avoided the warnings of joining an NBC production and partied by the lake, becoming prime targets for a programming serial/sitcom killer. I'll save to mention Parenthood and Parks and Recreation falling into this category, as both were critically lauded and have six seasons to show for it.

But the rest of the naughty campers/low-rated shows suffered grisly fates. First to go were the ever-irritating Bad Judge and A to Z, who partied too close to the low-rated NBC lake, thinking they were safe as NBC has always touted sitcoms on Thursdays. Too bad when the two inept sitcoms went skinny dipping in low rated waters, the NBC killer dragged them under, leaving their corpses of burnoff shows strewn across the campground / schedule. Constantine didn't heed the warnings of finding the blood from the fallen sitcom on the docks, and the fans let out a scream when the low-rated Friday show disappeared without an episode increase.

While these three were dispatched, the low-rated NBC shows partied in the doomed and low-rated campgrounds. "I'm right on par with NBC's scripted average and I have Will and Grace sensation Debra Messing as my marquee star." arrogantly gloated Mysteries of Laura. "NBC announced I'M THE SECOND HIGHEST RATED DRAMA and I HAVE KATHERINE HEIGL AS MY STAR." arrogantly gloated. Too bad this princess didn't realize her ratings weren't worth smoo hemorrhaging that much of the Voice's lead-in.

State of Affairs stepped into the campground's low-rated outhouse next to the highly rated Voice, and was last seen screaming/leaving the air in February as a shadowy axe fell on a 1.0 rating without the Voice. It served State of Affairs right for exposing the camera bare-rated with a 0.7 demo on January 12. As the low-rated season dragged on, several annoying campers came and went. The NBC killer found an idiotic show trying to slap the low-rated lake with even lower ratings. Rather than killing the show with a jagged object, the NBC killer just let this atrocious miniseries slap itself to death and disappear into the sub-1 low-rated lake. Next dispensed was Allegience, which the NBC killer cut up with little effort due to five low rated episodes. The remaining shows noticed NBC's airwaves beginning to quiet down after the superbowl, and some shows came to their senses.

"Should we call a network with decent ratings for help?" Asked the Night Shift. "Should we take off and find NBC's renewed shows so we may live?" Asked Undatable. "Maybe we should pray to our savior for better ratings." observed AD. "Nah, we're all safe." naively stated About a Boy. "Besides, they can't kill all of the sitcoms off. It's NBC after all. Ratings below a 1.0 are gold here." Little did they know the killer lurked in the next cabin. In one fell swoop, the killer impaled a turkey of sitcoms -- About a Boy, Marry Me and One Big Happy -- with a pitchfork. The killer tried to tack Undatable onto the pitchfork, but they had the sense to stay above the 1.0 mark and run. "It's the programming killer! RUN!!!" Screamed Night Shift. The survivors ran, and all made good and bad decisions.

Spotting a running car and a paved road, The Night Shift tried to steer the remaining survivors away from the show killer. "No, the low rated and live-filming woods are safe for weak shows like us!" Said U ndatable. "The programming killer cannot use the ladies room, so I'll hide in the 1.0 outhouse!" Foolishly declared Mysteries of Laura, only to discover State of Affairs took an axe to the face of the bad show. Then she found Constantine, which fell on a Friday spear. MOL foolishly joined Undatable in the woods, as the killer hunted the two shows mercilessly through countless chase scenes, until the two shows managed to find the renewed shows. They thought they reached safety, but the NBC Serial and Sitcom Killer retreated into the low-rated campground, eagerly awaiting their return during the 2015-16 season.

Will Mysteries of Laura, Night Shift and Undatable wisely avoid hanging out with the new series in the doomed campground next season? Very likely so, and they w ill be returning for the NBC the 13th Part 3 sequel next year. Who among their new neighbors will avoid the cursed 1.0 waters of the low-rated lake, and who will be the first caught and killed skinny dipping at the 0.6 rating depth? It will likely be another bloodbath at NBC next year, which can overlook that blood-red lake of low rated scripted series to gloat on sports and the Voice. Till next season, and chime the cheesy horror film closing score....

And The Season's Over. Let's Talk Smoo About ABC's Final Decisions

Written by Oh Smoo

Bill2 pointed out to me that my prediction of the Renew/Cancel Announcements being made on Tuesday was likely inaccurate and was anticipated for tonight. And I'm glad he was right! I tend to leave things abstract as I do not want the disappointment if there is a delay. Before continuing on, I would like to leave some praises and dedications to our special readers. First and foremost, thank you to Bill2 for cultivating this platform and allowing me to continue slinging hash, barbs and a heavy seas oning of humor. Special thanks to Rene for so much great and inquisitive dialogue, as well as Chris J, Mr. Edmodo and FanofTVBTN for joining us as we continue to build a new platform. Most of all, I dedicate this article to Aciel Zoubi (currently bannering Farewell Revenge as her name), as I hope you enjoyed the thrill ride and find your next great show to fill the void of Revenge, which helped keep the lights on at ABC during three dark seasons.

To sum up the choices, I felt a great sense of happiness, surprise and even a little sorrow. I frequently coin the term "embarrassment of riches", and I think it suits ABC perfectly. Compared to the last two seasons, ABC had some tough choices as so many shows performed so well. How to Get Away with Murder, Fresh Off the Boat and blackish proved to be the strongest new sensations to come out of the gate. Secrets and Lies performed okay, and even Agent Carter proved to be a capable side dish to an already full pallet. I can mildly understand Galavant's return engagement, but cannot fathom how clunker American Crime survived. Sadly, Revenge, Forever and Cristela will be vacating my DVR. In that sadness, I can take solace in knowing Goldbergs, blackish and FOTB will be there when September comes.

I've discussed Revenge at length, and will save most of that discussion for my article which will be posted Monday morning following the series finale. I will praise the show as it was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise bleak 2011-14 seasons. Moving on, I'd like to discuss Forever. I was rooting for this show to be one of ABC's underdogs, as there hasn't been much to write home about at 10pm on Tuesday. ABC made a grievous error by cancelling Body of Proof two years ago. It was anemic in the demos, but solid. The cavalcade of forgettable disasters that followed are not even worth remembering during 2013-14 season. Then came Forever, which gave a sense of stability. It plunged as low as a 0.9, yet seemed consistent and stable. I enjoyed Judd Hirsch and Ioan Grufford's performances, but that is not enough to justify a return.

ABC needs to make room, and Forever was weak. The procedural worked nicely, but likely was too expensive to justify keeping as it was produced by Warner Brothers. I'll applaud ABC for at least allowing the show to play out for 2 2 episodes and giving the show ample opportunities for growth. Had the show inched to a 1.4, it may have survived. Next, I sighed as Cristela bid adios. Among ABC's promos, I was most eager to watch blackish and Cristela. Cristela had great potential, and even had some creative crossovers and a well-played cameo by Roseanne. Most of all, I enjoyed the struggles Cristela Hernandez faced as she was a creative wanderer living in a perfect sister's shadow and having to prove herself to an all-white office.

But still, the show was disjointed. I grew to love the office setting as the supporting characters proved to have the most appeal. Cristela had a potential attraction/romance with fellow intern Josh, and even caricature privileged child Maddie had room for growth as a foil. But the family never expanded beyond Hispanic stereotypes. I enjoyed Roseanne's cameo, and frankly felt she could have made a great series regular. I saw the writing on the wall that ABC was no longer interested in the series when they couldn't coordinate Cristela Alonzo's General Hospital cameo on the same night as an original episode. After all, the show only saw a 1.3 demo twice, and dipped as low as a 0.8. Impressively, the repeats performed well. But with so many successful sitcoms and Fox producing the show, Cristela's candle burned out.

Forgettably, we'll discuss a reality TV time waster, the Taste. Even for a "non-scripted" platform, this show was low rated and a joke on the weekly ratings reports as it lost its HTGAWM repeat lead-in. Why bother watc hing this frothy filler when viewers already tune into the Chew everyday? At least we know this shallow lifestyle show will be back consistently, much like the loathed Keeping up With the Kardashians. With two Shark Tanks, the Bachelor(ette) and Dancing with the Stars, ABC has strong contenders in the reality TV department. I'm not a fan of the genre, but am happy ABC cut its losses where needed. And lastly, we all knew Resurrection was toast. I enjoyed the show during last season, but with so many great choices, it made it hard to invest. The show debuted at a strong 3.8 rating in spring 2014, but limped down to a 0.8 inside of a calendar year. ABC invests in too many paranormal/sci-fi and dark series, and Resurrection is no different. Any show which hemorrhaged Once Upon a Time's impressive Fall ratings during the Frozen Arc cannot blame anyone but their own production for failing. Let ABC bury this turkey and call in the cement truck to assure it never returns to our TV screens again.

Now onto the renewals. I feared FOTB may have suffered a similar fate as Trophy Wife as it is tasked with bringing viewers to the problematic Tuesday night. FOTB bottomed out with a 1.3, the same frightening level Goldbergs hit last season. Like FOTB, I feared ABC would kill Goldbergs last season and breathed a sigh of relief when ABC came to their senses and moved it to Wednesdays. If ABC wants this show to flourish, they may consider moving it if the show drops to 1.1 or 1.2 ratings next fall. I praise ABC for renewing Agent Carter, as the show maintained 75-percent of Agents of Shield's ratings. It also sports a strong female lead, which is the demo advertisers want to target. Here's to Carter having a strong return.

Which leads us to questionable renewals. Galavant? It's renewal was funnier than it's intended humor in the scripts. Perhaps if the show is cost effective, ABC may perhaps see a cheap opportunity to fill the schedule's undesirable timeslots. I could understand this renewal, but found American Crime's renewal to be a head scratching decision. This show is beyond bleak, and also had trouble maintaining even half of Scandal's lead-in. I won't even get into the make-under Felicity Huffman had to go through for this disaster, a far cry from her glad days on Desperate Housewives when even Lynette's frumpiest days looked better. Secrets and Lies performed okay, but I must question if the viewers were there for Ryan Philippe and will vacate after next season. I see another Resurrection occurring, so sta y tuned. If it was up to me, I would have canned these three pressed turkeys and moved on.

To sum up ABC's final tally, it lost six series, totaling 4.5 hours of programming. I will not bother adding the Taste into that pile, enough said. Out of so few losses, ABC can be proud it will have 17 returning series, as well as four strong reality TV platforms, one steadfast variety fare (AFHV), and possibly Repeat After Me. MIA is Last Man Standing, which we will hopefully know of its fate soon. ABC has three solid nights, two potential shows to move which have made it to syndication (Castle and Nashville), and a plethora of solid sitcoms.

My suggestions to ABC for the 2015-16 season go as follows:

1. Find a suitable companion to FOTB if the network is dead set on keeping two comedies on Tuesdays. Otherwise, both shows will suffer.

2. Free up the 10pm spots on Monday and Wednesday. Unless the network foresees Nashville having a 5th season, start preparing for Castle and possibly Nashville ending. Moving one of these fares to Sunday may help if Secrets and Lies plummets, and either will lighten up the tone of the recent ly darkened Sundays.

3. Consider moving the Middle to keep new life on Wednesdays. Middle's audience will follow it wherever ABC places it, and I foresee at least two more seasons for this winner.

4. Find a solid sitcom performer for Fridays. If LMS does return, it will likely be its last season, and we will need a familiar anchor in its departure.

5. Consider expanding another hour of sitcoms. ABC has perfected six great sitcoms, while failing to find a great drama or procedural. Instead of limiting its sitcom platforms to eight timeslots, forcing new pilots to fend for themselves on Tuesdays and Fridays, shake things up! I'd welcome Once moving to 9pm on Sundays freeing up an hour for sitcoms on Sundays, or even relocating Shark Tank and resurrecting TGIF.

Here's to a great season for ABC, and I hope it maintains or continues to grow. If they keep up the good decisions, they may even see 2nd place soon!

Let's Talk Smoo About: Nothing to Discuss About the CW

Written by Oh Smoo 

For those of you ready to chase me off this site because of the title of this article, RELAX! Having nothing to discuss about the CW's Renew/Cancel woes is a good problem to have. Earlier this season, CW surprised fans and did a mass renewal of shows, including mediocre-lowly rated The 100, The Originals, Reign and Jane the Virgin. All hovered around the 0.5-0.6 ratings range and appeared to be potentially on the chopping block. After watching the comments during the weekly ratings, everyone hoped the other s hows would plummet in favor of their show's survival. Frankly, I will optimistically watch how CW's bold stroke pans out. CW maintained its viewership at the bottom of the fishbowl, and seems committed to year-round viewership.

The year-round platform has allowed Beauty and the Beast to escape the jaws of cancellation and allow its fans to continue to flood the comments section with support. I'll admit I do not watch anything on CW, but have marveled as this network seems to be here to stay. We all saw Hart of Dixie and Messengers parted today, and few can really state they were surprised. With that said, let's move forward in excitement as there will be plenty to talk about with the CW in upcoming months.

ABC Cancels Cristela and Forever, Galavant and Once Upon a Time Coming Back

Written by Oh Smoo:

With so many successful sitcoms, it shouldn't surprise spectators that the Freshman sitcom was not picked up by ABC for a second season. Per Deadline.com, ABC elected not to renew the fledging sitcom, which averaged a 1.0 rating on Friday evenings. While somewhat respectable for a Friday showing, Cristela is owned by Fox-TV. Also joining Cristela on the chopping block is freshman drama Forever, w hich was tasked with drawing viewers to ABC's troubled Tuesday 10pm timeslot. Forever performed stable, albeit anemically, in one of the worst timeslots on the network in recent years. Forever was produced by Warner Brothers.

In other related news, TV By the Numbers reported Galavant would be returning for a second season, as well as Once Upon a Time returning for a fifth season (as if it were in any danger!). This brings ABC's cancellation fatalities to five, as Forever and Cristela join Revenge, Selfie and Manhattan Love Story in ABC's exodus.

Let's Talk Smoo About: ABC Fallen Shows

Thank you for joining my first article on this happy haven. For those of you who knew my handiwork on other sites, you know I tend to infuse my view of TV with humor. With that said, let's take a look at the 5 networks, starting with ABC and why we lost certain shows. 2014-15 seems to be a slight game changer as the networks yet again rose, fall and changed the direction of TV. ABC enjoyed a creative resurgence and cemented 3rd place, in spite of the handicap of not having sports to infuse its ratings like a juicing athlete. As the other major four networks experienced massive erosion in the scripted department, ABC capitalized on the other networks’ losses and polished three solid nights. As NBC turned Thursdays into “Must Flee TV”, ABC wisely took over and assembled TGIT.

ABC only had minor bloodshed and has thus far lost three series, and hasn't announced its final renewals and cancellations, which I foresee on Tuesday, May 12. SELFIE and MANHATTAN LOVE STORY, which I lovingly retitled "Shelfie" and "Manhattan Cancellation Story", were doomed from when it was announced they would anchor ABC's blighted Tuesday night schedule. I watched the pilots, and decided I’d rather spend my time elsewhere. I have to wonder how CRISTELA would have fared in these timeslots, and Shelfie or Manhattan Cancellation story would have followed LAST MAN STANDING. Perhaps it would not have had a massive affect on these three floundering sitcoms, but I still see Cristela performing higher. ABC wisely cut its looses in the fall and made way for FRESH OFF THE BOAT and REPEAT AFTER ME, which are performing alright.

Lastly, REVENGE was cancelled after four marvelous/lackluster seasons. No smoo! Several speculated if ABC would contemplate a 5th season, and ABC wisely chose to cut the show short before it became more unwatchable than Karine Vanasse's hairdos. Commenters raved and griped about the R-word, as we had to call it on another site as it was overexposed in the comments section. Like it or not, Revenge helped hold ABC together during three troubled seasons in 4th place. During its freshman season, it was tantalizing and one of the few hits the network had to brag about as it lost its powerhouse DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. Seeing their dominant hold slipping on Sundays, ABC believed it had a ratings juggernaut paired with successful ONCE UPON A TIME. But its ratings only topped mediocre and managed to avoid the grim reaper as ABC experienced massive bloodshed in pilots and failed series.

Being an in-ho use production, Revenge was a great solution during ABC’s 2010-14 doldrums. However, ABC’s retooling and success left Revenge exposed like an aging and withered vine in a once dead garden, surrounded by new greenery. Revenge won most of its nights in its timeslot this season, but dipping below a 1.1 was not the performance the show needed to survive. Winning against BATTLE CREEK and CSI is like bragging you are the strongest actor in a reality TV series. Coupled with dissatisfied actors, hackneyed and plot driven stories, and losing core characters, it was time to put this show to rest. It reached the 88-episode mark and has remained a successful platform on Netflix, with 89 hours of entertainment for future viewers.

With that said, was it really that much of a los s losing these three series? Two never stood a chance, and the third felt like a thrill ride turned sour and melancholy. I’d rather remember Revenge as a stylish drama with humor infused, like my comments. ABC will announce the remainder of the cancellations next week (or perhaps sooner if we play nice), and I foresee ABC cancelling four more series, or 3 hours of programming space. I will comment on these series when the chips are down, as I’d rather you the commenters keep the fun rolling for the next week. We should count our blessings this season, as ABC remained the scripted series winner with three brag-worthy evenings with an embarrassment of riches with sitcoms and Shonda Rhimes entertainment. Next week shall discuss the fallout of the final announcements. Till Next Time….