Canadian television drama viewership plummets
The total audience captured by Canadian drama series (across all TV networks) has dropped by half in a year. Viewership fell to 1.8% in March/May 2006, just half the level in March/May 2005.
By comparison, American and other foreign drama shows accounted for 27.4% of total viewing.
Canadian Media Research Inc.
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So has viewership of American series risen, or is viewing down across the board? I know that the American TV fall launch has been almost a total wash – Heroes may be the only thing that survives into next season.
I’ve asked the CBC to offer some context to this… still waiting to hear.
Speaking of context I should add that I’m talking about how new series are faring in the states – CSI, Survivor and America’s Next Top Whateveritisthisweek all seem to be fine. But, how those shows fare in the states will determine their life-span, being a marginal hit in Canada is not enough to keep something like Studio 60 afloat.
According to this week’s Entertainment Weekly (Daniel Craig on the cover) viewership of drama in the USA is up with this fall season. I don’t know if I’m remembering this right, but I think the total audience is up by 4 %. What’s more, there are a lot of shows that compete in timeslots that are doing better — in other words, it’s not zero sum — where one show is cannibalizing audience from another. They’re finding new viewers. So the contrast with Canadian tv is even more acute.
When are we going to face up to the fact that the shows we are producing are not as good as they need to be, and ask how we can do things differently so that the quality goes up?
Even when a show works — yes, like Corner Gas — we don’t ask why.
So I’m asking. Why?
Is CBC asking this?
Justin/Tod, if you want to discuss the foreign drama equivalent chart, pls email me.
[...] Canadian television drama viewership plummets [...]
I’m not surprised viewership is down. What is there that’s truly attractive? Slings & Arrows on TMN. Corner Gas, of course. Trailer Park Boys. Rent-a-Goalie is not bad. All of these draw an audience because there’s nothing like them out there, and because the writing is superb. Elsewhere we’re mostly asked to watch lukewarm knock-offs of American formulae. And why watch bad, low budget Canadian TV when you can watch bad, high budget American TV?
Canadian shows have to have something special or they’re never going to compete.
Maybe someone should offer Mark McKinney an office on the lot and a development budget? Or Mark Farrell?
Shows work when broadcasters and executives leave the creative up to writers and producers. Brent Butt is exec producer on CG.
The future is sitcom.