‘Fringe’ has disappointing debut; ‘90210′ ratings drop in Week 2
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- September
- 11
So it looks as if buzz isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
“Fringe” and “90210” are inarguably the fall season’s most-hyped new shows, but it doesn’t seem to have helped either one in the ratings department.
“Fringe,” the latest sci-fi extravaganza from TV genius J.J. Abrams, debuted Tuesday night to a disappointing 9 million viewers.
Not a terrible showing, but it’s surely not what Abrams and FOX were expecting, given the reputation of the show’s creators, the huge marketing campaign and $10 million pilot. And it’s nothing compared to the 2004 premiere of Abrams’ ABC hit, “Lost,” which had more than twice as many people watching.
In my opinion, this is a shame—and a shocker, considering that “Fringe” also got great reviews (including one from yours truly!).
Hopefully this will be the kind of show that grows slowly, because judging from the quality of the first episode and Abrams’ track record, it deserves the chance to stay on the air.
Then there’s “90210.”
The CW went bananas after the premiere—and with good reason. The ‘90s teen soap opera remake blasted ratings records for the network after its Sept. 2 opening. The premiere gave the CW its best ratings EVER for a scripted show: 4.9 million.
But ratings for this week’s episode dropped by a horrifying 30 PERCENT, which has to be a huge concern.
Did TV watchers simply tune in once to see what all the fuss was about, only to hate what they saw?
Were thirty-somethings only willing to check out the show for nostalgia’s sake, preferring only to watch if old favorites like Shannen Doherty were onscreen? (We’ll see if that theory pans out: Shannen’s back on the show Sept. 16; she was absent from school this week.)
If ratings continue to plunge, I hope the producers are willing to shell out the big bucks to Tori Spelling for a guest appearance.
Heck, forget the guest spot, let’s make her and the rest of the old cast the stars of the show.
Because rather than having this show be a poor man’s version of “Gossip Girl,” the CW should have simply brought the original actors back and created a series around where their characters are now.
Heck, they could even keep Silver! She and her friends could provide the younger storylines, while the old fogeys in their -GASP!-thirties could provide fun entertainment for those of us who remember when Kelly was stalked by a lesbian burn victim.
Sigh. Now those were the days….
(Photos courtesy of FOX and the CW)
This entry was posted
on Thursday, September 11th, 2008 at 12:54 pm by Heather Salerno.
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I think Fox and J.J. made a mistake trying to tell people “Fringe” wasn’t going to be mythology driven. Fanboys and housewives like to get hooked on serialized drama when it’s well done. They made it sound like X-Files and Lost light … maybe not the best plan. Also, Fox likes to get out real early because of their World Series Break. I just don’t think people are plunked on the couch yet in the evenings … not quite dark enough and there are still pennant races going on.