Ratings Report: Lackluster Start for “Who’s Still Standing?”
Who’s Still Standing? may not be standing for much longer. NBC debuted the show last night to tepid reviews at best and the ratings show it. The debut airing scored just a 3.4/5 rating with 5.6 million viewers. It got a 1.5/4 in the key demographic. Given that it barely got any positive reviews I doubt we’ll see it go up for tonight’s episode. It’s another example of taking a decent show and trampling on it. You can see Minute to Win It‘s fingerprints all over this and it suffers because of it. It’s hard to pick out what the most annoying thing is, but I think mid-question commercials may be it.
Fear Factor began its second week on the air and suffered from a poor lead-in. It came to 6.37 million viewers but a pretty strong 2.5/6 demo rating. It was 2nd place overall but 1st place in the key demographic. You Deserve It is still on the air and it somehow lost more viewers in its fifth week. ABC’s quiz show sank to a 2.1/4 rating, down 0.2 from last week. Its key demographic rating stuck at 0.9/2. It doesn’t stand much of a shot for renewal.
Syndication had a mixed week ending December 4th. Wheel of Fortune shrunk to 7.5, but that’s only down 1% so no problem. Jeopardy! managed to grow 2% to a 6.3. Family Feud was flat at 3.1. Who Wants to be a Millionaire trailed the pack at 2.6, which is a 4% increase.
Sources :
Zap2It: http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2011/12/tv-ratings-cbs-beats-terra-nova-finale-on-a-slow-monday.html
B&C: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/478191-Syndication_Ratings_Big_Bang_Takes_Over_Top_Sitcom_Slot.php
TV By the Numbers: http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/12/20/monday-final-ratings-fear-factor-adjusted-up-you-deserve-it-a-chipmunk-christmas-adjusted-down/114223/
I have a question, why do the Primetime game shows of today, in this country, always have to do one or more of the following:
1. Use actors for contestants
2. Hire a really bad contestant coordinator to tell these contestants how to act
3. Slow down the pace to make it less watchable
Seriously, I’ve been dreaming from childhood to becoming a contestant on a game show, and can never understand why, in the US, this is always happening, when in other countries, the people KNOW better than to tamper with the format. As the 1990′s slogan, used by Susan Powta goes, “Stop the Insanity!”
I too wanted to be a game show contestant, if only for the chance to play the game and compete. But there’s one more thing done wrong by game shows of today:
4. Go into every detail of the contestant’s life story.
Seriously, players are chosen less for their ability than for how much they need a quick wad of cash. Where yesterday’s game shows would only give a player’s name, hometown, occupation, possibly some interests and a fun anecdote, today’s games do this whole mini biography than could be better spent on gameplay.
They want their game shows to feel more like “reality shows” is the most likely explanation on that.
I actually liked the show, I felt that (maybe in part because of the game’s simplicity) it moved faster than most Peacock entries in the last 5 years.
Is it perfect? Absolutely not, but it’s far from awful.
I agree. Tonight’s episode did seem like an improvement over last night. However, I would like to see someone go beyond the fifth question, and also let’s move the game faster, if we can.
Can’t take the constant banter, idiotic questions, spoilers, and terribly timed commercial breaks, I’m out
one episode, and I’m done already.
The music is still annoying, the contestants are still morons, and the show is still too drawn out. At least the speed round had some actual speed this time. If it weren’t for that set, which I find rather nice, I’d likely stop watching.
First off, they spoiled tonight’s show through the promo aired last night. This show leaves a bad taste in my mouth. You’re definitely right about the contestants. They are morons. Being on a Dean’s List doesn’t mean you are intelligent. I could do without the people crying. People don’t cry this much on Millionaire, and they win way more money. I was really hoping this would be watchable, but it really isn’t. It hurt Fear Factor’s ratings as well.
Since Minute to Win It, NBC game shows have always been crappy in my opinion. The music is absolutely corny, it should be more dramatic and less “casual”. The gameplay is okay though, but just how they franchised this makes it look like a recycled Minute to Win It. And what’s with the money tree? I’d rather watch You Deserve It, at least their money tree can be actually seen.
The commercial cuts are terrible, and the simplicity of many of the questions doesn’t help either. Although it’s not terrible, I doubt it will last unless there’s some overhaul.
I think I’ll stick around.for the rest. It’s just an ok show, but I still like the Speed Round.
The Speed Round was axed for tonight’s episode, it seems.
A slight correction. There weren’t five questions, rather five rounds. The show I thaught was good but a few changes are absolutely in order.
1. cut out the unessessary banter.
2. 15 seconds are enough & don’t start the clock until the clue is read.
3. Stop with the spoilers.
4. Get real contestants & ask real questions
5. Cut the unessessary padding.
Nice to see Who’s Still Standing grow by 20% last night to a 1.8 rating! Yesterday’s hero was ANNOYING, but I still think the show is still pretty good. Obviously, could be better, but much more enjoyable that You Deserve It!
That surprises me. I expected the total opposite, but I saw the Wednesday episode, and like it better so far.
The show is okay, The fake contestants are annoying i rather see real people play and i hate the music also. And the questions are very very easy and you don’t have to act shock everytime someone falls.
I am so glad The Cube haven’t came to America it would been a total waste
I want the Cube in America. I want to beat it.
Shall I add to the laundry list of annoying things…no mention as to what happens to anyone who eliminates the “hero”…..does that person take over? would that second person have a shot at a million?
And on top of everything else….they hired a host to tell us how the game is going…allow him to do so. And by the way, the off-screen guy is the most annoying Santa I’ve ever heard.
Tonight’s 4th episode of Who’s Still Standing had a rule change. The Hero now starts off with 3 passes, instead of just 2 passes. He/she still earns another pass after the 5th stranger is eliminated though, so technically the Hero can now have as many as 4 Passes.
What we really need is on-screen graphics indicating the current amount of money the contestant has accumulated, as well as on-screen graphics indicating # of passes left.
And NOT full-screen Santa-narrated graphics either. That should hopefully end starting Monday 8/7c when Who’s Still Standing permanently joins the NBC Monday line-up.
Sheesh…talk about rule changes…in only 4 episodes, we’ve seen the Speed Round get axed and the Hero gain an extra pass. Is NBC pulling a GSN here with constantly changing the rules on us?
Whenever they dump a batch of episodes at the beginning of a new series, I’m always suspicious of the order of taping. I’m not sure that the Thursday episode might not have been the first one taped, and they *started* with the idea of giving out 3 passes, and dropped it to two. I guess we’ll have a better idea on Monday.
I’m also not sure the speed round got axed. I just think that at their glacial pace, they can’t fit the speed round into the episode if the Hero gets up to seven matches. Even if three of them end on something close to the first question. *sigh*
And was it my imagination, or was the Hero tonight, Bob the video game tester, not *also* a contestant on Russian Roulette? Does anyone else think he looks familiar?
Russian Roulette, ABC’s 2006 Flop Show Me the Money, and Catch 21.
I want to see CBS revive Russian Roulette. This show is okay I’ll watch it Monday to see if we get a better announcer. I actually like the set because it doesn’t seem as dark as most gameshows I’ve seen before. I want to see a gameshow with flashing lights and better selection of contestants. I personally don’t want to hear your sob story that is what reality television to me is for. I want to see a gameshow focus more on the gameplay. I do like though having crossword puzzle like clues which is different than having multiple choice trivia. While Who’s Still Standing is ok it makes me miss Million Dollar Money Drop a lot more.
Guess I was wrong. Christmas is over, but we still have Christmas music, Christmas graphics and Santa as the announcer. Makes me wonder if the whole season will have this.
Also, the Speed Round is back, but this time, $2,000 was added to the bank for each answer. The winning stranger almost ended up with as much money in 10 minutes as the main contestant had won during the entire hour.
OK, was torturing myself tonight (on DVR) and watched You Deserve It, slightly changed, now with 2 Wall Screens, one for the clues, and a second one that keeps track of the prize amounts.
But what caught my eye…A casting call for new shows…. If you are interested, go to http://www.abc.com/casting
At least in last night’s episode, the person who got the money was “waiting” at a great Orange County, California Restaurant, Newport Rib Company, a place I have eaten many times.