DarleneIllyria
06-10-2003, 11:26 PM
The Rerun Game
There are reasons why you'll see some shows repeated this summer (and not others)
The general rule in TV is that comedies repeat much better than dramas. That's one reason the networks continue to seek out new sitcoms despite their high cost and failure rate.
But some dramas stay strong in reruns. They tend to be shows in which each episode has a satisfying conclusion, such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Law & Order.
"Self-contained dramas usually work better in repeats than serial dramas that (have to be followed )from week to week," says Steve Sternberg of the media-buying firm Magna Global USA. An example? The interconnecting hours of 24, which FOX chose not to repeat. However, the first year of 24 is now available on DVD, allowing viewers to catch up with missed episodes and producers to make more money.
The science of reruns is inexact. Some relationship dramas-including Boston Public, Ed, and American Dreams have repeated so poorly that they're unlikely to rerun this summer.
The two lists on this page illustrate who wins and who loses in the rerun game. The winners include shows that retain 75 percent or more of their first-run audience in reruns. The losers include shows that surrender a third or more of their audience the second time around.
Winners:
CSI
The District
8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter
Everybody Loves Raymond
George Lopez
King of Queens
Law and Order
Law and Order: Criminal Intent
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit
My Wife and Kids
Reba
The Parkers
Without a Trace
Losers
Alias
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Enterprise
ER
Everwood
Judging Amy
The Practice
7th Heaven
Smallville
West Wing
There are reasons why you'll see some shows repeated this summer (and not others)
The general rule in TV is that comedies repeat much better than dramas. That's one reason the networks continue to seek out new sitcoms despite their high cost and failure rate.
But some dramas stay strong in reruns. They tend to be shows in which each episode has a satisfying conclusion, such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Law & Order.
"Self-contained dramas usually work better in repeats than serial dramas that (have to be followed )from week to week," says Steve Sternberg of the media-buying firm Magna Global USA. An example? The interconnecting hours of 24, which FOX chose not to repeat. However, the first year of 24 is now available on DVD, allowing viewers to catch up with missed episodes and producers to make more money.
The science of reruns is inexact. Some relationship dramas-including Boston Public, Ed, and American Dreams have repeated so poorly that they're unlikely to rerun this summer.
The two lists on this page illustrate who wins and who loses in the rerun game. The winners include shows that retain 75 percent or more of their first-run audience in reruns. The losers include shows that surrender a third or more of their audience the second time around.
Winners:
CSI
The District
8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter
Everybody Loves Raymond
George Lopez
King of Queens
Law and Order
Law and Order: Criminal Intent
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit
My Wife and Kids
Reba
The Parkers
Without a Trace
Losers
Alias
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Enterprise
ER
Everwood
Judging Amy
The Practice
7th Heaven
Smallville
West Wing